2021-03-17: News Headlines

yenisafak (2021-03-17). ANALYSIS: Hope, disbelief mark Indo-Pak cease-fire declaration. yenisafak.com As guns have fallen silent along the 740-kilometer (460-mile) Line of Control (LoC) that divides the state of Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan, farmers in Ranbir Singh Pura, Kathua, Bisnah, and Hiranagar are returning to their fields to cultivate world-famous aromatic basmati rice.Due to relentless incidents of shelling, which peaked at over 5,000 in 2020, dozens of hamlets had either abandoned their farms or were living in bunkers.Although the LoC had witnessed the occasional exchange of fire between Indian and Pakistani troops since 2008 in the aftermath of terrorist attacks in India's commercial ca…

Mehr News Agency (2021-03-17). Iran COVID-19 update: 65 deaths, 7,802 cases in 24 hours. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 17 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry has confirmed 7,802 COVID-19 infections and 65 deaths due to the disease in the past 24 hours.

Mehr News Agency (2021-03-17). Iranian Realtors in Virginia. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 17 (MNA) — When people search for a good and massive income of real estate investment, they may need a very helpful and willing adviser to guide them.

Mehr News Agency (2021-03-17). Biden wants to gain concessions by putting pressure on Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 17 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister said that US President Joe Biden wants to gain new concessions and privileges by putting pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Mehr News Agency (2021-03-17). Iran able to meet Pakistan's energy demand: Imran Khan. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 17 (MNA) — Pakistani PM considered the geographical location of his country to be dependent on regional lasting peace and security and said Pakistan's energy needs are possible to be met through the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Mehr News Agency (2021-03-17). No solution to current impasse unless US removes sanctions. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 17 (MNA) — The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani said there will be no way out of the current impasse over the Iranian nuclear program unless the United States removes its cruel sanctions.

Mehr News Agency (2021-03-17). IAEA confirms operation of IR4 centrifuges at Natanz facility. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 17 (MNA) — The United Nations' nuclear watchdog said Wednesday it has confirmed that Iran has begun operating a cascade of advanced centrifuges at Natanz nuclear facility.

Mehr News Agency (2021-03-17). Security, border coop. important issues for Tehran, Islamabad. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 17 (MNA) — A senior Iranian Parliamentary advisor stressed that security and border cooperation are important issues between Iran and Pakistan.

Mehr News Agency (2021-03-17). VIDEO: East Azarbaijan paradise of Iranian beauties. en.mehrnews.com TABRIZ, Mar. 17 (MNA) — East Azarbaijan province is one of the tourism hubs of Iran with 1,800 nationally registered tourist attractions, the historical bazaar of Tabriz, and other places registered in the UNESCO list.

Mehr News Agency (2021-03-17). Rainy cabinet session on last Wednesday of year. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 17 (MNA) — At the end of the last cabinet meeting in the Iranian calendar year, President Rouhani and the Iranian ministers appeared before reporters.

Mehr News Agency (2021-03-17). Lajim Forest in N Iran covered with snow. en.mehrnews.com LAJIM, Mar. 17 (MNA) — Located in Savadkuh County, Mazandaran Province, Lajim Forest is covered with snow in the last days of the Iranian year.

Mehr News Agency (2021-03-17). Majid Hosseini reviewing proposals from Europe. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 17 (MNA) — Iran international defender Majid Hosseini is reportedly reviewing offers from different European teams.

Mehr News Agency (2021-03-17). Close to 26 tons of narcotics busted in Iran in last 2 weeks. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 17 (MNA) — International Deputy of Iran Drug Control Headquarters Naser Aslani said that close to 26 tons of illegal drugs have been confiscated by Iran's anti-narcotics police forces in the country in the last 2 weeks.

Mehr News Agency (2021-03-17). Iranian Realtors in Tennessee. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 17 (MNA) — How many years should a person work to have what he deserves? How long can we wait to achieve something that seems to need a long run to be gained? The fact is that it is not the case.

Suadad al-Salhy (2021-03-17). Iraq: Iran's competing power centres are creating havoc in the country. middleeasteye.net Iraq: Iran's competing power centres are creating havoc in the country | Four Iranian intelligence agencies are giving contradictory commands to Tehran's Iraqi proxies, leaving armed factions scratching their heads | Wed, 03/17/2021 – 12: 01 | Iraqi youths watch an event celebrating the inauguration of a street named after the late Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in the southern city of…

Ali Harb (2021-03-17). US senators from both parties lambast Iran at MEK-linked event. middleeasteye.net US senators from both parties lambast Iran at MEK-linked event | Amid Biden administration efforts to revive nuclear deal, Republican and Democratic lawmakers express hawkish views against Tehran | Wed, 03/17/2021 – 17: 43 | MEK leader Maryam Rajavi speaks at conference in Albanian town of Manza, 13 July 2019 (AFP/File photo) | US senators, including several Democrats, rebuked the Iranian government at a virtual…

Suadad al-Salhy (2021-03-17). Iraq: Iran's competing power centres in the country are creating havoc. middleeasteye.net Iraq: Iran's competing power centres in the country are creating havoc | Four Iranian intelligence agencies are giving contradictory commands to Tehran's Iraqi proxies, leaving armed factions scratching their heads | Wed, 03/17/2021 – 12: 01 | Iraqi youths watch an event celebrating the inauguration of a street named after the late Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in the southern city of…

RT (2021-03-17). US intel report claims Russia 'probably' tried to sway 2020 election (as well as Iran, Venezuela & Cuba… but not China). rt.com The Joe Biden administration is reportedly preparing new sanctions against Russia after an intelligence assessment claimed to find attempts at interference by Moscow, Tehran and other usual suspects in the 2020 presidential race. | A

Ali Harb (2021-03-17). Khashoggi murder: Biden defends decision against punishing MBS. middleeasteye.net Khashoggi murder: Biden defends decision against punishing MBS | US president says sanctions against Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince would have been unprecedented | Wed, 03/17/2021 – 19: 18 | Saudi government agents murdered Khashoggi at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul in October 2018 (AFP/File photo) | President Joe Biden defended his administration's decision against imposing sanctions on Saudi Arabia'

International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (2021-03-17). UK Nuclear Warhead Increase Media Backgrounder. globalresearch.ca Beatrice Fihn, Executive Director of ICAN, said about the decision: …

Kevin Martin (2021-03-17). Stop the new Nuclear Weapons Money Pit Missile, the "Ground Based Deterrent System" peaceaction.org The U.S. is in the early stages of developing a new nuclear weapons system, an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) dubbed the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent or GBSD but more accurately described as the Money Pit Missile. Its initial price tag is $100 billion, with a lifetime cost of well over twice that. The GBSD is designed …

Staff (2021-03-17). Headlines for March 17, 2021. democracynow.org Gunman Kills 8 People, Almost All Women of Asian Descent, at Three Atlanta Spas, Report Finds a Third of COVID Deaths Tied to Lack of Insurance as Dems Reintroduce Medicare for All, WH to Increase Vaccines for COVID Hot Spots; Tribal Groups Open Up Inoculations for All Oklahomans, WHO Urges Against "Vaccine Passports" Due to Widespread Inequality in Access, New Report Details Horrific Blaze That Killed Dozens of Refugees at Yemeni Migrant Jail, Colombian Journalist Accuses Paramilitaries of Rape, Torture in Testimony to Inter-American Court, U.K. Lifts Cap on Nuclear Arsenal as U.S. Considers Plan for $100 Billio…

Staff (2021-03-17). With First Native Interior Secretary, Deb Haaland, Hope Grows U.S. Will Confront Toxic Uranium Legacy. democracynow.org Deb Haaland, a tribal citizen of the Laguna Pueblo, is being sworn in as secretary of the interior and will be the first Native American ever to serve in a U.S. presidential cabinet. Just four Republicans joined Democrats in voting to confirm Haaland, who will manage 500 million acres of federal and tribal land. Haaland will also oversee government relations with 574 federally recognized tribal nations and is expected to address the legacy of uranium mining on Indigenous land and other areas. Leona Morgan, a Diné anti-nuclear activist and community organizer, says that while it's "impossible to expect one person…

John Wojcik, C.J. Atkins (2021-03-17). Biden administration 'tackling' difficult border situation, progressives say step up the pace. peoplesworld.org In its attempts to deal with rising numbers of immigrants at the southwest border, the Biden administration is facing strong criticism from many different sources, some of it legitimate but much of it outrageously hypocritical. The administration's head of Homeland Security insisted yesterday that the situation is "under control." He made that assertion during a …

Areeb Ullah (2021-03-17). Yemen's Houthis express 'deep regret' for Sanaa migrant centre fire. middleeasteye.net Yemen's Houthis express 'deep regret' for Sanaa migrant centre fire | Houthis said 44 people died, as evidence grows that the rebels caused the fire | Wed, 03/17/2021 – 12: 53 | East African refugees wait for then-head of UNHCR Antonio Guterres in 2010 when he visited a refugee camp in Djibouti (AFP) | The Houthi rebel movement in Yemen expressed "deep regret" on Wednesday for the deaths of dozens of mig…

Editor (2021-03-17). °Que se abran las fronteras! workers.org Muertes de migrantes: øQuién es el VERDADERO culpable? No tenía por qué suceder. Pero, trágicamente, así pasó. Y lo más probable es que no sea la última vez. El 2 de marzo, 12 personas murieron instantáneamente cuando la camioneta en la que viajaban fue golpeada de costado por un camión . . . |

RT (2021-03-17). Biden tells migrants 'Don't come over,' downplays own DHS chief's warning of biggest immigration surge in 2 decades & blames Trump. rt.com US President Joe Biden has urged migrants and refugees to stay home, telling them not to attempt to cross the US border, even as his own officials sound alarms over what they say is the largest influx of immigrants in two decades.

RT (2021-03-17). With US immigration crisis escalating, Biden administration attempts to ban Border Patrol agents from talking to media — reports. rt.com One of President Joe Biden's latest tactics in dealing with a growing flood of illegal aliens — especially unaccompanied child migrants — is reportedly to muzzle Border Patrol agents, banning them from speaking to reporters. | Biden's administration has verbally passed down an unofficial

Guest Contributor (2021-03-17). Pandemic NHS workers should be granted indefinite leave to remain — Aaron Gates-Lincoln. ukhumanrightsblog.com Migrant workers have been essential to the operations of the NHS ever since its inception in 1948. Over the decades, many programmes have been used to encourage and find overseas workers and help them migrate to the UK to be employed in the healthcare system, demonstrating our governments acknowledgment of how important they are. As …

Staff (2021-03-17). Jackson Mayor Demands Help After Month-Long Water Crisis Amid Pandemic, Racism, Broken Infrastructure. democracynow.org Residents in Jackson, Mississippi, have been facing a water crisis over the last five weeks, with many people lacking reliable access to clean drinking water after deadly February winter storms caused pipes and water mains to burst. While water delivery has largely been restored, "boil water" orders remain in effect for most people. The city estimates it could cost $2 billion to fix the city's water system. The crisis in Jackson, which is 82% Black, highlights how climate catastrophe threatens much of the nation's aging infrastructure. Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba says while the city "contributes millions of dollar…

RT (2021-03-17). False alarm or malicious rumor? Twitter account claiming to be Ecuadorian FM falsely announces death of Julian Assange. rt.com A Twitter account purporting to belong to Ecuador's newly promoted foreign minister has falsely reported Wikileaks founder Julian Assange's death, acknowledging the news is "unconfirmed." It's not clear who's behind the report. | A recently created Twitter account supposedly belonging to Ecuadorian FM Manuel Mejía Dalmau posted an "URGENT" message on Wednesday declaring "diplomatic sources in London" had reported "the news of the death of Julian Assange," the Wikileaks founder's partner Stella Moris revealed on Wednesday, posting a screenshot of the tweet that noted the report was "unconfirmed." | pic.t…

Alan Macleod (2021-03-17). Twitter Deletes QAnon to Protect US from Upheaval; Russia May Delete Twitter for the Same Reason. mintpressnews.com With American social media companies increasingly controlled by the national security state, Russia is considering bans on the likes of Twitter and YouTube.

Betsey Piette (2021-03-17). 'The only acceptable treatment for Mumia Abu-Jamal is his freedom!'. workers.org Organized in less than 24 hours, around 50 supporters of political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal rallied outside Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner's office March 12. They demanded Krasner immediately release 66-year-old Abu-Jamal, who has tested positive for COVID-19. At a protest outside DA Larry Krasner's office, Pam Africa compares photos of . . . |

MEE staff (2021-03-17). Nepal probes Bahraini prince's 'gift' of 2,000 vaccines to Himalayan village. middleeasteye.net Nepal probes Bahraini prince's 'gift' of 2,000 vaccines to Himalayan village | Nepal's medicines regulator said vaccine doses were brought into the country without a licence or prior knowledge of the health ministry | Wed, 03/17/2021 – 19: 32 | Sheikh Mohamed Hamad Mohamed al-Khalifa (second right) poses for pictures upon arriving at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu (AFP) | An investigation has bee…

MEE staff (2021-03-17). Covid-19: West Bank receives first Covax vaccine doses. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: West Bank receives first Covax vaccine doses | World Health Organisation's vaccine-sharing initiative adds 62,000 doses to the occupied West Bank's struggling inoculation programme | Wed, 03/17/2021 – 18: 00 | A worker unloads a refrigerated truck carrying the first Covax delivery to a Palestinian Authority storage facility in the West Bank city of Nablus on 17 March (AFP) | The Palestinian Authority…

MEE staff (2021-03-17). Covid-19 and Ramadan: UAE issues strict social measures. middleeasteye.net Covid-19 and Ramadan: UAE issues strict social measures | UAE said residents and citizens must avoid evening gatherings and the exchanging of food to break the fast, except for members of the same household | Wed, 03/17/2021 – 12: 17 | A man registers before receiving a Covid-19 vaccine at the Dubai International Financial Centre, UAE, 3 February 2021 (AFP) | The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday introduced a nu…

RT (2021-03-17). CNN ripped for article admitting anti-lockdown Florida is 'booming' but implying Gov. DeSantis shouldn't be 'taking credit'. rt.com Critics are accusing CNN of playing politics and spinning the success of 'booming' Florida, which defied typical Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, as having nothing to do with Gov. Ron DeSantis. | "Everyone told me I was wrong," DeSantis said this week at a fundraiser about pandemic lockdowns. "I faced continued pressure from radical Democrats and the liberal media, but I refused to back down. It's clear: Florida got it right." | While many states are just beginning the process of reopening businesses and rolling back pandemic-era restrictions, Florida has been open for the better part of the last year — an…

Anand Naidoo (2021-03-17). The Heat: COVID-19 in Brazil. america.cgtn.com Brazil is fighting to control a devastating COVID-19 outbreak while it tries to save its economy.

Martha Grevatt (2021-03-17). Bust the filibuster! Pass the PRO Act! workers.org On March 9 the House of Representatives passed the Protect the Right to Organize Act, the most sweeping amendment to the 1935 National Labor Relations Act since the notorious, union-busting Taft-Hartley Act of 1947. Unions are now demanding the Senate pass the PRO Act, which undoes parts of Taft-Hartley and . . . |

Staff (2021-03-17). "Suave": New Podcast Follows One Man's Journey to Freedom After a Life Sentence Without Parole at 17. democracynow.org A new Futuro Media podcast, "Suave," tells the story of one person's journey to freedom after receiving a life sentence without parole at the age of 17. David Luis "Suave" Gonzalez met journalist Maria Hinojosa in 1993 during a talk at the prison in Pennsylvania where he was serving a sentence for first-degree homicide. For years, Gonzalez and Hinojosa stayed in touch through letters, visits and phone calls that Hinojosa recorded. The seven-part podcast series chronicles Gonzalez's experience as he is eventually given the opportunity to experience life on the outside for the first time, after the 2016 Supreme Cou…

Joel Wendland-Liu (2021-03-17). 'Making it' in America as pure fantasy: Ayad Akhtar's 'Homeland Elegies: A Novel'. peoplesworld.org The book jacket describes Homeland Elegies as "art family drama, part social essay, part picaresque novel." The decision to confuse these genres is both tantalizing and frustrating. Its subtitle identifies it as "a novel." This pre-pandemic text refers often to real-life events, such as to his own plays and to main actors in those plays …

Staff (2021-03-17). Spain Plans to Begin Experimenting With a Four-Day Workweek. truthout.org As the coronavirus pandemic changes the way societies around the world view work, Spain has announced it will begin a limited trial of a four-day workweek in a bid to boost productivity, mental health, and the environment. | The Guardian

Judy Greenspan (2021-03-17). California rally: 'Union busting is disgusting!'. workers.org San Francisco, March 12 San Francisco March 12 — Labor union and community members rallied today in front of the offices of Morgan Lewis, a law firm with offices in 31 cities around the world with a sordid history of union busting. Morgan Lewis was recently hired by Amazon to . . . |

Staff (2021-03-17). Amazon Is Hiring Aggressive Firms to Bust Union Efforts. truthout.org Since the start of the year, Amazon has subjected its almost 6,000 warehouse workers in Bessemer, Alabama, to a relentless and

A Guest Author (2021-03-17). Federación mundial del trabajo respalda a sindicato #Bamazon. workers.org La Federación Sindical Mundial (FSM) emitió el siguiente comunicado el 3 de marzo. EE.UU.: FSM en solidaridad con los trabajadores de almacén de Amazon en Alabama La Federación Sindical Mundial, que es la voz militante de 105 millones de trabajadores de 132 países de todo el mundo, extiende su solidaridad . . . |

Ramzy Baroud (2021-03-17). The Ongoing Calamity: US Collective Punishment of the Venezuelan People Must End. dissidentvoice.org Recent statements made by US officials suggest that Washington will continue to pursue a hardline policy on Venezuela. The new Biden Administration, however, needs to urgently rethink its approach. US State Department spokesperson, Ned Price, remarked on February 3 that he "certainly" does not "expect this administration to be engaging directly with (President) Maduro." Namely, …

Kathy Durkin (2021-03-17). Philippine activists demand: 'Stop the killings and arrests!'. workers.org "Kill them all!" ordered Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, addressing the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines on March 5. Two days later, state forces following the dictator's edict carried out a deadly attack on progressive activists in the Southern Tagalog region. Protest against the March 7 massacre . . . |

Staff (2021-03-17). Asian Americans Reel in Response to Gun Attack on Massage Parlors in Georgia. truthout.org A 21-year-old white man was taken into custody Tuesday night as the primary suspect in three metro Atlanta massage parlor shootings that left eight people dead, including six women of Asian descent. | While law enforcement officials have yet to determine suspected gunman Robert Aaron Long's motive, advocacy groups and lawmakers feared that the massacre was an anti-Asian hate crime given the establishments targeted and the victims, which also included a white man and woman. | Stop AAPI Hate, a…

RT (2021-03-17). Georgia mass shooting suspect may have 'SEX ADDICTION' and wanted to 'eliminate temptation' at massage parlors — police. rt.com The suspect behind a string of shootings at massage parlors in Georgia has told police he wanted to "eliminate" sexual temptation and the massacre was not racially motivated. | Robert Aaron Long, 21, told police he was trying to eliminate the temptation of the spas, which he allegedly visited, and claimed he had an addiction to sex. | "He gave indications that he has some issues, potentially sexual addiction," Cherokee County Sheriff Frank Reynolds told reporters, adding that Long "may have frequented some of these places in the past" and could have been "lashing out." | Eight people were killed in the shootin…

Eds. (2021-03-17). The watchdogs of imperialism and the Uyghur genocide slander. mronline.org MR Online