by Stephen Lendman

Western media headlined it. The New York Times said "Ukraine Push Against Rebels Grinds to a Halt." Things "unraveled in disarray."

An "entire contingent of 21 armored vehicles…surrendered or pull(ed) back…It was a glaring humiliation for the new government in Kiev. (Events) underscored (its) weakness."

The Wall Street Journal said "Ukraine's Efforts to Regain Control of East Sputter." Locals "halted army columns."

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by Stephen Lendman

Obama declared war on Ukraine. He dispatched CIA chief John Brennan to Kiev. He arrived with administration instructions. Obama's proxy putschist stooges were unleashed to wage war on Eastern Ukrainian freedom fighters. The battle for Ukraine's soul escalated.

The country is "on the verge of civil war," said Putin. Prime Minister Medvedev said the same thing. Putschists launched violence.

"The illegal rulers are trying to restore the order they cynically trampled on when they participated in an armed uprising," Medvedev added.

Their military forces headed east. Tanks, armored vehicles and artillery are on the move. An assault on activist controlled Eastern Ukrainian cities began.

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By Nicola Nasser*

Survival is the key word to understand the Saudi dynasty’s latest external and internal policies. These are designed to pre-empt change but paradoxically they are creating more enemies in a changing world order marked by turbulent regional geopolitics and growing internal demands for change.

The seventy-year old strategic oil for security US-Saudi alliance seemed about to crack on its 69th anniversary ahead of the summit meeting of US President Barak Obama and king Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz in March.

With the US now committed to pivoting east and possibly on track to become an oil exporter by 2017, American and Saudi policies are no longer identical.

Former US President George W. Bush’s democracy campaign, which Saudi opposed, alerted its rulers to be on guard. The Arab popular protests since 2011 pushed them into leading a regional defensive counterrevolution and ever since the gap in bilateral relations has been widening.

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by Stephen Lendman

US-led NATO threatens world peace. It's a global killing machine. It prioritizes militarism and war. It threatens humanity in the process.

It's escalating East/West tensions. It supports Kiev fascist putschists. It buries truth. It spreads lies about Russia.

On April 16, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said:

"We have just taken further measures to respond to the crisis in Ukraine."

"We call on Russia to be part of the solution. To stop destabilising Ukraine, pull back its troops from the borders and make clear it doesn't support the violent actions of well armed militias of pro-Russian separatists."

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by Stephen Lendman

On April 17, Russian, US, EU and Ukrainian foreign ministers met in Geneva. Discussion focused on deescalating Ukrainian crisis conditions.

A joint document was agreed on. It's not worth the paper it's written on. Washington's word isn't its bond. Its history reflects one broken promise after another.

Don't expect this time to be different. Ukraine's crisis may escalate. Perhaps the worst of all possible outcomes will follow. The fullness of time will tell.

Following discussions Sergei Lavrov explained an agreement reached, saying:

All parties must refrain from "violence, intimidation, or provocative actions."

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Russian Communists planning mass boycott of all American goods “It is easy to find replacements with goods produced in Russia. ”They are high quality. Universal boycott might be too complicated, suggest pinpoint action of goods that deal heaviest blow to US economy. Boycott is voluntary.

United States farmers have interest in Ukraine situation, regional instability could have consequences on wheat and corn supplies around world, possible disruptions in country’s supply chain. Western sanctions on Russian wheat output could have repercussions on American farms and elsewhere.

Despite calls for a peaceful dialogue in the document on Ukraine adopted in Geneva, the coup-imposed Ukrainian Foreign Minister said not bound by its recommendations, will not affect “anti-terrorist” operation in the East of the country and troops will remain there.

Ukrainian army is ramping up psychological pressure on regions engulfed in anti-government protests to frighten rebellious cities into compliance by roaring fighter jets above the heads of the activists. The skies over cities in eastern Ukraine are resounding to the roar of attack helicopters and fighter jets.

Oklahoma residents who produce energy through solar panels or small wind turbines on their property will now be charged an additional fee, those with systems already installed won’t be affected, new customers will now be charged a monthly fee.

The Drug Policy Alliance filed an amicus brief today urging Louisiana Supreme Court to review the prison sentence of Bernard Noble, sentenced to 13.3 years of hard labor in prison without parole for possessing the equivalent of two marijuana cigarettes.

Genetically modified (GM) Bt cotton produced by Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco), banned from Indian state of Karnataka, a major cotton-producing region of India, after the transgenic crop failed to deliver on pest resistance and yields.

Chancellor Angela Merkel: “all of Germany’s energy policies must be reconsidered.”Most important energy supplier is Russia: provides 38 percent of Germany’s natural gas, 35 percent oil imports, 25 percent of coal, no alternatives that could cover shortfalls of this magnitude. Supplies already short.

New York Times whitewashes the social and political character of the new Ukrainian government, blames violence on Moscow. Downplays government’s decision to deploy military aircraft against its own population. Government in Kiev includes ministers from Ukraine fascist party Svoboda.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov: Russia, the US, the EU and Ukraine have adopted a joint document on the de-escalation of the Ukraine crisis, after talks in Geneva, calls for all illegal armed groups to lay down arms and a wide amnesty, “immediate start of a nationwide national dialogue,”

Putin criticized Ukraine’s coup-appointed government.“Have they lost their minds?! "They are deploying tanks, armored vehicles and weaponry! Crisis in Ukraine can only be solved through a compromise in the interests of the Ukrainian people".

Crimean First Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Temirgaliyev: Kiev reduced water supplies to the peninsula by three times called on Ukraine to reconsider decision. Crimea prevented Kiev from cutting off all water with technical solution. Denied Ukraine allegations Crimea has not paid for its water,

Russian government has warned about delivering advanced weapons to Syria’s foreign-backed militants, saying it would destabilize the situation, thwart any political solution to the crisis in the country. Dangerously escalated with US anti-tanks missile systems delivered to militants.
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US President Barack Obama: The Russians are “not interested in any kind of military confrontation with us, understanding that our conventional forces are significantly superior to the Russians. “We don’t need a war.”Accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of being behind the unrest in Ukraine.

New anti-terrorism law that widens definition of terrorist “crimes”, tougher sentences, aimed at crushing protests by the supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood. Anti-protest law is even stricter than those of the Mubarak era or when Egypt was still a British protectorate.

Bryan Fischer, director Issues Analysis American Family Association: top 1 percent fund 30 percent of government. Poor, low income and middle class who use welfare. other government services shouldn't be resentful of these people, they should kiss ground they walk on.

As tensions grow between Ukraine and Russia, Romanian President Traian Basescu says the US will send another warship to the Black Sea after its guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook leaves. Russia: move is part of a build-up of naval forces by NATO allies in the region.

RIA Novosti: armored transport vehicles personnel sent to eastern Ukraine in crackdown on self-defense activists switched sides, joined pro-federalist activists. Russia: condemned decision by new authorities to use force against federalization supporters, said it was unpleasant turn of events.

A new bill prepared by a nationalist MP and approved by federal ministries proposes the introduction of obligatory fingerprinting for all people with dangerous diseases, including HIV, and the creation of a national database.

Army troops sent to eastern Ukrainian city of Slavyansk for “anti-terrorist operation” refused to follow orders, surrendered their weapons and armored vehicles. Some troops voiced support for eastern Ukrainians, agreed to lay down their weapons, go home following negotiations.

NATO head Anders Fogh Rasmussen: package of military measures; will deploy additional air, sea and land forces in eastern Europe in response to Ukraine crisis, take further action if needed, will be implemented immediately, more will follow. Putin: NATO’s eastward expansion a direct security threat.

Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine research: royal jelly helps maintain blood sugar levels, controlls oxidative stress. May prevent, reverse Type 2 diabetes. “After royal jelly supplementation, blood glucose decreased. Royal jelly; secretion from honey bees, nurtures larvae, queen bees.

XP, users reporting severe issues caused by the company's security suite. No data is at risk,the OS remains operable, if stricken with this bug, seems like you've actually contracted a virus. The PC will be slow, "down to a crawl, errors related to "MsMpEng.exe" might also arise.

The leaders of the community self-defense groups in 20 cities in the western Mexican state of Michoacan have reached an agreement with federal officials to begin demobilizing, officials said. Agreed to work with federal authorities to to identify Caballeros Templarios drug cartel “targets.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Ukraine is "on the verge of civil war" after Kiev sent in troops against pro-Russia separatists. Mr Putin, in a phone call to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, described the move as a "sharp escalation, military operation "anti-constitutional.

Itar Tass report: shoot out at the separatists-controlled airport in the city of Kramatorsk. Four Su-27 fighter jets allegedly opened fire at the local airfield. Unclear who unidentified warplanes belong to. RUSSIA DECLINES COMMENT ON AIRBORNE UNIT.

First Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising, government forces said they clashed Tuesday with 30 armed gunmen at a small airport. Russia: Ukraine is on the brink of “civil war, Kiev’s leaders ordered troops and tanks towards a flashpoint eastern city to push back separatist surge.

The pro-Israeli government of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper making military preparations for military intervention in Syria, leaked documents show. Canada’s National Defense has drawn up five scenarios for military mission in Syria, according to documents obtained by the Ottawa Citizen

Florida couple challenge the state when they were told they would be fined $500 simply for having a vegetable garden on property they owned for over 20 years. Florida officials claim it was an eyesore

Vermont Senate votesf 26-2 for a bill that would require GMO labels on food products. Governor Peter Shumlin has shown signs of the likelihood of signing. FDA relies on testing done by biotech companies and food producers - not independent, impartial sources.

France parliament passed law prohibiting genetically modified (GM) maize from being grown, citing environmental concerns. The law can be applied to any GM strain adopted at EU level. If any strain of GM crop is adopted in the future at EU level it will be banned in France.

The American financial elite has launched a sweeping nationwide assault on the pension benefits of US workers in both the public and private sectors. States throughout the country, sought to slash government workers’ legally protected pension benefits on grounds there is no money.

A Ukrainian general leading the operation against protesters in the east of the country has warned that activists who refuse to lay down their arms will be “destroyed. Kremlin: allegations about Russia’s military presence in eastern Ukraine are “absurd. There are no Russian troops there.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (R ): signed law bans cities from passing higher wages paid sick days, vacations. “Would drive out businesses raise prices. Minimum wage workers young, single high school or college students living with parents in middle-class families in part-time entry level jobs”

Polish Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak: pushing for NATO to send “significant” amounts of ground troops to his country soon as possible, important to ignore any objections Russia might raise about escalated NATO deployment on its frontier.

The coup-imposed Ukrainian government has amassed military hardware near the eastern Ukrainian towns refusing to recognize Kiev’s rule, and rallying for the country’s federalization. Videos from the area show tanks, APCs and army helicopters. Military vehicles reported in neighboring regions.

Turkish officials called for Twitter to open office, pay tax in the country, after Turkey banned the blogging site in the country for two weeks following corruption scandal. Aim is for the company to pay tax, meet Turkey's just demands.

A majority party MP is suggesting amendments to the Russian law on mass media, making it obligatory for civil servants and all politicians to reply to journalists’ queries under threat of fines. Law applies to representative of federal and municipal bodies of power, various public organizations and unions.

Ukraine’s coup-installed president, Aleksandr Turchinov, proposed conducting joint operation with UN peacekeeping forces, signs decree immediately imposing a special anti-terrorist operation in the east of the country. Ban Ki-moon: Kiev could rely fully on help from the UN as its partner.

White House spokesman Jay Carney confirmed CIA Director John Brennan visited Kiev over the weekend, met with high-ranked Ukrainian officials. Deposed Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich accused Brennan of ordering crackdown on pro-Russian activists in the east of the country.

Study published in journal Biomedical Research International: Roundup herbicide 125 times more toxic than its active ingredient glyphosate studied in isolation. Pesticides contain adjuvants, kept confidential, called inerts. Inert adjuvants up to 10,000 times more toxic than glyphosate.

Government is coming after the children and grandchildren of the original debtors for the repayment. In some cases, IRS doesn't possess the original records of the debts. Debts of parents from the early 1960s and 70s are being collected from children.

Over 10,000 pro-autonomy demonstrators rallied across eastern Ukraine as Kiev’s coup-appointed President threatened military force if protesters and paramilitaries reject a Monday morning deadline to vacate occupied govt buildings.

The stock market dive Friday that brought the Dow Jones Industrial Average to near 16,000 and the Nasdaq to below 4,000 might reflect an accelerated move by Russia away from the petrodollar in retaliation for the Obama administration’s threatened economic sanctions over Crimea.

Israel and Palestinian negotiators to extend US-brokered peace talks. As part of the deal, Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard sentenced to life in 1987 after admitting to passing US miliary secrets to Israel while working as intelligence analyst for US Navy to be freed.

Showdown between rancher Cliven Bundy and U.S. brought armed federal rangers to Nevada to seize 1,000 head of cattle. Hundreds of heavily armed Bundy supporters, camped on road to his ranch. Calling rally the “Battle of Bunkerville. U.S. Bureau of Land Management called off effort.

Ukrainian deposed President Viktor Yanukovych says the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is provoking bloodshed in the country by sanctioning the use of weapons against pro-Russia protesters. Warned that Ukraine’s interim officials have taken the country to the brink of a civil war.

Casualties reported on both sides as gunfire broke out in Slavyansk in eastern Ukraine, where anti-government protesters seized several buildings. City is under siege as Kiev announced an “anti-terrorist operation” against the protesters.

Israel has grabbed more Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank in a move that could complicate efforts to extend the so-called peace talks with the Palestinian Authority. Israeli ministry of military affairs declared 100 hectares of territory south of East al-Quds (Jerusalem), as its property.

United Nations Security Council held emergency meeting on rising tensions in Ukraine. Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin blamed Ukraine’s government for tensions in the country. Accused interim government of cracking down on peaceful protests with force and draconian measures.

The Dow Jones and Standard & Poor’s 500 indexes reached record highs on Thursday, having completely erased the losses since the stock market’s last peak, in 2007. But instead of cheering, we should be very afraid. Over the last 13 years, the stock market has twice crashed and touched off a recession: American households lost $5 trillion in the 2000 dot-com bust and more than $7 trillion in the 2007 housing crash. Sooner or later — within a few years, I predict — this latest Wall Street bubble, inflated by an egregious flood of phony money from the Federal Reserve rather than real economic gains, will explode, too.

"Help me dad, they're killing me" Kelly Thomas cried as the good police beat and suffocated him to death. One cop commented, "God there's blood everywhere." Officer Manuel Ramos was charged with one count of second-degree murder and one count of involuntary manslaughter; Corporal Jay Cicinelli and Officer Joseph Wolfe were each charged with one count of felony involuntary manslaughter and one count of excessive force. On January 13, 2014, Ramos and Cicinelli were found not guilty of all charges, and the district attorney's office announced it would not pursue the case against Officer Wolfe. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Kelly_Thomas

Nassim Taleb, New York University (NYU) professor: genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have potential to cause “an irreversible termination of life at some scale, which could be the planet.” Being able to control GMOs in nature impossible. Domino effect risk genetic manipulation of nature will have on the worldwide ecosystem. Given enough time the “total ecocide barrier” is bound to be hit.

The ugly reality is that the US government has a long and unbroken record of working with fascists, dictators, druglords and state sponsors of terrorism in every region of the world. The US is backing Ukraine’s extreme right-wing Svoboda party and violent neo-Nazis whose armed uprising paved the way for a Western-backed coup. Events in the Ukraine are giving us another glimpse through the looking-glass of US propaganda wars against fascism, drugs and terrorism. The ugly reality behind the mirror is that the US government has a long and unbroken record of working with fascists, dictators, druglords and state sponsors of terrorism in every region of the world in its elusive but relentless quest for unchallenged global power.

“So your mother is a Palestinian and you think that you can come to Israel?” “Yes.” “You are not allowed to enter here because you have a Palestinian I.D..” “No, I do not, I am an American citizen. I wasn’t born in Palestine, nor have I ever lived there.” Again she laughed, and snidely replied, “Well there is no such thing as Palestine anyway, but you have an I.D. through your mother, so you are not allowed to enter here. No Palestinians are. But you can try the Allenby Border Crossing, that is for Arabs only” In just a few simple words it seemed that she had stripped me of my entire identity, erased my history, and labeled me as less than. I had never felt such anger in my life.

RT

US confirms CIA chief paid a covert visit to Kiev. This sparked speculation US is helping coordinate activists in eastern Ukraine. For more on this we are joined by former MI5 agent Annie Machon

RT

Ukrainian armoured vehicle crews have switched sides, joining the anti-government protesters in the East. Activists place a Russian flag on one of them.

Sir Daniel Nonfaultson

TED

Appearing by telepresence robot, Edward Snowden speaks at TED2014 about surveillance and Internet freedom. The right to data privacy, he suggests, is not a partisan issue, but requires a fundamental rethink of the role of the internet in our lives — and the laws that protect it. "Your rights matter," he say, "because you never know when you're going to need them." Chris Anderson interviews, with special guest Tim Berners-Lee.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and much more.
Find closed captions and translated subtitles in many languages at http://www.ted.com/translate

NextNewsNetwork

Gerald Celente: Banker Suicides Prequel to Global Collapse - The onset of the great depression of the 1930's brought a spike in banker suicides, Will Rogers noted of the time, "When Wall Street took that tail spin, you had to stand in line to get a window to jump out of, and speculators were selling space for bodies in the East River."