This week's show features stories from Sputnik Radio, Radio Deutsche-Welle, NHK World Japan, and Radio Havana Cuba.

http://www.outfarpress.com/swr200918.mp3

From RUSSIA- Afshin Rattansi spoke with former Brazilian President Lula da Silva on a range of topics. We will hear excerpts on the Covid crisis under president Bolsonaro, the US involvement in the coup that imprisoned Lula for 2 years, the importance of Edward Snowden and Julian Assange, the crisis in the Amazon rainforest, and the current pandemic of ignorance defeating intelligence.

From GERMANY- A series of brief reports including global Covid news. Fighting continued in Palestine while the US hosted Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain signing accords to normalize diplomatic relations. The UN set targets 10 years ago to protect wildlife and stop human influenced extinction- none of the goals were met and many animals and plants are gone or closer to vanishing.

From JAPAN- The summer in the northern hemisphere was the hottest ever recorded, and weather agencies attribute this as responsible for the widespread wildfires on the west coast of the US. Trump briefly visited California to learn about the extent of the devastating fires, and to assure his followers that the science of global warming is completely wrong and that it will start getting cooler soon. I live in an area with lots of fires and evacuations- shock at Trump's attitude was a leading story on every international broadcaster.

From CUBA- Venezuela has accused a recently arrested US citizen of being a CIA agent, spying and planning to sabotage oil refineries and electrical service. A Spanish court convicted a Salvadoran army general for the 1989 murder of 5 Jesuit priests in El Salvador. The Colombian Air Force will conduct a joint military exercise with US troops in the Caribbean with much opposition in Colombia. The Iranian government has warned the US against the threat of a huge attack issued by Trump.