Russiagate

• Phil Giraldi explains how the deep state worked against Trump. [Link]
• Larry Johnson details the FBI informants that appear in the Mueller Report. [Link]

Venezuela

• The US sanctions Venezuela’s foreign minister. [Link]
• Juan Guaido attempted to overthrow Maduro. Guaido was joined by opposition leader Lopez and a few dozen troops. Thousands of protesters joined Guaido. The coup fizzled without posing a serious threat to Maduro. Massive pro-Maduro protesters turned out to defend the presidential palace. During the protests, a Venezuelan military vehicle ran over some opposition protesters. Lopez has taken refuge in the Chilean embassy. [Link]
• Trump tweets if Cuban troops remain in Venezuela, then the US will completely embargo Cuba. [Link]
• Secretary of State Pompeo says Maduro was prepared to leave Venezuela for Cuba, but Russia talked Maduro into remaining in Venezuela. [Link]
• US Envoy to Venezuela Elliot Abrams claims the US had negotiated with three high ranking officials in the Maduro government to restore order. [Link]

Southeast Asia

• Countries surrounding the South China Sea are increasingly using their Coast Guards to try to enforce territorial waters claims. [Link]
• 272 Indonesian election workers died from overwork. [Link]

Sri Lanka

• Sri Lankan police arrest three and seize some weapons in connect with the Easter Bombings. [Link]
• Fifteen people died during a police raid on the home of the main suspects of the Easter Bombing. The two masterminds and their father were killed in the attack. Six children were killed in the crossfire. Over 100 people have been arrested in connection to the bombings. [Link]
• Sri Lanka bans face coverings in response to the Easter Bombings. [Link]

Middle East

• John Kerry says the US should have taken a stronger position against Assad in 2013. Kerry says he pushed for this policy as Secretary of State. [Link]
• Israel returned two Syrian prisoners. Syria returned the remains of an Israeli soldier. [Link]
• Video of ISIS leader Baghdadi surfaces for the first time since 2014. [Link]
• The US uses the F-35 in combat for the first time ever. The plane targeted an ISIS tunnel network in Iraq. [Link]
• Patrick Cockburn explains ISIS can be defeated if the US ends wars. [Link]
• A UN report finds the Yemen War will kill 230,000 Yemenis by the end of 2019. Since 2015, 140,000 Yemen children have been killed. [Link]