Monthly Archives: March 2021

2021-03-13: News Headlines

yenisafak (2021-03-13). PROFILE: Erling Haaland: 20-year-old record-breaking football machine. yenisafak.com One of the most promising young football stars, Erling Haaland has already his name written in letters of gold in sports history.Haaland of Borussia Dortmund was born in July 21, 2000 in Leeds, the UK, as his father Alf-Inge Haaland was playing for Manchester City after leaving Leeds United in the English Premier League.The 20-year-old, who is the hero of the young generation of Norway, became a record-breaking player whose international fame has improved worldwide.Scoring twice against Spain's Sevilla in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, Haaland became the youngest player to net 20 goals in the tournament.He…

yenisafak (2021-03-13). Turkey parliament head denies European Parliament claim. yenisafak.com Turkey's parliament speaker on Saturday hit back at baseless, ignorant claims the European Parliament made about Turkey."We reject the uninformed, unfounded, and malicious allegations against our country" adopted by the European Parliament's General Assembly on the 10th anniversary of the Syrian conflict, Mustafa Sentop said on Twitter.Since the war began, Turkey extended its hand to millions of refugees from Syria and became the voice of refugees as part of its loyalty to humanitarian values, Sentop added.While fighting terrorism, Turkey will continue to contribute to efforts for a political solution to the Syri…

yenisafak (2021-03-13). Turkey parliament head denies European Parliament claim. yenisafak.com "We reject the uninformed, unfounded, and malicious allegations against our country" adopted by the European Parliament's General Assembly on the 10th anniversary of the Syrian conflict, Mustafa Sentop said on Twitter.Since the war began, Turkey extended its hand to millions of refugees from Syria and became the voice of refugees as part of its loyalty to humanitarian values, Sentop added.While fighting terrorism, Turkey will continue to contribute to efforts for a political solution to the Syrian conflict on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 2254, he said.It is also regrettable that the European Parlia…

G. Dunkel (2021-03-13). The governor of Texas, Neanderthals and COVID-19. workers.org The governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, made a surprise announcement March 2 in Lubbock, a city of 200,000 people in West Texas. All state mandates to combat the spread of COVID-19 were being lifted. Counties and municipalities cannot require basic public health policies to limit the spread of disease after March . . . |

Juan Cole (2021-03-13). Celebrating our Declaration of Independence from Covid with Poetry of Omar Khayyam. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — President Biden on Thursday expressed the expectation that the vaccination of the US population will have proceeded to the extent by July 4 that we can look forward to small gatherings of friends and family then. The calculation is that when 70% of the population is inoculated, the virus will …

Deirdre Benavides (2021-03-13). Right-wing Texas college president assaults free speech, ignores COVID. liberationnews.org Matkin, who according to college records could receive a salary as high as $1 million, recently decided not to renew the contracts of three faculty members who have been vocal about unsafe work conditions during COVID-19.

Anand Naidoo (2021-03-13). The Heat: Biden pledges vaccines for all Americans by May. america.cgtn.com After a year of unimaginable loss, U.S. President Biden says every American will have access to a COVID-19 vaccine in the next two months.

yenisafak (2021-03-13). WHO lists Johnson & Johnson vaccine for emergency use. yenisafak.com The World Health Organization on Friday listed the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Janssen (Johnson Johnson) for emergency use in all countries, saying that more than 335 million jabs have been safely administered worldwide to date.The decision followed the European Medicines Agency (EMA) authorization a day before and made it the fourth vaccine to receive WHO emergency use approval."More than 335 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered globally so far, and no deaths have been found to have been caused by COVID-19 vaccines," said WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus at a bi-weekly webinar hoste…

yenisafak (2021-03-13). Turkey reports over 14,900 new coronavirus infections. yenisafak.com Turkey on Friday reported 14,941 more coronavirus cases, including 834 symptomatic patients, according to the Health Ministry.The country's case tally stands at 2.85 million, while the nationwide death toll reached 29,356, with 66 fatalities over the past day.As many as 11,180 more patients in the country won the battle against the virus, with the total number of recoveries passing 2.67 million.More than 34.8 million coronavirus tests have been conducted in Turkey to date, with 148,856 since Thursday.The latest figures show that the number of COVID-19 patients in critical condition stands at 1,349.So far, more th…

Ed Holt (2021-03-13). [World Report] Countries split from EU on COVID-19 vaccines. thelancet.com Czech Republic and Slovakia have turned to the Sputnik V vaccine, despite it not being approved by the European Medicines Agency. Ed Holt reports.

RT (2021-03-13). 'It could have been prevented': Relatives of NY nursing home victims tell RT they hold Cuomo responsible for their deaths. rt.com New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is at fault for the state's disastrous nursing home policies amid the Covid-19 crisis, relatives of care home patients who succumbed to the virus told RT, voicing hopes for accountability. | Grace Colucci, whose elderly father passed away following a 20-day stint in a New York nursing home for physical rehabilitation, told RT's Colon Bray that she and other family members were unable to contact her dad during his stay due to pandemic restrictions, and that he emerged from the home with "very severe symptoms" of what later was confirmed to be Covid-19. | "We were not able to have…

MEE staff (2021-03-13). Syria's first lady faces possible prosecution and loss of UK citizenship. middleeasteye.net Syria's first lady faces possible prosecution and loss of UK citizenship | Britain's Metropolitan police have opened a preliminary investigation into allegations that Asma al-Assad incited war crimes | Sat, 03/13/2021 – 22: 19 | British-born Asma al-Assad has been under EU and US sanctions since 2012 (AFP) | London's Metropolitan police have opened a preliminary investigation into allegations that Asma al-Assa…

Johanna Ross (2021-03-13). Why the Atlantic Council's Russia 'Post-Regime Change' Report Is a Work of Fantasy. globalresearch.ca There's so much to take issue with in this recent Atlantic …

Eds. (2021-03-13). Human rights report on the Lasalin massacre. mronline.org MR Online

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2021-03-13). Ten Problems With Biden's Foreign Policy and One Solution. dissidentvoice.org The Biden presidency is still in its early days, but it's not too early to point to areas in the foreign policy realm where we, as progressives, have been disappointed — or even infuriated. There are one or two positive developments, such as the renewal of Obama's New START Treaty with Russia and Secretary of …

Medea Benjamin, Nicholas J.S. Davies (2021-03-13). Ten Problems With Biden's Foreign Policy — and One Solution. juancole.com ( Code Pink ) — The Biden presidency is still in its early days, but it's not too early to point to areas in the foreign policy realm where we, as progressives, have been disappointed—or even infuriated. There are one or two positive developments, such as the renewal of Obama's New START Treaty with Russia …

Jupiter Brown (2021-03-13). Knoxville, TN, activists present 'award' to city's top evictor. liberationnews.org When activists arrived at the housing complex owned by Robert Greene, the residents who lived there came out of their homes and cheered the protesters on — a visible sign of how urgently these demands speak to working class people.

Shaheen Rahman (2021-03-13). Sarah Everard vigil cancelled. ukhumanrightsblog.com Reclaim These Streets v Metropolitan Police Sarah Everard, a 33 year old woman living in London, was walking home from a friend's house at around 9pm on Wednesday 3rd March 2021 when she disappeared without trace. In the days that followed, public appeals for information and press coverage ensured that the case was widely discussed. A …

Wayne Nealis (2021-03-13). Floyd family gets $27M settlement; activists say 'no substitute for change'. peoplesworld.org MINNEAPOLIS—By a unanimous vote of the Minneapolis City Council Friday, the city agreed to pay a $27 million settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit brought by the George Floyd family. According to media reports, it is the largest pre-trial settlement in U.S. history. The settlement was announced as the first week of jury selection was …

Martin Hart-Landsberg (2021-03-13). Black Lives Matter protests are saving lives. mronline.org MR Online

Jeremy Kuzmarov (2021-03-13). What's behind the Biden Administration's new $100 billion nuclear missile system? mronline.org MR Online

Shaheen Rahman (2021-03-13). Sarah Everard vigil cancelled. ukhumanrightsblog.com Reclaim These Streets v Metropolitan Police Sarah Everard, a 33 year old woman living in London, was walking home from a friend's house at around 9pm on Wednesday 3rd March 2021 when she disappeared without trace. In the days that followed, public appeals for information and press coverage ensured that the case was widely discussed. A …

Dave Welsh (2021-03-13). San Francisco: Haitian community denounces murderous coup regime. workers.org San Francisco — Waving Haitian flags, a crowd of 80 demonstrated March 1 to mark the anniversary of the bloody U.S.-backed coup d'etat in 2004 that overthrew the popular government of Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The beloved former president was kidnapped and flown to Africa on a U.S. military plane, beginning a . . . |

The Conversation (2021-03-13). Defeating Climate Denialism by showing People how they will Win by Greening Society. juancole.com By Sarah Sharma and Matthew Hoffmann | — Canada and the United States are suddenly steeped in policy proposals to aggressively cut carbon emissions. In the face of a climate emergency and on the heels of numerous climate disasters, this is welcome news indeed. In the U.S., the newly minted Biden administration has unleashed a …

Eds. (2021-03-13). Lula's right to run for president of Brazil restored in major victory for people's movemen. mronline.org MR Online

Marie Kelly (2021-03-13). On the picket line. workers.org Bosses retaliate against Hunts Point workers Business retaliation against union organizing is nothing new. Weak laws and minimal fines embolden corporations like Amazon to hire strikebreaking law firms to intimidate workers into voting down attempts to unionize their workplace. Workers who strike or successfully organize face the threat of losing . . . |

Nyan Aung (2021-03-13). February revolution in Burma. mronline.org MR Online

Birrion Sondahl (2021-03-13). Perilous Journey — My Experiences as a Delegate Inside the Democratic Party. realprogressives.org "I have lived inside the belly of the Monster and know him from within." Cuban revolutionary Jose Marti | I only spent a brief time inside the Democratic Party as an elected delegate for Bernie Sanders in 2020, but it was enough to determine that the monster is indeed irreformable. My delegate journey exposed me to the gross incompetence and corruption within the party. The following reflects my personal experience as a delegate from Colorado's Congressional District 2. My conclusion from these few months is there is no path forward inside the Democratic Party. This should be no surprise at all, as…

Dean Baker (2021-03-13). National Public Radio Makes Stuff Up to Tell a Story About Interest Rates and Budget Deficits. cepr.net A story on All Things Considered last night told listeners: "In the early '90s, President Bill Clinton's administration was troubled by this looming problem. Year after year, both government deficits and interest rates were going up. Here's one of his top economic advisers, Laura Tyson. "LAURA TYSON: 'And then he said, oh, my goodness, if …

RT (2021-03-13). Party's over: South Dakota's request for July 4th fireworks on Mount Rushmore DENIED over health & environment concerns. rt.com A repeat of last year's large-scale celebration at Mount Rushmore, headlined by then-President Donald Trump, is apparently not going to happen this year, after a federal agency refused a request for a fireworks display. | National Park Service (NPS) Regional Director Herbert Frost said in a letter seen by the Hill that the agency was "unable to grant a request" to stage fireworks at the memorial due to "potential risks to the park itself and to the health and safety of employees and visitors." | Frost also cited opposition by "many tribal partners" of the park to the sight of fireworks, and noted that while th…

RT (2021-03-13). US judge temporarily removes China's Xiaomi from Trump-era blacklist. rt.com A US judge has temporarily removed Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi from a Trump-era blacklist prohibiting American investment in "Communist Chinese military companies." | The ruling was announced by US District Judge Rudolph Contreras in Washington on Friday. The judge argued that the US Departments of Defense and Treasury "have not made the case that the national security interests at stake here are compelling," issuing a preliminary injunction removing Xiaomi from the blacklist. | Xiaomi was hit with the ban as then-President Donald Trump took a fresh series of hostile moves against China during his last day…

RT (2021-03-13). Politically homeless? Sarah Silverman says she doesn't want to be associated with 'elitist' Democratic Party anymore. rt.com Comedian and cancel culture opponent Sarah Silverman has expressed uncertainty about her affiliation with the Democratic Party, eliciting cheers from pundits who hailed the breakup as long overdue. | In a video posted to Instagram, Silverman confessed that she found the Democrats to be too uncompromising and self-righteous for her liking. | "It's the absolutist-ness of the party I am in that is such a turnoff to me. It's so f****** elitist. You know, for something called 'progressive', it allows for zero progress." | She added that after reflecting on the issue, she feels like she doesn't want to be "associate…

RT (2021-03-13). Key 'Oath Keeper' granted pretrial release as prosecutors find no evidence of wide-ranging conspiracy to storm Capitol. rt.com A US judge has ordered the release of retired Navy officer Kenneth Caldwell, accused of being part of an Oath Keepers militia plot to invade the Capitol, pending trial, as no evidence to back the conspiracy claims has turned up. | Judge Amit Mehta said that Caldwell did not enter the Capitol building, nor was there direct evidence of him trying to force his way in. | "There are no text messages, communications by him, that speak to entering a building or trying to enter the building. And ultimately, he did not enter the building," Mehta said, as he ordered the 65-year-old's release from jail. Because he did no…

RT (2021-03-13). 'Largest investigation in American history': 100+ people to be charged in storming of US Capitol, court filings say. rt.com At least another hundred people connected to the January 6 storming of the US Capitol are expected to be charged with a variety of crimes, according to prosecutors. | "The investigation continues and the government expects that at least one hundred additional individuals will be charged," claimed the prosecutors in court filings first

RT (2021-03-13). 'The Bachelor' host who was 'canceled' after defending contestant hounded by 'woke police' won't return for next season. rt.com Fans of Chris Harrison were saddened to learn that he will not be hosting the upcoming season of 'The Bachelorette'. Harrison stepped down from the show amid a controversy surrounding an allegedly racist contestant. | Harrison, who went on leave from 'The Bachelor' in mid-February after taking heat for defending one of the participants from accusations of racism, will not be part of the next season of 'The Bachelorette', the gender-swapped version of the show. ABC Entertainment and Warner Horizon confirmed earlier speculation that this would be the case in a statement, saying that former contestants Tayshia Ad…

RT (2021-03-13). Key 'Oath Keeper' granted pretrial release as prosecutors find no evidence of wide-ranging conspiracy to storm Capitol. rt.com A US judge has ordered the release of retired Navy officer Kenneth Caldwell, accused of being part of an Oath Keepers militia plot to invade the Capitol, pending trial, as no evidence to back the conspiracy claims has turned up. | Judge Amit Mehta said that Caldwell did not enter the Capitol building, nor was there direct evidence of him trying to force his way in. | "There are no text messages, communications by him, that speak to entering a building or trying to enter the building. And ultimately, he did not enter the building," Mehta said, as he ordered the 65-year-old's release from jail. Because he did no…

RT (2021-03-13). Scammer charged with money laundering & wire fraud after bilking $450k from donors for fake Black Lives Matter charity, DOJ says. rt.com A fraudster has been indicted on federal charges for his alleged role in swindling hundreds of thousands of dollars from donors who thought they were giving to a Black Lives Matter group, instead pocketing the funds for himself. | Ohio man Sir Maejor Page, 32, was slapped with four federal counts this week, the DOJ announced in a

RT (2021-03-13). US declares Huawei threat to national security, pouring cold water on Beijing's hopes for reset with Washington. rt.com The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has deemed Chinese telecom giant Huawei a threat to US national security, maintaining pressure on Beijing that some believed could ease under the new Biden administration. | The FCC announced on Friday that the firm, as well as four other Chinese companies, pose "an unacceptable risk to US national security or the security and safety of US persons." | The regulator's acting chief, Jessica Rosenworcel, said that the move would help "restore trust" in US communications networks. She did not explain what specific actions would be taken against the Chinese companies. Hua…

Manlio Dinucci (2021-03-13). U.S. calls Europe to arms against China, Russia. workers.org The author's Art of War column published in the Italian web daily, Il Manifesto, March 9. Translation: John Catalinotto. The EU-China Agreement on investments, signed Dec. 30 by the European Commission, may be rejected by members of the European Parliament on the grounds that Beijing violates human rights. This is . . . |

MEE, agencies (2021-03-13). Jordan: Health minister submits resignation after Covid-19 patients die of oxygen shortage. middleeasteye.net Jordan: Health minister submits resignation after Covid-19 patients die of oxygen shortage | An investigation is underway to determine what led to shortage of oxygen in state-run hospital | Sat, 03/13/2021 – 12: 40 | Jordan's King Abdullah II visiting a room during the inauguration of the health ministry's Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed field hospital for Covid-19 patients in Aqaba on 24 January…

MEE staff (2021-03-13). Israeli settlers attack Palestinian family in West Bank farmland. middleeasteye.net Israeli settlers attack Palestinian family in West Bank farmland | The parents of eight children have been hospitalised after settlers threw rocks at them | Sat, 03/13/2021 – 10: 33 | The father of the Alyan family carried by Israeli soldiers after being attacked by settlers (Courtesy of the Alyan family) | Israeli settlers, some masked and equipped with batons, attacked a Palestinian family in the South Hebro…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-13). Morocco extradites Saudi-Australian national to Riyadh. middleeasteye.net Morocco extradites Saudi-Australian national to Riyadh | Relatives and rights groups had warned that Osama Hasani could face torture if sent to Saudi Arabia | Sat, 03/13/2021 – 14: 28 | Saudi-Australian dual national Osama al-Hasani was arrested on 8 February while visiting his newborn child in Morocco (Twitter) | Moroccan authorities have extradited Saudi-Australian dual national Osama al…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-13). Iran says Israel likely behind attack on container ship in Mediterranean. middleeasteye.net Iran says Israel likely behind attack on container ship in Mediterranean | Ship was hit by 'an explosive object' which caused a small fire, but no one on board was hurt in incident on 10 March | Sat, 03/13/2021 – 16: 01 | Iranian-flagged container ship Shahr e Kord at Haydarpasa port in Istanbul, Turkey on 13 December 2019 (Reuters) | Israel is highly likely to have been behind an attack i…

Adam Marcus (2021-03-13). [Obituary] Bernard Lown. thelancet.com Humanitarian and cardiac innovator. Born on June 7, 1921, in Utena, Lithuania, he died of heart failure in Newton, MA, USA, on Feb 16, 2021, aged 99 years.

yenisafak (2021-03-13). Business circles welcome Turkey's new economic reforms. yenisafak.com Business representatives have expressed their appreciation for Turkey's new economic reform package aimed at boosting investment, production, jobs, and exports.Announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday, the package included several measures such as reducing foreign exchanges' share in total debt stock and establishing new mechanisms — Healthcare Industries Presidency, Software and Hardware Industries Presidency, Economic Coordination Council, and Financial Stability Committee.It also highlighted accountability, saving and transparency for economy administration in the coming period.Abdurrahman Kaan,…

Conn M. Hallinan (2021-03-13). Not Targeted or Bloodless: Why We Need an International Convention on Drones. juancole.com ( Foreign Policy in Focus) — In the aftermath of the recent war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, drone warfare is being touted as the latest breakthrough in military technology, a "magic bullet" that makes armored vehicles obsolete, defeats sophisticated anti-aircraft systems, and routs entrenched infantry. While there is some truth in …

_____ (2021-03-13). Beijing's Decades-Long Policies In Xinjiang. popularresistance.org Central to China's rise as a global power are the attempts to increase its influence over Xinjiang, the country's biggest and most mineral rich region. Xinjiang has been part of Chinese territory since the mid-18th century, longer than the existence of the United States, and this province at just over 640,000 square miles, is equal to two-thirds the size of continental Europe. Unlike Europe, however, Xinjiang is sparsely populated with just over 20 million people while it contains rare and iconic species like snow leopards, bears and wolves. | In 2019 Beijing oversaw the production of five million tons of cotton…

WSWS (2021-03-13). Millions at risk in expected Istanbul earthquake. wsws.org Recent official statements on an expected earthquake in Istanbul underscore that millions of people living in Turkey's largest city face an impending disaster.

2021-03-12: News Headlines

Online News Editor (2021-03-12). Football, fun and solidarity: Spanish academy wins the ball on Pakistan pitch. laprensalatina.com By Jaime Leon Islamabad, Mar 12 (efe-epa).- A soccer academy founded by Spain's Jose Alonso Sanchez in Pakistan seeks to spread fun and solidarity in a country where cricket remains the most popular sport, but soccer is gaining ground slowly. Founded in October 2019 by Alonso with 35 boys and girls, the Spanish Football Academy …

Matthew Stevenson (2021-03-12). Letters From Minsk: Leaving Home. counterpunch.org This is the first in a series about train and bicycle rides from Switzerland to Belarus, in those carefree days before pandemic lockdowns. Tired Tires Before boarding the train to Minsk, I first had to fix a flat tire on my Brompton bicycle. Mercifully, it lost its air just before I left home, although it

_____ (2021-03-12). Amazon Workers In Italy To Go On First Strike. popularresistance.org Amazon's workforce in Italy will go on its first collective strike later this month, trade unions have confirmed. | All 8,500 employees in the country are expected to hold a 24-hour walkout on 22 March after negotiations between their representatives and the online retailer broke down. | The three national unions supporting them accused Amazon of showing an "unwillingness to positively address" issues including working hours and results-based bonuses. | They also claimed that the online giant was "chronically unavailable" for meetings and was opposed to "a system of fairness". | A spokesperson for the company cal…

RT (2021-03-12). Republicans demand Bezos hand over documents after alleging 'discrimination' against conservatives. rt.com Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee have demanded that Amazon cough up files and communications related to its alleged "viewpoint discrimination" against the right-of-center, penning a formal request to CEO Jeff Bezos. | Sent by ranking Republicans on the judiciary panel's antitrust subcommittee, Representatives Jim Jordan (Ohio) and Ken Buck (Colorado), the letter on Thursday night called on the e-retail giant to address lawmakers' concerns about alleged censorship of conservative voices. | "Big Tech, including Amazon, is engaged in systematic viewpoint discrimination. In the unfortunate phenomenon o…

Zero Hedge (2021-03-12). 7 European Nations Halt AstraZeneca Jabs on Reports of "Serious" Blood Clots. globalresearch.ca Update (0954ET): Iceland has become the latest European nation to …

Juan Cole (2021-03-12). Israel has Detained 13,000 Palestinian Children since 2000 and just took 5 more. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — Since the year 2000, the Israeli military in the Occupied Palestinian West Bank has "detained, interrogated, prosecuted, and imprisoned approximately 13,000 Palestinian children," according to Defense for Children International. Nowadays Israel typically prosecutes between 500 and 700 children annually in military courts. Even though they are civilians and children, they …

Kathy Deacon (2021-03-12). No Matter How Bad, COVID Makes It Worse. counterpunch.org It's disquieting to see profit-incentivized entities turn into major vaccination hubs—many people now routinely go to drug stores to get their flu shots. Until such time as the American government catches up with the rest of the world–and creates the public health care system we so desperately need—it looks as if the large pharmacy chains will remain central to the patchwork, makeshift future of pandemic response

Marilyn Bechtel (2021-03-12). San Francisco: $5/hour COVID hazard pay for grocery, pharmacy workers. peoplesworld.org San Francisco this week joined the growing number of Bay Area cities mandating hazard pay for grocery workers, when its Board of Supervisors on March 9 unanimously passed an emergency ordinance requiring large grocers and pharmacies to pay their workers an additional $5 per hour during the COVID-19 pandemic. The city had earlier urged, but …

Paul Street (2021-03-12). Unless the Power of the People Asserts Itself. counterpunch.org The COVID-19 pandemic and recession and the political realignment in Washington after the defeat of the malignant fascist Trump and the two former Republican Senators in Georgia have opened the door for some welcome federal action. Among the improvements: the newly serious and aggressive federal response to the deadly virus and the passage of a

MEE, agencies (2021-03-12). Saudi Arabia's King Salman sacks pilgrimage minister. middleeasteye.net Saudi Arabia's King Salman sacks pilgrimage minister | The kingdom has suffered during the Covid-19 pandemic from a lack of income from pilgrims | Fri, 03/12/2021 – 14: 30 | Handout from the Saudi Press Agency on 15 December 2020 shows Saudi Arabia's King Salman signing the 2021 state budget following a virtual cabinet meeting in the capital Riyadh (AFP) | Sauid Arabia's minister overseein…

Online News Editor (2021-03-12). Thailand suspends Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine rollout over blood clot reports. laprensalatina.com Bangkok, Mar 12 (efe-epa).- Thailand postponed its Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine rollout on Friday after a number of European countries suspended theirs over reports of blood clots. A suspension for two weeks was announced at a press conference in which Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha was expected to get the first dose, followed by ministers. "We …

_____ (2021-03-12). Russia Offers Europe Win-Win Vaccine Solution. strategic-culture.org The Sputnik V vaccine potentially fills the supply gaps that the EU is encumbered with. Immediately. | It is now one year since the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic from the novel coronavirus and its accompanying Covid-19 disease. Worldwide, the death toll stands at 2.6 million and continues to rise. | The arrival of effective vaccines has offered new hope that the deadly virus can be eradicated. Sputnik V, the Russian manufactured vaccine, was the first to be registered anywhere in the world as of August last year and has since been proven by large-scale trials to be highly effective and safe…

yenisafak (2021-03-12). Thailand suspends use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine. yenisafak.com Thailand on Friday suspended the use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine following a ban in several European countries over reports of severe or fatal blood clots in vaccinated people.The country's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and some Cabinet members were scheduled to be vaccinated on Friday morning, but the plan was abruptly canceled, according to the local daily Bangkok Post.Some were set to receive AstraZeneca vaccine, while others China's Sinovac. All vaccinations were suspended.This came after a number of countries, including Denmark, Norway, Italy, Austria and Bulgaria suspended the use of the jab.The do…

Eds. (2021-03-12). Cuba's contributions in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. mronline.org MR Online

RT (2021-03-12). US hoarding millions of doses of unapproved AstraZeneca vaccine as EU & others suffer shortages — reports. rt.com Washington has reportedly refused a request by AstraZeneca to loan some of the US' stockpile of its Covid-19 vaccine — which cannot be used there yet — and deliver it to the EU, where the supplier is failing to meet its targets.

RT (2021-03-12). Biden asks Americans to 'trust Fauci' after he draws criticism for saying the latest CDC recommendations are not science-based. rt.com US President Joe Biden's call to trust Dr. Anthony Fauci on the issue of vaccine safety while describing him "one of the most trusted voices in the world" has earned scorn from conservatives, accusing him of inconsistency. | In his first address as president on Thursday evening, Biden demanded Americans follow advice from scientists, who he said "have made clear that things may get worse again" as new strains of the virus spread. | "But to get there we can't let our guard down. This fight is far from over," he added, calling on those hesitant to receive the Covid-19 vaccine to take cues from Dr. Fauci, praisin…

Staff (2021-03-12). The End of Trickle-Down Economics? Joe Stiglitz on the "Transformational" $1.9T American Rescue Plan. democracynow.org President Biden has signed the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, which Democrats are hailing as the largest anti-poverty bill in a generation. It includes stimulus checks to most adults, expanded unemployment benefits and an overhaul of the child tax credit. One study projects the law will lift almost 14 million Americans out of poverty, including 5.7 million children. "This is transformational," says economist Joseph Stiglitz. "It says, 'We are actually going to live up — try to live up — to our aspirations.'"

RT (2021-03-12). NY House speaker launches impeachment probe into Cuomo over sexual harassment allegations & Covid nursing home cover-up. rt.com The New York State Assembly has given the nod to an impeachment investigation into Governor Andrew Cuomo, who faces a litany of sexual harassment charges from several accusers and intense criticism of his pandemic response. | Democratic Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie authorized a Judiciary Committee to probe the allegations on Thursday, tapping fellow Democrat Assemblyman Charles Lavine to spearhead the investigation. | "The reports of accusations concerning the governor are serious. The committee will have the authority to interview witnesses, subpoena documents and evaluate evidence, as is allowed by the New…

Eve Ottenberg (2021-03-12). Leaving Afghanistan by May 1? Alas, Not Likely. counterpunch.org Will the U.S. military ever leave Afghanistan? The answer appears to be no. When the U.S. military comes it stays. It's been in Germany since the 1940s, and now has expanded, with its attack dog, NATO, from there throughout Eastern Europe to menace Russia. The Afghan adventure has so far lasted 20 years and cost two trillion dollars. Afghanistan provides a convenient, imperial base from which to threaten China. The U.S. military, realistically, will never want to give that up.

Susan Abulhawa (2021-03-12). Free Khalida Jarrar! workers.org In advance of International Women's Day on March 8, Israel sentenced one of Palestine's most prominent women to two years in prison, in a military court wherein no evidence could be presented against her except her affiliation with an outlawed political organization. Khalida Jarrar, a senior leader in the Popular . . . |

People's Voice (2021-03-12). Cuba's reforms raise public sector salaries, broaden self-employment options. peoplesworld.org Starting in January 2021, Cuba began to implement broad economic reforms designed to increase production and exports in an effort to mitigate the effects of the U.S. blockade and the coronavirus pandemic. The following article, republished from the Turkish media site Sol ("The Left"), analyzes the first month of the reforms and their impact on …

Lindsay Larris (2021-03-12). Wolf Killing and the Legacy of Conquest. counterpunch.org It had seemed for the past half century that perhaps the worst of wolf killing was finally over. After centuries of methodic extermination had nearly completely wiped the animals out of the lower forty-eight, government agencies, scientists, and the general public began to see wolves not primarily as threats to private property, but rather, as

Erik Molvar (2021-03-12). Livestock and Deforestation in the American West. counterpunch.org The dawn breaks each morning on a hundred different mountain ranges in the Great Basin, with few human eyes to see it. Many of these mountain chains will be unfamiliar to most — the Toquimas, the Wah Wahs, the Goshutes, the Sheeprocks, the Fox Range — but the one thing they all have in common

John Laforge (2021-03-12). Fukushima at Ten: Aftershocks, Lies, and Failed Decontamination. counterpunch.org It's now 10 years since the catastrophic triple meltdowns of reactors at Fukushima in Japan. As Joseph Mangano of the Radiation and Public Health project put it three years ago, "Enormous amounts of radioactive chemicals, including cesium, strontium, plutonium, and iodine were emitted into the air, and releases of the same toxins into the Pacific have never stopped, as workers struggle to contain over 100 cancer-causing chemicals."

Aaron Morrison, Kat Stafford (2021-03-12). Data confirms what we already knew: Pandemic hit people of color harder. peoplesworld.org NEW YORK (AP)—A year ago, Elvia Banuelos' life was looking up. The 39-year-old mother of two young children said she felt confident about a new management-level job with the U.S. Census Bureau—she would earn money to supplement the child support she receives to keep her children healthy, happy, and in daycare. But when the coronavirus …

Neve Gordon (2021-03-12). The ICC and Israel's Charge of Anti-Semitism. counterpunch.org We are at a critical historical juncture in which it is becoming increasingly difficult to criticize Israel without being branded an anti-Semite. You are an anti-Semite if you support the International Criminal Court's recent ruling that it has jurisdiction to open a war crimes investigation against Israel. But you are also likely to be called an anti-Semite if you reject the logic informing the court's decision.

Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (2021-03-12). Ari Berman on the Attack on Voting Rights. fair.org USA Today ( This week on CounterSpin: A March 3 New York Times

G. Dunkel (2021-03-12). Haiti protests: 'MoàØse, U.S., UN out!'. workers.org Hundreds of thousands of Haitians took to the streets of Port-au-Prince Sunday, March 7, to demand the departure of President Jovenel MoàØse, whose term of office has expired. The protesters raised the corruption under MoàØse's PHTK (Haitian Party of Tèt Kale), which has stolen or squandered billions of dollars of . . . |

David Yearsley (2021-03-12). Do Organists Dream of Electric Sheep? counterpunch.org In his encyclopedic cinderblock of a book Musurgia Universalis of 1650, the German polymath Athanasius Kircher imagined God as an organist pulling out a new stop on each new day of Creation and playing the world's beings into life. Kircher didn't mention any Pandemic Pipes in his World Organ, but they have been sounding for

Ramzy Baroud (2021-03-12). Elections under Fire: Palestine's Impossible Democracy Dilemma. dissidentvoice.org Many Palestinian intellectuals and political analysts find themselves in the unenviable position of having to declare a stance on whether they support or reject upcoming Palestinian elections which are scheduled for May 22 and July 30. But there are no easy answers. The long-awaited decree by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas last January to hold …

Eds. (2021-03-12). Ecuadorian Indigenous Leader: "We must get out of the Correaism-Anticorreism polarization" mronline.org MR Online

Staff (2021-03-12). Battleground Baltimore: House passes police reform legislation. therealnews.com In this week's round-up of Baltimore news: Maryland Republicans call police reform legislation "far left," a teen is accused of murder, the continued fight against a Johns Hopkins University private police force, and more.

Kollibri terre Sonnenblume (2021-03-12). The Necessity of Dismantling the U.S.—A conversation with Ajamu Baraka. counterpunch.org On February 26th, I interviewed Ajamu Baraka for my podcast. Baraka is a veteran grassroots organizer whose roots are in the Black Liberation Movement and anti-apartheid and Central American solidarity struggles. He is an internationally recognized leader of the emerging human rights movement in the U.S. and has been at the forefront of efforts to

John Catalinotto (2021-03-12). Milošević trial exposed U.S.-NATO aggression against Yugoslavia. workers.org Few people in the United States, even those in the movement that opposes U.S. imperialist aggression, remember that March 11 is the 15th anniversary of the death of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milošević. He had been unjustly incarcerated in Scheveningen prison in The Hague, Netherlands. For movement activists, a review of . . . |

Michael Berkowitz (2021-03-12). Amy Poehler's new film 'Moxie': Growing up female in 2020. peoplesworld.org Amy Poehler's new Netflix film Moxie is not perfect. But it is very, very good. It's a smart, funny, entertaining look at how growing up female in 2020 is similar and different from growing up in the Sixties and Nineties, or any other time for that matter. Now we know what the prolific writer-director-actress Poehler …

Eds. (2021-03-12). We need to decolonize our understanding of antisemitism. mronline.org MR Online

The Conversation (2021-03-12). Why Tunisians are still out on the streets — a decade after the Arab Spring. juancole.com By Saerom Han, Andrea Teti, and Pamela Abbott | — It has been 10 years since nation-wide protests in Tunisia led to the ousting of Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his regime. Ben Ali led Tunisia for 23 years. Tunisia's "Dignity Revolution" marked the first time a long-standing Arab autocrat was removed …

Rob Urie (2021-03-12). Police Violence, Racial Justice and Class. counterpunch.org The racial justice protests of the summer of 2020 tied to four years of #Resistance, but more precisely to the unresolved Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests of 2014 — 2015 that preceded it. What both BLM movements accomplished was to elevate racial justice as a talking point without altering the distribution of power. Broader questions

Howie Hawkins (2021-03-12). More on H.R.1/S.1: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. counterpunch.org The "For the People Act" (H.R.1/S.1) passed the House on March 3 and is now under consideration by the Senate. The bill was also adopted by the House in 2019 but had no chance of passage in the Senate with the Republicans in control. But now that this voting and elections reform bill has become

Jeffrey St. Clair (2021-03-12). Roaming Charges: Fear of a Black Prince. counterpunch.org The ravages of COVID and the narrow victories in the elections gave the Democrats a once in a generation chance to do something big without having to barter for the votes of grifter Republicans. Instead, the Democrats ended up negotiating amongst themselves in a strange dance of downward harmonization, where every intra-party compromise resulted in those who needed the most relief ending up with less and less. In the end, Biden, Schumer and Pelosi settled for a hefty spending package (bigger than most but similar in kind to past bills) that doled out $1.9 trillion across the political spectrum, but did little or…

Corinne Benson (2021-03-12). To mine or not to mine? Alberta coal confusion puts water in danger. peoplesworld.org EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada—Conservative Alberta Premier Jason Kenney's government has been dancing all over the place lately when it comes to coal policy. First, they talk to Australian coal mining companies before letting Albertans know they are planning to rescind a 1976 coal policy that forbids mountaintop removal coal mining. When outrage mounted, they announced that …

Patricia Gorky (2021-03-12). Journalist acquitted: Covering protests against racism is not a crime. liberationnews.org After a three day trial an Iowa jury has found journalist Andrea Sahouri not guilty on misdemeanor charges stemming from her coverage of a June 2020 demonstration against racist police violence. Police pepper-sprayed the journalist in the face and arrested her as she covered a local protest against police brutality. Acquitted. (Photo credit: Ted Nieters/Polaris …

Vijay Prashad (2021-03-12). Neoliberalism was born in Chile; Neoliberalism will die in Chile. mronline.org MR Online

Staff (2021-03-12). The white establishment rebels against community policing. therealnews.com This week, in lieu of a new episode of PAR, we have a special interview with Stephen Janis and Taya Graham about their new full-length documentary, "The Friendliest Town," which tells the story of Kelvin Sewell, the first African-American police chief of Pocomoke City, MD.

Yves Engler (2021-03-12). B'nai B'rith Smear Doesn't Change Facts about University Funding. dissidentvoice.org B'nai B'rith is at it again. The racist group is smearing a pro-Palestinian voice for pointing out a simple truth about Canadian life. Last week the anti-Palestinian organization released a statement headlined "Carleton University Should Condemn Antisemitism, Take Action on Professor's Remarks". The alleged offence was that sociology professor Nahla Abdo stated that pro-Israel individuals …

Andrew J. Bacevich (2021-03-12). Has the DC Foreign Policy Blob swallowed Joe Biden? We don't need to be the World's Policeman. juancole.com ( Tomdispatch.com ) — You may have noticed: the Blob is back. Beneath a veneer of gender and racial diversity, the Biden national security team consists of seasoned operatives who earned their spurs in Washington long before Donald Trump showed up to spoil the party. So, if you're looking for fresh faces at the departments …

Andrew Bacevich (2021-03-12). Biden Defers to the Blob. counterpunch.org You may have noticed: the Blob is back. Beneath a veneer of gender and racial diversity, the Biden national security team consists of seasoned operatives who earned their spurs in Washington long before Donald Trump showed up to spoil the party. So, if you're looking for fresh faces at the departments of state or defense,

Sarah Roberts, Joe Bernick (2021-03-12). Salt of the Earth Labor College spotlights border militarization and death. peoplesworld.org TUCSON, Ariz.—For decades, the U.S.-Mexico border areas have experienced increased militarization, a surge in deportations, and an ever-more brutal border patrol. The Trump administration's policies of separating families, building walls, and racist demonizing of migrants made the situation even worse—and then came the pandemic. Some hope the Biden administration will ease things somewhat, but change is slow …

The Socialist Program (2021-03-12). Why are Super-Rich Democrats Called "Moderates" When they Wage Class War vs. Low-Income Workers? liberationnews.org Brian and Prof. Wolff discuss the Biden administration's stimulus package.

Paul Haeder (2021-03-12). Washing Away One Trail of Tears After Another. dissidentvoice.org White Washing: According to one Merriam-Webster definition, to whitewash is to "gloss over or cover up," which, in a sense, is what the racial form of whitewashing does. It creates a White world where sins against people of color, including Blacks, Native Americans, Asians, Latinos, and other minority groups cease to matter because, in revisionist …