Gordon Campbell: On Bernie Sanders’ Presidential Bid

Bernie Sanders’ campaign for the Democratic nomination is taking on an air of inevitability, and that likelihood has been met with elation by some people, and feelings of dread in others... More>>

ALSO:

• Gordon Campbell - On The Rise Of Amy Klobuchar And Michael Bloomberg
• Caitlin Johnstone - Op-Ed: Stop Revolting, You Insolent Peons - The Belief That Everything Will Be Fine Once Trump’s Gone Is More Dangerous Than Trump
• Eric Zuesse - How Bernie Sanders Will Destroy The Deep State If He Becomes President
• David Swanson - Why This Election Is Different - Let’s Try to Elect Bernie Sanders
• Binoy Kampmark - Bernie Sanders, The Democrats and The Superdelegate Problem - Muddling Democrats: Chaos in the Iowa Caucus - Hillary Clinton versus Mark Zuckerberg
• Common Dreams - Sanders Hits Trump Over NYT Libel Lawsuit - Sanders Leads Popular Vote, Trails Buttigieg With Delegates - Anand Giridharadas On Sanders' Victory In Nevada: 'A Wake Up Moment For The American Establishment' - Progressives To Sanders Skeptics: This 'Big Tent' Movement Is A Winning And Practical Choice - Sanders responds To Oxfam Inequality Report
• Democrats Abroad for Bernie Sanders - Voting For Bernie Sanders In Wellington

Gordon Campbell: On The US (and NATO) Surrender In Afghanistan

The deal that has just been has struck to end the involvement of the US and its NATO allies in Afghanistan bears the usual hallmarks of deals done by Donald Trump... More>>

ALSO:

• Common Dreams - Critics Warn US-Taliban Deal Exposes Fallacies Of Endless War Paradigm
• The Conversation - Turkey And Russia Lock Horns In Syria As Fear Of Outright War Escalates
• Binoy Kampmark - Teflon Lies and Mowing Lawns: The Afghanistan Papers
• Gordon Campbell - Gordon Campbell on compensation for Afghan casualties
• Caitlin Johnstone - The Most Significant Afghanistan Papers Revelation
• United Nations - United States-Taliban Deal: UN Welcomes Efforts To Reach Political Settlement In Afghanistan
• NZ Govt - New Zealand Welcomes Announcement Of US-Taliban Agreement
• UNHCHR - Afghanistan: 10,000 Civilian Casualties For Sixth Straight Year

Gordon Campbell: On The Iran Aftermath

So, evidently, you can get away with murder. It looks as though a further escalation in the ongoing war between Iran and the US has been avoided – mainly thanks to Iran NOT responding in kind to the recklessly unhinged behaviour by the United States. ... More>>

ALSO:

• Caitlin Johnstone - “Iran Must Begin Acting Like A Normal Nation,” Says Totally Normal Nation - So The US Is Invading Iraq Again - Full-Scale War Avoided, Trump Right Back To Warmongering - “We Do Not Seek War,” Says President Who Just Started A War - US Assassination Of Iranian Military Official May Ignite War - US Empire’s Passion For Iraqi Democracy Magically Disappears
• Eric Zuesse - Soleimani’s Successor Is Failing - How Iran Can Checkmate Trump
• John Stanton - The USA’s System of Checks, Balances and Reality Crumbles
• Julia Conley - World Leaders Call on US To Resume Diplomacy With Iran
• Jake Johnson - Iran Launches Rocket Attack on US Airbase in Iraq - UN Rapporteur Demands Probe of Soleimani Assassination
• Binoy Kampmark - Vague Imminence: US policy on Pre-emptive Force - Disruptive Assassinations: Killing Qassem Soleimani
• Hugh Steadman - Avoidable Nuclear War
• Paul Martin - Soleimani & the Red Flag of Qom
• Eoin Higgins - Did the Iraq War Just End? - Ocasio-Cortez Joins Chorus Against War With Iran
• United Nations - Guterres pledges ‘active engagement’ in de-escalation effort - UN chief calls for de-escalation across Gulf region
• NZ Govt - Statement from Acting PM Winston Peters
• National - Statement on unfolding events in Iraq

COP25 Ends: World Screams Out For Action But Climate Summit Whispers

“The world is screaming out for climate action but this summit had responded with a whisper. The poorest nations are in a sprint for survival yet many governments have barely moved from the starting blocks. Instead of committing to more ambitious cuts in emissions, countries have argued over technicalities." More>>

ALSO:

• NZ Govt - NZ will continue to showcase ambitious climate action
• UN News - As COP25 goes into the night, Guterres calls for ambition
• Global Climate and Health Alliance - COP25 is a failure of leadership of historical proportions
• NIWA - Hottest November on record: NIWA climate scientists
• RNZ - Government funds to continue investing in fossil fuels - COP 25: Pacific nations demand greater commitments - Leaders urged not to COP out of climate action in Madrid - Bridges condemns climate protest vandalism at his office
• NZ Govt - Climate change lens on major Government decisions
• UN - Green economy not to be feared - Sustainable Development Goals - Is the world ready to end the coal era? - COP25 Launchpad for Significantly more Climate Ambition
• Greenpeace - Ex-Tuvalu PM Sopoaga at COP25
• WWF - State of the Environment Report 2020
• Oxfam NZ - NZ undercutting the Pacific on key climate issue
• Global Climate and Health Alliance - COP25: Health sector denounces lack of funds
• NZ Energy and Environment Business Week - Govt sets mandate for climate change negotiations
• Millions of Mothers - Parents Around the World Plea for Urgent Climate Action
• The Conversation - Climate explained: how climate change will affect food - How plant-based meat stretches cultural & legal boundaries
• Carbon Market Watch - Markets must increase climate action, not undermine it
• Greenpeace - Fiji among 10 nations most impacted by climate crisis - Greenpeace installs oil museum at OMV - Protestors to OMV: It’s not over
• NZ Psychological Society - NZ psychologists join world pledge to stem climate change
• Callaghan Innovation - Environmental innovators urged to take on C-Prize challenge
• The Wise Response Society - Recent Climate Reports Underscore Genuine Emergency
• Citizens Environmental Advocacy Centre - UN Climate report- record emissions’ - Govt' must use rail - PM must attend COPS 25 Climate Change Conference.
• Citizens Environmental Advocacy Centre - CEAC – How to stop destructive loss of ocean oxygen?

UN Emissions Report: World On Course For Climate Spike

Even if countries meet commitments made under the 2015 Paris Agreement, the world is heading for a 3.2 degrees Celsius global temperature rise over pre-industrial levels… More>>

ALSO:

• UN - Climate change: Another year of record gas emissions
• GNS Science - As emissions rise, carbon fingerprint points to fossil fuels
• Recreation Aotearoa - Climate Emergency could be the best thing in our lifetime
• The Conversation - Climate explained: how much does flying contribute? - Climate explained: why coastal floods are more frequent
• Greenpeace NZ - Police move in to end Greenpeace oil ship occupation

Pacific: Tongan PM 'Akilisi Pohiva Dies, Aged 78

A constant thorn in the side of the monarchy and nobility, Mr Pohiva's lifelong battle for representation had seen him fired from the public service and charged with sedition... More>>

ALSO:

• NZ Govt - New Zealand express condolences on passing of Tonga’s PM

Untied Kingdom: UK PM Moves To Suspend Parliament In Weeks Before Brexit
The Prime Minister has briefed Cabinet colleagues that the government will bring forward an ambitious new legislative programme for MPs’ approval, and that the current parliamentary session will be brought to an end. More>>

ALSO:

• UK Labour Party - Jeremy Corbyn responds to plans to suspend Parliament
• Out-Link - Brexit | The Guardian

Gordon Campbell: On The Hong Kong Protest Movement
The pro-democracy protests enjoy huge support among Hong Kong’s youth, partly because the democratic systems currently at risk have only a limited time span. More>>

ALSO:

• Image Out-Link - Studio Incendo / Wikimedia commons

Climate Strike: At UN, Youth Activists Press For Bold Action
This first-ever UN Youth Climate Summit follows Friday’s global ‘climate strike’, which saw millions of young people from across the globe walk out of school and jam streets in major cities, from New York to New Delhi and Santiago to San Francisco. More>>

ALSO:

• School Strike 4 Climate - 4 days until intergenerational climate strike
• The Nation - Simon Shepherd Interviews James Shaw
• National - Coal use increasing under Labour-Green policies
• NZ Council of Trade Unions - NZCTU calls on employers to release staff for Climate Strike
• Interim Climate Change Committee - Interim Climate Change Committee Call for evidence launched
• Citizens Environmental Advocacy Centre - Climate change is here - we all need to do our part
• University of Queensland - Preventing climate change cheaper than dealing with damage
• Video via UNFCCC - Winners of 2019 Global Youth Video Competition
• Binoy Kampmark - Extinction Rebellion: Leaving it to the Students
• Greenpeace - Major IPCC report: ‘The climate crisis is an oceans crisis’
• Citizen News Service - Inside out: Climate change induced migration
• ITUC - Just Transition for climate ambition

Pacific Island Forum: Australia v Everyone Else On Climate Action
Traditionally, communiques capture the consensus reached at the meeting. In this case, the division on display between Australia and the Pacific meant the only commitment is to commission yet another report into what action needs to be taken. More>>

ALSO:

• RNZ - Australian PM's attitude 'neo-colonial' says Tuvalu
• Binoy Kampmark - Condescension and Climate Change - Denying Climate Change and Boosting China’s Threat
• NZ Govt - NZ boosts support for climate action across the Pacific - Prime Minister to attend Pacific Islands Forum
• RNZ - PM Ardern to tackle climate change conversation in Tuvalu
• Oxfam - Ardern must meet Pacific calls
• 350.org - Pacific Pawa Shift Builds Momentum to Climate Action Summit
• West Papua Action Auckland - Ardern urged to support West Papua at Pacific Islands Forum

For NZ, It Was May 6: Earth Overshoot Day 2019 Is The Earliest Ever
Humanity is currently using nature 1.75 times faster than our planet’s ecosystems can regenerate. This is akin to using 1.75 Earths... More>>

ALSO:

• Out-Link - Country Overshoot Days 2019 – Earth Overshoot Day

Asylum: More Manus Refugees Fly To US But Hundreds Still In Limbo
“The US deal was never going to provide enough places for the refugees Australia has held on Manus and Nauru. There are over 1800 refugees needing resettlement,” said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition. More>>

ALSO:

• UN - 1.4 million refugees set to need urgent resettlement in 2020 - UN rights experts urge more protection for LGBTI refugees
• Refugee Action Coalition - Manus Crisis Reaching Breaking Point
• ACRT - Australian Churches Back Medevac
• Image via RNZ - World Refugee Day: Nothing to celebrate on Manus and Nauru

Food Security: African Swine Fever Rapidly Spreading In Asia
African Swine Fever is rapidly spreading in East and Southeast Asia threatening food security and livelihoods of households relying on pig farming... More>>

ALSO:

• Harrington's Smallgoods - Kiwi Pork Needs to Be Protected

"NZ Leadership Needed": Japan Resume Commercial Whaling
The Green Party is deeply concerned by Japan’s resumption of commercial whaling, Green Party Animal Welfare Spokesperson Gareth Hughes said today. More>>

ALSO:

• Image out-link - WordRidden on Flickr

Gordon Campbell: On Collective Punishment In Venezuela
Yemen, Venezuela, Iran, Gaza… beyond the particulars of their suffering, each of these countries currently share one thing in common: their ordinary citizens are being subjected to collective punishment, in order to bring about regime change. More>>

Widely Ignored Report: 40,000 Dead Venezuelans Under US Sanctions
A new report on April 25 by a respected think tank has estimated that US sanctions imposed on Venezuela in August 2017 have caused around 40,000 deaths... Additional sanctions imposed in January 2019 are likely to lead to tens of thousands of further deaths. More>>

ALSO:

• Caitlin Johnstone - Trump Has Murdered Over 40,000 Venezuelans With Sanctions
• Image Out-Link - Venezuela Lost 20 Billion Dollars due to Foreign Sanctions | periodico26.cu

Gordon Campbell: On The Left-Wing Victory In Spain
Portugal and Spain continue to be striking exceptions to the rise of rightwing populism in Europe, a fact that’s commonly explained by the relatively recent experience both countries have had of living under fascist regimes. (Franco in Spain, and Salazar in Portugal.)
That horrific past still seems very much alive in the minds of voters... More>>

Easter Bombings Kill Hundreds: UN, World Leaders Condemn Sri Lanka Attacks
More than 200 have been killed and hundreds injured by a series of explosions inside churches and hotels in Sri Lanka, as Christians gathered for services to celebrate Easter.. More>>

ALSO:

• RNZ - Sri Lanka blasts: Vigil, letter of support from NZ - Sri Lanka attack 'devastating' - Grant Robertson
• NZ Govt - Prime Minister sends condolences to Sri Lanka
• Binoy Kampmark - Lethal Bungling: Sri Lanka’s Easter Bombings
• Waitakere Indian Association - Waitakere Indian Association statement on Sri Lanka
• Islamic Women's Council of NZ - Condolences to our brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka
• Jewish Council - Sri Lanka - Terrorist Attack

Rachel Pammeyrol Reports: Notre-Dame Severely Damaged In Fire
An accident during renovation works started the fire, according to preliminary investigation. The cathedral spire quickly collapsed and most of the roof was reduced to ashes... More>>

ALSO:

• Binoy Kampmark - Burning Gothic: Reflections on Notre-Dame de Paris
• Out-Link - How the far right is trying to turn Notre Dame into the next Reichstag Fire | The Spinoff
• Ramzy Baroud - Notre Dame of Gaza: Mosques and Churches are Also Burning

Dog's Brexit: UK MPs Vote Against Amended Deal
MPs in UK's House of Commons this morning have rejected British Prime Minister Theresa May's amended Brexit deal... If a no-deal option is rejected, MPs could get a vote on Friday on whether to request a delay to Brexit from the EU. More>>

ALSO:

• RNZ - UK MPs Vote Against No-Deal Brexit
• Gordon Campbell - Gordon Campbell on tax dodges, and the Brexit vote
• BusinessDesk - NZD slips against pound as British MPs prepare to vote - NZ dollar higher against British pound on Brexit jitters
• deVere - A second Brexit vote is the only credible solution