Daily Archives: April 1, 2020

2020-04-01: News Headlines

RT (2020-04-01). Iran coronavirus death toll rises to over 3,000. rt.com A total of 3,036 coronavirus patients have died in Iran, with 138 deaths in the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry reported on Wednesday. | The ministry's spokesman, Kianush Jahanpur, said the country now has a total of 47,593 people infected, with 2,987 new cases in the past 24 hours, while 15,473 people have recovered. | Speaking on Wednesday in a televised cabinet meeting, President Hassan Rouhani said that the coronavirus crisis is "a great opportunity for Americans to apologize… and to lift the unjust and unfair sanctions on Iran." | One of the worst hit countries in the region, Iran has urged the inter…

RT (2020-04-01). 'Ask the government': Former Celtics star claims NBA season could resume at classified US Air Force site Area 51. rt.com Having held the 2019 Summer League at the University of Nevada, NBA chiefs could find a novel solution to ending the season at a less conventional base in the state — with Area 51 suggested by former champion Paul Pierce. | Area 51, the US Air Force base which is notorious among conspiracy theorists and UFO enthusiasts, could become the home of the NBA as a makeshift setting for the conclusion of the season, former All-Star Paul Pierce has suggested. | Responding to a proposal by former rival Jay Williams that the remainder of the campaign could be played on cruise ships, Boston Celtics icon Pierce named…

Juan Cole (2020-04-01). ran Covid-19 Deaths Rival US as Trump Blockade blocks Medical Supplies. zcomm.org The European Union has activated the Instex trading mechanism for the purpose of sending medicine and medical supplies to Iran to fight the coronavirus outbreak…

yenisafak (2020-04-01). Russia's atomic agency reports four coronavirus cases. yenisafak.com Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom has confirmed four coronavirus cases among its employees, including one case in Hungary, the Interfax news agency cited the company's CEO Alexei Likhachev as saying on Wednesday.Russia has so far recorded 2,777 cases of the virus and 25 coronavirus-related deaths.

sputniknews (2020-04-01). Recipe for Success: How Iran's F-14 Tomcats Stay Relevant. sputniknews.com The old school US supersonic fighter aircraft Grumman F-14 Tomcat was retired by the US Navy on 22 September 2006, yet remains in service with Iran's air force, having been exported to the country in 1976.

Ted Snider (2020-04-01). The Quiet and Lethal Wars Against Iran. iranian.com Some wars are fought with bombs and bullets. These are the wars in Syria and Iraq, in Afghanistan and Yemen. Then there are quieter wars executed by drone. These cowardly wars also kill people, but not our people. These quieter wars accomplish what the more cacophonous wars accomplish without the public outcry and condemnation. Medical …

The Iranian (2020-04-01). Iranian foreign ministry's "SANCTION" graphic beamed tonight on Azadi Tower in Tehran. iranian.com

Patrick Cockburn (2020-03-31). Trump's Chernobyl Moment: the US May Lose Its Status as World Superpower and Not Recover. counterpunch.org The US may be reaching its "Chernobyl moment" as it fails to lead in combating the coronavirus epidemic. As with the nuclear accident in the Soviet Union in 1986, a cataclysm is exposing systemic failings that have already weakened US hegemony in the world. Whatever the outcome of the pandemic, nobody is today looking to

teleSUR (2020-03-31). Twitter Blocks Iranian Leader's Accounts. telesurenglish.net In the early hours onTuesday morning, Twitter blocked the accounts of the Islamic Revolution leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. | RELATED: According to the Twitter notification, the Iranian supreme leader accounts violate the social network policies. Twitter administration did not give more details of specific reasons for the action. | The profiles in Arab, English, and Persian were censored. Then Persian and English on…

commondreams (2020-03-31). #EndCOVIDSanctions Coalition Applauds Members of Congress for Call to Suspend Iran Sanctions. commondreams.org ______________________________…

John Nichols (2020-03-31). On the Need for Dissent and Debate in These Urgent Times. thenation.com On the Need for Dissent and Debate in These Urgent Times…

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2020-03-31). 'Pandemics Know No Borders': Democrats Call on Trump Admin to Suspend Sanctions on Iran During Coronavirus Outbreak. commondreams.org "We need to cancel all economic sanctions during this crisis." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/iran_8.jpg

John Wight (2020-03-31). World Suffering Less from Coronavirus Crisis & More from an America Crisis. iranian.com In his 1948 classic novel "The Plague," which tells the story of the fictional outbreak of a rat-borne plague in the Algerian port city of Oran under French colonialism, French writer and thinker Albert Camus explores the way the plague and ensuing crisis taps into the very best and worst of the human condition. The current …

IRNA (2020-03-31). Official: Many EU states back Iran's $5b loan bid from IMF. iranian.com Iran's Vice President for Economic Affairs Mohammad Nahavandian said many EU states back Iran's $5b loan bid from the International Monetary Fund, adding that more serious efforts have been made for releasing country's foreign exchange reserves in other countries. Speaking in a live TV program, Nahavandian elaborated on the government's relief package to help the …

Tasnim News (2020-03-31). Blast Halts Iran's Gas Exports to Turkey. iranian.com Iran's natural gas exports to Turkey have stopped following an explosion on a pipeline near their joint border, an official at the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) said on Tuesday. "The explosion occurred near the Iranian border, causing gas to be halted from 6: 50 (0320 GMT) this morning," Mehdi Jamshidi-Dana said, Press TV reported. The …

IRNA (2020-03-31). Germany confirms first INSTEX transaction. iranian.com The Federal Foreign Office of Germany in a tweet confirmed the first transaction with Iran through the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) on Tuesday. The Federal Foreign Office of Germany wrote in its Twitter page, "France, Germany and the United Kingdom confirm that INSTEX has successfully concluded its first transaction, facilitating the export …

The Iranian (2020-03-31). Japanese People Send Iranians Messages of Love & Support During COVID-19 Pandemic. iranian.com

Zero Hedge (2020-03-30). 'Need Our Help?' Iran's IRGC Mocks US For Now Leading World In COVID-19 Cases. iranian.com On the same day the United States leveled yet more sanctions against the Islamic Republic, blacklisting 20 Iran- and Iraq-based companies, officials and individuals for supporting terrorism, leaders in Tehran took to publicly mocking the US for now being the global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. As of Friday evening numbers of US confirmed cases …

M. K. Bhadrakumar (2020-03-30). Origins of COVID-19: Russia quizzes US on coronavirus' parentage. iranian.com All through the recent weeks since US President Donald Trump coined the epithet "China virus" to rename Coronavirus, Moscow kept a deafening silence. Finally, on Sunday, March 29, Moscow broke that silence. That the first Russian statement came at the level of the Russian foreign ministry makes this particularly significant. In an exclusive remark, a …

Tehran Times (2020-03-30). Iran Develops Thermal Camera to Help Identify Corona Cases. iranian.com The CEO of an Iranian knowledge-based company announced the manufacturing of a thermo-imaging machine, emphasizing that major parts of the machine are produced domestically. "We can produce the machine as much as there is need in the country", Mohsen Karegar said, adding, "We have succeeded in making the thermo-imaging machine with a group of 5 …

ProPublica (2020-03-30). In a 10-Day Span, ICE Flew This Iranian Detainee Across the Country Nine Times. iranian.com Less than two weeks ago, the Trump administration urged Americans to avoid nonessential travel to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Major airlines slashed their routes. All the while, Sirous Asgari took nine different flights around the country. None of them was by choice. Asgari bounced around on chartered jets from Louisiana to Texas to …

IRNA (2020-03-30). Photos: Tehran In Silence As It Fights COVID-19. iranian.com The Iranian authorities announced the launch of a one-week social distancing plan amid the coronavirus epidemic across the country. Tehran residents respect the social distancing rules due to the serious outbreak of the deadly coronavirus.

Sputnik News (2020-03-29). Tehran's Milad Tower Goes Green to Honour Medical Staff Amid COVID-19 Pandemic — Video. iranian.com Most nations, even developed ones, are currently suffering from a shortage of medicines and medical supplies, with medical staff putting in long hours of overtime. Milad Tower in the Iranian capital of Tehran turns green to express gratitude, commemorate and support medical personnel and services amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Even though medical staff are now …

IRNA (2020-03-29). Zarif warns US to stop aiding war crimes. iranian.com Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a message referred to the US' background of sabotage and assassinations and warned Americans to stop aiding war crimes. twitter.com/JZarif/status/1244229089772224512 "The US has gone from sabotage & assassinations to waging an economic war & #EconomicTerrorism on Iranians—to #MedicalTerror amidst #covid19iran," Zarif wrote on his Twitter account on Sunday, adding: …

The Lancet (2020-03-28). [Editorial] Learning the lessons of Chernobyl: time is running out. thelancet.com Unit number 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded on April 26, 1986, causing radiation injuries to hundreds of people within a couple of weeks. High levels of radiation affected clean-up workers (liquidators) involved in the emergency response, more than 500‚Äà000 liquidators involved in later decontamination and containment, and the general population in the surrounding Soviet states. 116‚Äà000 people were evacuated, 220‚Äà000 were permanently relocated, and a 30 km exclusion zone still exists around the plant.

The Lancet (2020-03-28). [Editorial] COVID-19: learning from experience. thelancet.com Over the past 2 weeks, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has marched relentlessly westward. On March 13, WHO said that Europe was now the centre of the pandemic. A few days later, deaths in Italy surpassed those in China. Iran and Spain had also reported over 1000 deaths as of March 23, and many other European countries and the USA reported increasing numbers of cases, heralding an imminent wave of fatalities. Following the sweep of COVID-19 is a series of dramatic containment measures that reflect the scale of the threat posed by the pandemic.

Antoine Flahault (2020-03-28). [Correspondence] COVID-19 cacophony: is there any orchestra conductor? thelancet.com The first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is currently invading the world, and several countries are now struggling to fight it or trying to delay its start to help smooth its peak size for the purpose of lowering morbidity and mortality, and thereby reduce the overall tension on their health-care system. China's first major outbreaks of COVID-19 happened in January, 2020. Then South Korea, Iran, and Italy entered into this Ravel's Bolero-like epidemic in late February and early March, 2020, and many other countries are preparing to play the same rhythmic pattern in the coming days and weeks.

Andrew Green (2020-03-28). [Obituary] Aron Goldhirsch. thelancet.com Medical oncologist specialising in breast cancer. Born on April 25, 1946, in Landsberg am Lech, Germany, he died on Feb 26, 2020, in Lugano, Switzerland, aged 73 years.

The Grayzone Project (2020-03-28). Trump intensifies murderous Iran sanctions during COVID-19 crisis. iranian.com As Iran struggles to contain COVID-19, the US has imposed new sanctions that further weaken the Iranian economy and health system.

Evgenia Ostroumova, Joachim Schàºz, Ausrele Kesminiene (2020-03-18). [Correspondence] Future of Chernobyl research: the urgency for consolidated action. thelancet.com The Chernobyl nuclear disaster on April 26, 1986, continues to create fears and myths about its health consequences, as shown by the large response to a top-rated HBO miniseries devoted to the tragic event. Risk assessments range from recognising an increase in thyroid cancer incidence in exposed children and adolescents (becoming one of the single most established long-term health effects of the Chernobyl disaster on the general population), to claims of hundreds of thousands of deaths due to the accident.

Amirhossein Takian, Azam Raoofi, Sara Kazempour-Ardebili (2020-03-18). [Correspondence] COVID-19 battle during the toughest sanctions against Iran. thelancet.com Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread rapidly throughout the world. WHO declared the outbreak a global pandemic on March 11, 2020.1 In Iran, the first official announcement of deaths from COVID-19 was made on Feb 19, 2020. As of March 16, 2020, 14‚Äà991 people have been infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and 853 people have died from COVID-19. 4996 people have recovered.2…

Lilly Dragnev (2020-03-13). Latest U.S. Military Strikes Are as Reckless as they are Cruel. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — March 12, 2020 — In response to reports that the U.S. has carried out five airstrikes on Iranian-backed militia sites in Iraq, Jon Rainwater, Executive Director of Peace Action, released the following statement: "At a time of one of the greatest global challenges of our lifetimes, it is shocking that the Trump …

Paul Kawika Martin (2020-03-11). Congress Sends Bipartisan Bill to Trump Rebuking Iran War. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — March 11, 2020 — In response to the House passing the bipartisan bill — S.J.Res.68 — that would thwart President Trump from going to war with Iran and end any current hostilities, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Peace Action, released the following statement: "Both chambers and …

Paul Kawika Martin (2020-02-13). Senate Reclaims War Powers to Thwart Iran War. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — February 13, 2020 — In response to the Senate passing the bipartisan bill — S.J.Res.68 — that would thwart President Trump from going to war with Iran and end any current hostilities, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Peace Action, released the following statement: "It's about time …

Kiran Reddy, Cecilia O'Kane, Daniel McAuley (2020-02-07). [Comment] Corticosteroids in acute respiratory distress syndrome: a step forward, but more evidence is needed. thelancet.com Debate continues about the potential role of corticosteroids as therapy for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).1—3 In The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, Jesús Villar and colleagues4 report the results from a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial investigating prolonged dexamethasone treatment in patients with established moderate-to-severe ARDS, which adds important new data to this debate. In this study, patients in the dexamethasone group had reduced duration of ventilation and mortality compared with those in the control group;4 the primary outcome, ventilator-free days at 28 days, w…

Jon Rainwater (2020-01-31). House Votes to Rein in Trump's Iran War Powers While Ending Endless Wars. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — January 30, 2020 — In response to two high-profile war powers votes on the House floor today, Peace Action released the following statement: "Our nation's endless wars are on autopilot, with Trump fitfully grabbing the steering wheel until his attention wanders somewhere else. Today's votes are a step toward Congress reclaiming its …

Miranda I Teboh-Ewungkem, Gideon A Ngwa (2020-01-13). [Comment] Fighting malaria with ivermectin: a novel malaria control tool. thelancet.com Malaria is a complex disease involving three interacting living populations, each with its own evolutionary pathway and need of survival: the parasite of genus Plasmodium, which causes the disease in humans; the humans that can be infected by the malaria parasite; and the Anopheles spp mosquito (the vector), which transmits the parasite from human to human. Malaria control strategies targeting these different populations exist. These include mosquitocidal agents that target the aquatic and terrestrial life forms of the mosquito vector,1 prophylactic use of intermittent preventive treatment,2,3 early disease diagn…

Jon Rainwater (2020-01-08). In the ongoing crisis, Congress must rein in Trump's war powers. peaceaction.org As we feared, President Trump's reckless assassination of Iran's Gen. Soleimani resulted in escalation — direct Iranian missile attacks on two military bases in Iraq. It's painful to watch more violence in a country that has already suffered far too much from endless war. All parties in the US/Iran conflict must cease military action and …

Joe Brierley, Stephen Playfor, Samiran Ray (2019-12-16). [Comment] Planning for the next pandemic: a call for new guidance. thelancet.com "Everything flows and nothing abides, everything gives way and nothing stays fixed"Heraclitus…

Jon Rainwater (2019-11-07). Take Action — Some actual, SANE legislation. peaceaction.org Trump has plans to spend nearly $2 TRILLION over the next 30 years on unneeded and unnecessary nuclear weapons and delivery systems. This makes no sense. This is insane. That's nearly $100 million wasted every day for thirty years on weapons we are supposed to be getting rid of. To put that amount in perspective, …

Jon Rainwater (2019-09-25). Take Action to Avoid War with Iran. peaceaction.org photo credit Dear Groundswell Readers, We have to keep pushing Congress this week if we want to avoid war with Iran. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said recently that the U.K. might join a U.S.-led military effort in the Gulf. When other nations step up to join the "coalition of the willing" it's often a bad sign. …

Paul Kawika Martin (2019-07-18). Diplomacy Instead of a Disaster in Iran. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — July 18, 2019 — In response to reports of the U.S. shooting down an Iranian drone, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Peace Action, released the following statement: "Because of the Trump administration's policy of maximum provocation towards Iran, America stands on the precipice of another blunderous …

2020-04-01: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media!

ran Covid-19 Deaths Rival US as Trump Blockade blocks Medical Supplies
Juan Cole | zcomm.org | 2020-04-01
The European Union has activated the Instex trading mechanism for the purpose of sending medicine and medical supplies to Iran to fight the coronavirus outbreak…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/ran-covid-19-deaths-rival-us-as-trump-blockade-blocks-medical-supplies/

Iran coronavirus death toll rises to over 3,000
rt.com | 2020-04-01
A total of 3,036 coronavirus patients have died in Iran, with 138 deaths in the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry reported on Wednesday. | The ministry's spokesman, Kianush Jahanpur, said the country now has a total of 47,593 people infected, with 2,987 new cases in the past 24 hours, while 15,473 people have recovered. | Speaking on Wednesday in a televised cabinet meeting, President Hassan Rouhani said that the coronavirus crisis is "a great opportunity for Americans to apologize… and to lift the unjust and unfair sanctions on Iran." | One of the worst hit countries in the region, Iran has urged the inter…
rt.com/news/484665-iran-coronavirus-death-toll-3000/

'Ask the government': Former Celtics star claims NBA season could resume at classified US Air Force site Area 51
rt.com | 2020-04-01
Having held the 2019 Summer League at the University of Nevada, NBA chiefs could find a novel solution to ending the season at a less conventional base in the state

Recipe for Success: How Iran's F-14 Tomcats Stay Relevant
sputniknews.com | 2020-04-01
The old school US supersonic fighter aircraft Grumman F-14 Tomcat was retired by the US Navy on 22 September 2006, yet remains in service with Iran's air force, having been exported to the country in 1976.
sputniknews.com/military/202004011078788202-recipe-for-success-how-irans-f-14-tomcats-stay-relevant/

Russia's atomic agency reports four coronavirus cases
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-01
Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom has confirmed four coronavirus cases among its employees, including one case in Hungary, the Interfax news agency cited the company's CEO Alexei Likhachev as saying on Wednesday.Russia has so far recorded 2,777 cases of the virus and 25 coronavirus-related deaths.
yenisafak.com/en/world/russias-atomic-agency-reports-four-coronavirus-cases-3515648

The Quiet and Lethal Wars Against Iran
Ted Snider | iranian.com | 2020-04-01
Some wars are fought with bombs and bullets. These are the wars in Syria and Iraq, in Afghanistan and Yemen. Then there are quieter wars executed by drone. These cowardly wars also kill people, but not our people. These quieter wars accomplish what the more cacophonous wars accomplish without the public outcry and condemnation. Medical …
iranian.com/2020/03/31/the-quiet-and-lethal-wars-against-iran/

Iranian foreign ministry's "SANCTION" graphic beamed tonight on Azadi Tower in Tehran
The Iranian | iranian.com | 2020-04-01
iranian.com/2020/03/31/iranian-foreign-ministrys-sanction-graphic-beamed-tonight-on-azadi-tower-in-tehran/

Trump's Chernobyl Moment: the US May Lose Its Status as World Superpower and Not Recover
Patrick Cockburn | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-31
The US may be reaching its "Chernobyl moment" as it fails to lead in combating the coronavirus epidemic. As with the nuclear accident in the Soviet Union in 1986, a cataclysm is exposing systemic failings that have already weakened US hegemony in the world. Whatever the outcome of the pandemic, nobody is today looking to…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/31/trumps-chernobyl-moment-the-us-may-lose-its-status-as-world-superpower-and-not-recover/

Twitter Blocks Iranian Leader's Accounts
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-31
In the early hours onTuesday morning, Twitter blocked the accounts of the Islamic Revolution leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. | RELATED: US Sanctions 20 Iranian, Iraqi Entities Despite Virus Outbreak | According to the Twitter notification, the Iranian supreme leader accounts violate the social network policies. Twitter administration did not give more details of specific reasons for the action. | The profiles in Arab, English, and Persian were censored. Then Persian and English on…
telesurenglish.net/news/twitter-blocks-official-iranian-leader-profiles-20200331-0011.html

#EndCOVIDSanctions Coalition Applauds Members of Congress for Call to Suspend Iran Sanctions
commondreams.org | 2020-03-31
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2020/03/31/endcovidsanctions-coalition-applauds-members-congress-call-suspend-iran?cd-origin=rss

On the Need for Dissent and Debate in These Urgent Times
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2020-03-31
On the Need for Dissent and Debate in These Urgent Times…
thenation.com/article/politics/dissent-debate-massie-aoc/

Japanese People Send Iranians Messages of Love & Support During COVID-19 Pandemic
The Iranian | iranian.com | 2020-03-31
iranian.com/2020/03/31/japanese-people-send-iranians-messages-of-love-support-during-covid-19-pandemic/

Germany confirms first INSTEX transaction
IRNA | iranian.com | 2020-03-31
The Federal Foreign Office of Germany in a tweet confirmed the first transaction with Iran through the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) on Tuesday. The Federal Foreign Office of Germany wrote in its Twitter page, "France, Germany and the United Kingdom confirm that INSTEX has successfully concluded its first transaction, facilitating the export …
iranian.com/2020/03/31/germany-confirms-first-instex-transaction/

Official: Many EU states back Iran's $5b loan bid from IMF
IRNA | iranian.com | 2020-03-31
Iran's Vice President for Economic Affairs Mohammad Nahavandian said many EU states back Iran's $5b loan bid from the International Monetary Fund, adding that more serious efforts have been made for releasing country's foreign exchange reserves in other countries. Speaking in a live TV program, Nahavandian elaborated on the government's relief package to help the …
iranian.com/2020/03/30/official-many-eu-states-back-irans-5b-loan-bid-from-imf/

Blast Halts Iran's Gas Exports to Turkey
Tasnim News | iranian.com | 2020-03-31
Iran's natural gas exports to Turkey have stopped following an explosion on a pipeline near their joint border, an official at the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) said on Tuesday. "The explosion occurred near the Iranian border, causing gas to be halted from 6: 50 (0320 GMT) this morning," Mehdi Jamshidi-Dana said, Press TV reported. The …
iranian.com/2020/03/31/blast-halts-irans-gas-exports-to-turkey/

World Suffering Less from Coronavirus Crisis & More from an America Crisis
John Wight | iranian.com | 2020-03-31
In his 1948 classic novel "The Plague," which tells the story of the fictional outbreak of a rat-borne plague in the Algerian port city of Oran under French colonialism, French writer and thinker Albert Camus explores the way the plague and ensuing crisis taps into the very best and worst of the human condition. The current …
iranian.com/2020/03/30/world-suffering-less-from-coronavirus-crisis-more-from-an-america-crisis/

'Pandemics Know No Borders': Democrats Call on Trump Admin to Suspend Sanctions on Iran During Coronavirus Outbreak
Eoin Higgins, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-03-31
"We need to cancel all economic sanctions during this crisis." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/iran_8.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2020/03/31/pandemics-know-no-borders-democrats-call-trump-admin-suspend-sanctions-iran-during?cd-origin=rss

Origins of COVID-19: Russia quizzes US on coronavirus' parentage
M. K. Bhadrakumar | iranian.com | 2020-03-30
All through the recent weeks since US President Donald Trump coined the epithet "China virus" to rename Coronavirus, Moscow kept a deafening silence. Finally, on Sunday, March 29, Moscow broke that silence. That the first Russian statement came at the level of the Russian foreign ministry makes this particularly significant. In an exclusive remark, a …
iranian.com/2020/03/29/origins-of-covid-19-russia-quizzes-us-on-coronavirus-parentage/

'Need Our Help?' Iran's IRGC Mocks US For Now Leading World In COVID-19 Cases
Zero Hedge | iranian.com | 2020-03-30
On the same day the United States leveled yet more sanctions against the Islamic Republic, blacklisting 20 Iran- and Iraq-based companies, officials and individuals for supporting terrorism, leaders in Tehran took to publicly mocking the US for now being the global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. As of Friday evening numbers of US confirmed cases …
iranian.com/2020/03/29/need-our-help-irans-irgc-mocks-us-for-now-leading-world-in-covid-19-cases/

Photos: Tehran In Silence As It Fights COVID-19
IRNA | iranian.com | 2020-03-30
The Iranian authorities announced the launch of a one-week social distancing plan amid the coronavirus epidemic across the country. Tehran residents respect the social distancing rules due to the serious outbreak of the deadly coronavirus.
iranian.com/2020/03/29/photos-tehran-in-silence-as-it-fights-covid-19/

In a 10-Day Span, ICE Flew This Iranian Detainee Across the Country Nine Times
ProPublica | iranian.com | 2020-03-30
Less than two weeks ago, the Trump administration urged Americans to avoid nonessential travel to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Major airlines slashed their routes. All the while, Sirous Asgari took nine different flights around the country. None of them was by choice. Asgari bounced around on chartered jets from Louisiana to Texas to …
iranian.com/2020/03/30/in-a-10-day-span-ice-flew-this-iranian-detainee-across-the-country-nine-times/

Iran Develops Thermal Camera to Help Identify Corona Cases
Tehran Times | iranian.com | 2020-03-30
The CEO of an Iranian knowledge-based company announced the manufacturing of a thermo-imaging machine, emphasizing that major parts of the machine are produced domestically. "We can produce the machine as much as there is need in the country", Mohsen Karegar said, adding, "We have succeeded in making the thermo-imaging machine with a group of 5 …
iranian.com/2020/03/30/iran-makes-thermal-camera-to-help-identify-corona-cases/

Zarif warns US to stop aiding war crimes
IRNA | iranian.com | 2020-03-29
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a message referred to the US' background of sabotage and assassinations and warned Americans to stop aiding war crimes. twitter.com/JZarif/status/1244229089772224512 "The US has gone from sabotage & assassinations to waging an economic war & #EconomicTerrorism on Iranians–to #MedicalTerror amidst #covid19iran," Zarif wrote on his Twitter account on Sunday, adding: …
iranian.com/2020/03/29/zarif-warns-us-to-stop-aiding-war-crimes/

[Editorial] COVID-19: learning from experience
The Lancet | thelancet.com | 2020-03-28
Over the past 2 weeks, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has marched relentlessly westward. On March 13, WHO said that Europe was now the centre of the pandemic. A few days later, deaths in Italy surpassed those in China. Iran and Spain had also reported over 1000 deaths as of March 23, and many other European countries and the USA reported increasing numbers of cases, heralding an imminent wave of fatalities. Following the sweep of COVID-19 is a series of dramatic containment measures that reflect the scale of the threat posed by the pandemic.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30686-3/fulltext?rss=yes

[Editorial] Learning the lessons of Chernobyl: time is running out
The Lancet | thelancet.com | 2020-03-28
Unit number 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded on April 26, 1986, causing radiation injuries to hundreds of people within a couple of weeks. High levels of radiation affected clean-up workers (liquidators) involved in the emergency response, more than 500‚Äà000 liquidators involved in later decontamination and containment, and the general population in the surrounding Soviet states. 116‚Äà000 people were evacuated, 220‚Äà000 were permanently relocated, and a 30 km exclusion zone still exists around the plant.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30687-5/fulltext?rss=yes

[Correspondence] COVID-19 cacophony: is there any orchestra conductor?
Antoine Flahault | thelancet.com | 2020-03-28
The first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is currently invading the world, and several countries are now struggling to fight it or trying to delay its start to help smooth its peak size for the purpose of lowering morbidity and mortality, and thereby reduce the overall tension on their health-care system. China's first major outbreaks of COVID-19 happened in January, 2020. Then South Korea, Iran, and Italy entered into this Ravel's Bolero-like epidemic in late February and early March, 2020, and many other countries are preparing to play the same rhythmic pattern in the coming days and weeks.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30491-8/fulltext?rss=yes

[Obituary] Aron Goldhirsch
Andrew Green | thelancet.com | 2020-03-28
Medical oncologist specialising in breast cancer. Born on April 25, 1946, in Landsberg am Lech, Germany, he died on Feb 26, 2020, in Lugano, Switzerland, aged 73 years.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30642-5/fulltext?rss=yes

Trump intensifies murderous Iran sanctions during COVID-19 crisis
The Grayzone Project | iranian.com | 2020-03-28
As Iran struggles to contain COVID-19, the US has imposed new sanctions that further weaken the Iranian economy and health system.
iranian.com/2020/03/28/trump-intensifies-murderous-iran-sanctions-during-covid-19-crisis/

[Correspondence] Future of Chernobyl research: the urgency for consolidated action
Evgenia Ostroumova, Joachim Schàºz, Ausrele Kesminiene | thelancet.com | 2020-03-18
The Chernobyl nuclear disaster on April 26, 1986, continues to create fears and myths about its health consequences, as shown by the large response to a top-rated HBO miniseries devoted to the tragic event. Risk assessments range from recognising an increase in thyroid cancer incidence in exposed children and adolescents (becoming one of the single most established long-term health effects of the Chernobyl disaster on the general population), to claims of hundreds of thousands of deaths due to the accident.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30675-9/fulltext?rss=yes

[Correspondence] COVID-19 battle during the toughest sanctions against Iran
Amirhossein Takian, Azam Raoofi, Sara Kazempour-Ardebili | thelancet.com | 2020-03-18
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread rapidly throughout the world. WHO declared the outbreak a global pandemic on March 11, 2020.1 In Iran, the first official announcement of deaths from COVID-19 was made on Feb 19, 2020. As of March 16, 2020, 14‚Äà991 people have been infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and 853 people have died from COVID-19. 4996 people have recovered.2…
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30668-1/fulltext?rss=yes

Latest U.S. Military Strikes Are as Reckless as they are Cruel
Lilly Dragnev | peaceaction.org | 2020-03-13
Washington, D.C.

Congress Sends Bipartisan Bill to Trump Rebuking Iran War
Paul Kawika Martin | peaceaction.org | 2020-03-11
Washington, D.C.