(2021-03-07). Ayatollah Sistani Affirms Religious Freedom to Pope Francis in HIstoric Iraq Meeting. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — On Saturday, Pope Francis met in the holy city of Najaf with Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the spiritual leader of most of the world's Shiite Muslims outside Iran. Back in 2004 when US Marines were fighting young Shiite militiamen in Najaf (quite against Sistani's will), I tried to signal to …
(2021-03-07). Saudis Launches Airstrikes on Rebel Sites in Yemen's Capital. telesurenglish.net The Saudi-led coalition on Sunday launched a series of airstrikes on Houthi-controlled military sites in Yemen's capital Sanaa, local residents said. | RELATED: | The strikes hit the 1st Division Camp, Maintenance Camp and the 4th Brigade in downtown Sanaa, as well as the Attan site in the southern part of the capital. | The airstrikes come as the Iran-backed Houthi rebels intensified cross-border drone and missile attacks on Saudi cities. | Yemen ha…
(2021-03-07). Iran COVID-19 update: 8,010 cases, 93 deaths in 24 hours. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 07 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry has confirmed 8,010 COVID-19 infections and 93 deaths due to the disease in the past 24 hours.
(2021-03-07). Iran ready to launch a joint industrial park with Azerbaijan. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 07 (MNA) — Iranian Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade announced that his ministry is ready to launch a joint industrial town with Azerbaijan Republic in Ardabil province.
(2021-03-07). Alireza Karimi wins silver at Matteo Pellicone. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 07 (MNA) — Iranian freestyle wrestler Alireza Karimi won a silver medal at Matteo Pellicone in Italy's Rome.
(2021-03-07). Exploded tanks in Afghanistan do not belong to Iran: NIORDC. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 07 (MNA) — Iran's NIORDC announced that none of the tanks burnt in the massive fire that broke out at Abu Nasr Farahi customs on the Iran-Afghanistan border on Sat. belong to Iran.
(2021-03-07). IRGC, Army navies sign intelligence MoU. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 07 (MNA) — Naval forces of Iran's Army and the IRGC have signed a memorandum of understanding to boost bilateral cooperation.
(2021-03-07). Exports to Iraq via Mehran crossing top $460m. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 07 (MNA) — Iran's exports to Iraq via Mehran border crossing in the western Ilam province reached 907,000 tons worth $464 million during the current Iranian year (starting March 20, 2020).
(2021-03-07). VIDEO: Iran unveils 7 homegrown rifles & shotguns. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 07 (MNA) — In a ceremony in Tehran on Sunday, attended by Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami, seven rifles, and shotguns- including an assault rifle named Masaf'- were unveiled.
(2021-03-07). Marine rescue maneuver in Bandar Abbas. en.mehrnews.com BANDAR ABBAS, Mar. 07 (MNA) — The marine rescue maneuver was held on Sunday morning with the participation of military and law enforcement forces in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran.
(2021-03-07). US must lift all sanctions prior to returning to JCPOA. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 07 (MNA) — Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister said that the US must first lift all sanctions against the Islamic Republic if Washington is determined to return to the Nuclear Deal.
(2021-03-07). Zarif meets with Irish FM in Tehran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 07 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif held talks with his Irish counterpart, Simon Coveney, in Tehran on Sunday.
(2021-03-07). Verification in Iran not to be bargaining chip. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 07 (MNA) — Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna said that reliable verification in Iran will not be a bargaining chip.
(2021-03-07). E-3 abandoning anti-Iranian draft Res. proof for common sense. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 07 (MNA) — In a tweet, Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna named the E-3 decision to abandon the strange draft resolution on Iran as "a demonstration of common sense".
(2021-03-07). Aggressors do not care about Yemeni crisis: Envoy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 07 (MNA) — Iranian Ambassador to Yemen said that the countries that waged a war against Yemen do not care about the humanitarian crisis in the country.
(2021-03-07). Police forces dismantle human trafficking gang in SE Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 08 (MNA) — Police forces have dismantled an organized human trafficking gang in Sistan and Baluchestan province on Sunday.
(2021-03-07). Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe released. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 07 (MNA) — Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's five-year jail term in Iran ended on Sunday and she was released, accordingly.
(2021-03-07). IPRC head terms FATF-bills as leg cuffs on Iran economy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Mar. 07 (MNA) — Head of Iranian Parliament Research Center (IPRC) Alireza Zakani says the ratification of FATF-bill will not help alleviate economic problems but will worsen them.
(2021-03-07). British-Iranian woman released after 5 years in prison in Iran. laprensalatina.com Tehran, Mar 7 (efe-epa).- British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been serving a prison sentence for espionage in Iran, has been released after completing five years in jail but was summoned again to court next week. Lawyer Hojjat Kermani said that Zaghari-Ratcliffe had her house arrest lifted and her ankle tag removed. British Foreign …
(2021-03-07). British-Iranian prisoner Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe freed in Iran. middleeasteye.net 
British-Iranian prisoner Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe freed in Iran | Lawyer for aid worker says she walked free after end of five-year sentence | Sun, 03/07/2021 – 12: 01 | Iran released British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, her lawyer Hojjat Kermani told Iranian website Emtedad on Sunday, after her five years sentence for plotting to overthrow the clerical establishment. | "
(2021-03-07). British-Iranian prisoner Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe freed in Iran, says lawyer. middleeasteye.net 
British-Iranian prisoner Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe freed in Iran, says lawyer | Aid worker has electronic ankle tag removed after end of five-year sentence | Sun, 03/07/2021 – 12: 01 | An undated handout image released by the Free Nazanin campaign in London on 10 June 2016 shows Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe posing for a photograph with her daughter Gabriella (AFP) | Iran has released British-…
(2021-03-07). British-Iranian prisoner Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe freed in Iran, says lawyer. middleeasteye.net British-Iranian prisoner Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe freed in Iran, says lawyer | Aid worker has electronic ankle tag removed after end of five-year sentence as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson demands she 'be released permanently' | Sun, 03/07/2021 – 12: 01 | An undated handout image released by the Free Nazanin campaign in London on 10 June 2016 shows Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe posing f…
(2021-03-07). US will strike 'at a time and place of our choosing' after rocket attacks on bases in Iraq, Defense Secretary Austin says. rt.com 
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin won't say who was behind a recent rocket attack on an American airbase in Iraq, but his eyes are on Iran, and he says the US will strike again "at a time and place of our own choosing."
(2021-03-07). Six civilians injured in Syrian regime attack. yenisafak.com At least six civilians were injured Saturday by Assad regime forces in the de-escalation zone in Idlib in northwestern Syria.Forces loyal to the regime and foreign terrorists backed by Iran violated a cease-fire deal that was achieved for the de-escalation zone.They shot ground-to-ground from Maarat al-Numan to Arihah, near the M4 highway.Two civilians were seriously injured in the attack, The wounded were taken to hospitals in the region.The M4 highway, also known as the Aleppo-Al Hasakah road, is about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Turkey's southern border.The Idlib de-escalation zone was forged under an agreem…
(2021-03-07). France Joins America's South China Sea Adventurism. "Provoking China" globalresearch.ca France has recently sent one of its nuclear attack submarines over …
(2021-03-07). This Is Who Democrats Are. strategic-culture.org 
By Caitlin JOHNSTONE | * | This is who the Democrats are. It's who they always will be. They let you have your Bernies and AOCs to create the illusion that progressives can win if they just vote a little harder, but the corporate elites will always have enough of a congressional majority to kill progress. Don't let them spin this as some sort of freakish anomaly, as the result of not having the right kind of Democrats in office. This is the only way the Democratic Party will ever operate. It's not broken, it's working exactly as it's meant to. | * | Left-wing Democrats who give the party the illusion of legitimac…
(2021-03-07). Dossier No. 38: Uncovering the crisis: Care work in the time of Coronavirus. mronline.org 
The pandemic has sharpened and transformed pre-existing inequalities, reconfiguring the processes that sustain and guarantee life.
(2021-03-07). COVID-19: Social murder, they wrote—elected, unaccountable, and unrepentant. mronline.org 
Murder is an emotive word. In law, it requires premeditation. Death must be deemed to be unlawful. How could "murder" apply to failures of a pandemic response? Perhaps it can't, and never will, but it is worth considering.
(2021-03-07). Covid-19: Britain's Muslims in the eye of the pandemic storm once again. middleeasteye.net 
Covid-19: Britain's Muslims in the eye of the pandemic storm once again | Muslim institutions in the UK struggle to survive a disproportionate death toll and lockdown-induced financial troubles | Sun, 03/07/2021 – 08: 06 | A member of mosque staff prays in the otherwise empty Noor Ul Islam Mosque on the day before Ramadan commences in the UK, in Bury, Greater Manchester (AFP) | On the firs…
(2021-03-07). Mumford & Sons banjo player deemed a 'Nazi sh**bag' for praising book condemning Antifa. rt.com 
The battle lines of the culture war get redrawn every day. In the latest development, Mumford & Sons banjo player Winston Marshall has now been deemed a "nazi," because he read, and enjoyed, a book critical of 'Antifa.' | Famed for their radio-friendly folk, Mumford & Sons seem a long way from jackbooted Nazis, but a tweet from banjo player Winston Marshall on Saturday changed that, at least in the minds of online leftists. Posting a photo of Portland journalist Andy Ngo's book 'Unmasked,' Marshall congratulated Ngo on his "important book," and called the independent reporter "a brave man." | Congratulations <...
(2021-03-07). Mumia's COVID-19 infection has been confirmed by prison doctors after initial denial. mronline.org 
Mumia Abu-Jamal must be hospitalized. He has tested positive for COVID-19 and isbeingwarehoused in a completely inadequate prison infirmary. Given his age, 67, his liver disease, and his blood-pressure challenges, Mumia's life is seriously in danger.
(2021-03-07). 'Used & betrayed': Pro-life Biden backers say he broke promise to hear them, ramrodded Covid bill with taxpayer-funded abortion. rt.com 
Pro-life Christians who chose to support Democrat Joe Biden in last November's election said they're feeling "betrayed" after the new president rammed through Covid-19 relief legislation that includes taxpayer-funded abortion. | The $1.9 trillion stimulus package that was passed on Saturday in a party-line vote by the US Senate would allow for billions of dollars to be spent on abortion. Democrats rejected a Republican effort to include the Hyde Amendment, as in previous Covid-19 relief bills, breaking with a 44-year-old policy of giving pro-life taxpayers the solace of knowing their tax dollars weren't spent…
(2021-03-07). Democrats turn on Arizona Sen. Sinema after her office frames criticism of her vote against $15 minimum wage as 'sexist'. rt.com 
Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona) has been raked over the Twitter coals after her spokesperson argued that it was sexist to ridicule her theatrical 'no' vote against hiking the minimum wage. | The lawmaker came under fire after she and seven of her Democratic colleagues voted with Republicans to shoot down an amendment to the recently-passed Covid-19 relief bill that would have increased the minimum wage to $15 an hour. | Sinema claimed she voted against the measure because she thought the issue should be more thoroughly debated in the Senate before being put to a vote. However, the way in which she voted dow…
(2021-03-07). 'Biden showers money on Americans'?! WaPo mocked for 'Dear Leader' vibes in Covid stimulus story. rt.com (2021-03-07). Covid-19: Israel begins loosening restrictions with 40 percent of country vaccinated. middleeasteye.net (2021-03-07). Why are hate crimes against Asian Americans on the rise? liberationnews.org (2021-03-07). Civil War 2.0. counterpunch.org (2021-03-07). The Byzantine Empire was Multicultural, So why are QAnon and White Supremacists Idolizing it? juancole.com (2021-03-07). This SNP claim may be electioneering, but it highlights the deplorable state of UK pensions. thecanary.co 
Washington Post has been mocked for an overly enthusiastic headline that called the coronavirus relief bill a "defining move" of Joe Biden's presidency, poised to "sharply" cut poverty by "showering money" on Americans. | After the Senate narrowly passed a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill on Saturday, and President Joe Biden promised that eligible Americans will start receiving their $1,400 stimulus checks from this month onwards, the Washington Post tried to explain that the massive rescue package is more than just about this modest handout. | t.co/pAsCyogPJv
Covid-19: Israel begins loosening restrictions with 40 percent of country vaccinated | Restaurants, bars and cafes are set to open to vaccinated 'green pass' holders | Sun, 03/07/2021 – 11: 30 | Attendees prepare to present their "green passes" (proof of being fully vaccinated against Covid-19) on arriving at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv on 5 March 2021 (AFP) | Israel began loosening Cov…
Over the past year, we have seen an alarming surge in racist violence directed toward Asian Americans.
On May 29, 2020, in the wake of the police murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, a Black Lives Matter (BLM) demonstration marched about a half-mile from Oakland's Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building. Around ten o'clock at night outside the federal building, as the protest continued close by, bullets spewed from a moving vehicle
By Roland Betancourt | — From Charlottesville to the Capitol, medieval imagery has been repeatedly on show at far-right rallies and riots in recent years. Displays of Crusader shields and tattoos derived from Norse and Celtic symbols are of little surprise to medieval historians like me who have long documented the appropriation of the Middle …
Believe in Scotland ( t.co/QZf1iAUoFg
(2021-03-07). Marr just witnessed a car crash. It was a Tory minister on NHS pay. thecanary.co 
The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday 7 March An insult?: | BBC News
(2021-03-07). #BlackLivesMatter — But to Whom? strategic-culture.org 
Western "big pharma" profit imperative and patent controls inevitably mean that poor countries will always be last on the list to receive supplies of vaccines on a consumer-commodity basis. The wealthier nations are as usual taking the lion's share. Some estimate that at present rate, it won't be until 2024 when African nations will be fully inoculated.
(2021-03-07). If We Want to Renew Democracy, We Need to Tax the Ultra-Wealthy. juancole.com 
By Madeleine Johnsson | — ( Inequality.org ) — Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Pramila Jayapal's Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act of 2021, introduced March 1, could not be a more timely reminder that the United States needs serious policy changes to address massive wealth and income inequality. While eight million Americans slipped into poverty and half …
(2021-03-07). New York Times mocked for attempting to downplay 2020 BLM protest violence as 'misinformation'. rt.com 
The New York Times has been lambasted online for bizarrely claiming that violence surrounding Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 was merely "misinformation" and likening it to Deep State conspiracy theories. | The Gray Lady's Jennifer Medina sought to unravel the mystery behind Latinos in the US voting Republican, in a Friday Medina teased out the motivations of Latino Republicans through a series of interviews, before attempting…
(2021-03-07). New York Times falsely claims last year's BLM violence was 'misinformation'. rt.com The New York Times has been lambasted online for bizarrely claiming that violence surrounding Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 was merely "misinformation" and likening it to Deep State conspiracy theories. | The Gray Lady's Jennifer Medina sought to unravel the mystery behind Latinos in the US voting Republican, in a Friday Medina teased out the motivations of Latino Republicans through a series of interviews, before attempting…
(2021-03-07). New York State legislative leaders say Cuomo 'MUST RESIGN' after embattled governor brands such demands 'ANTI-DEMOCRATIC'. rt.com 
Leaders of New York's Assembly and Senate called on Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign just hours after he said stepping down because of rising sexual-harassment allegations by former staffers would be "anti-Democratic." | New York Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who like Cuomo is a Democrat, said Sunday that with new accusers of Cuomo stepping forward seemingly every day and the governor embroiled in multiple scandals, focus is being drawn away from the business of government. "We need to govern without daily distraction," she said. "For the good of the state, Governor Cuomo must resign." | @Andre…
(2021-03-07). New York State legislative leaders say Cuomo 'MUST RESIGN' after embattled governor brands such demands 'ANTI-DEMOCRATIC'. rt.com Leaders of New York's Assembly and Senate called on Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign just hours after he said stepping down because of rising sexual-harassment allegations by former staffers would be "anti-Democratic." | New York Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who like Cuomo is a Democrat, said Sunday that with new accusers of Cuomo stepping forward seemingly every day and the governor embroiled in multiple scandals, focus is being drawn away from the business of government. "We need to govern without daily distraction," she said. "For the good of the state, Governor Cuomo must resign." | NEW: B…
(2021-03-07). Ex-Republican Senate candidate Witzke banned from Twitter after calling trans activist 'DEMONIC'. rt.com 
Lauren Witzke, a hardline right-winger who ran unsuccessfully for the US Senate in 2020, has been banned from Twitter. Her ban came after she called a trans activist "demonic" for suggesting that "little girls" can be "kinky." | Witzke's account was suspended on Sunday evening, and in a post to Telegram shortly afterwards, the former Senate candidate from Delaware revealed that her account had violated Twitter's rules against "hateful conduct." | Witzke's last tweet before her suspension was only one word long. Retweeting a post by an anti-trans feminist group that contained a quote by self-described "gender n…
(2021-03-07). Fraternity hazing victim's organs are being donated after extreme incident at Ohio university. rt.com 
The family of a 20-year-old Ohio university student has begun the process of donating his organs after an alleged hazing incident involving alcohol forced the young man onto life support. | The student has been identified as 20-year Stone Foltz who was hospitalized after an off-campus Pi Kappa Alpha event Thursday near Bowling Green State University. Foltz remains in critical condition and on life support having been airlifted to ProMedica Toledo Hospital. | "Not all the facts are out yet, the investigation is obviously ongoing. I'm sure the university and police are doing their investigations which takes time…
(2021-03-07). TWO MORE former aides accuse New York Governor Andrew Cuomo of sexual misconduct. rt.com 
Two more women have come forward with allegations of inappropriate workplace treatment by Governor Andrew Cuomo, bringing the total number of accusers in the escalating sexual misconduct scandal to five. | Ana Liss, 35, who served as Cuomo's policy and operations aide between 2013 and 2015,
(2021-03-07). Biden's Commerce Secretary is Pure Clintonism. counterpunch.org 
Last Sunday, Marie Franco stood at the rear of a Rhode Island state prison building, cradling the portrait of her son Jose, who died needlessly while incarcerated due to contracting COVID-19. As we consider the well-manicured, PR-friendly profile of the subject at hand, keep in mind that Franco's death was caused by this politician's decisions,