2020-03-24: News Headlines

RT (2020-03-24). President Rouhani says about half of Iran's state workers are staying home. rt.com Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday about half of all government employees were staying at home as part of measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak. | Another measure to contain the outbreak, the temporary release of prisoners, will be extended until the end of the current Iranian month of Farvardin, about April 18, he said, according to state TV. | Iran is one of the hardest hit countries outside China. The country's death toll from the coronavirus outbreak increased by 122 in the past 24 hours to 1,934, Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said on Tuesday. | The total number of people…

Binoy Kampmark (2020-03-24). Business as Usual: Coronavirus, Iran and US Sanctions. dissidentvoice.org Never discount the importance of venality in international relations. While pandemics should provide the glue for a unified front in response — we keep being told of fighting this horrendous "invisible enemy" — it's business as usual in other respects. The United States, with a disparate, confused medical system that risks being overwhelmed, remains committed …

sputniknews (2020-03-24). 'We'll Defeat Coronavirus': International Cartoon Festival on Fight Against COVID-19 Held by Iran. sputniknews.com Cartoonists from more than 50 countries have joined a virtual contest held by Iran, entitled "We'll Defeat Coronavirus".

Zero Hedge (2020-03-24). UK, Europe & IMF Ramp Up Pressure For Trump To Ease Sanctions On Virus-Ravaged Iran. iranian.com Reports and in some cases video began emerging last week of mass shipments of humanitarian supplies being halted and grounded by skittish EU countries worried about violating US-led sanctions on Iran. This as Iranian leaders have lashed out at Washington for ensuring a worsening coronavirus death toll through its "inhuman" sanctions. But the White House has also …

Aaron Maté (2020-03-23). Trump intensifies murderous Iran sanctions during COVID-19 crisis. thegrayzone.com As Iran struggles to contain COVID-19, the US has imposed new sanctions that further weaken the Iranian economy and health…

The Canary (2020-03-23). Coronavirus: Latest updates from across the world. thecanary.co Covid-19 has infected hundreds of thousands of people across the globe.Here are the latest updates: — IRANIran has reported another 127 coronavirus-related deaths, bringing its toll to 1,812 amid 23,049 confirmed cases.Iran is battling the worst outbreak in the Middle East, and has faced criticism for not imposing stricter quarantine measures early on. It is also suffering under severe American sanctions imposed after President Donald Trump withdrew the US from Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.(PA Graphics)— SWITZERLANDThe World Health Organisation (WHO) said criminals are increasingly posing…

Whitney Webb (2020-03-23). Coronavirus: What Newsweek Failed to Mention About "Continuity of Government" mintpressnews.com Though often discussed in relation to nuclear war or a similarly chaotic scenario, "continuity of government" plans can be triggered even by popular, nonviolent opposition to an unpopular war abroad. It exists solely to keep the current system in place, regardless of the cost.

teleSUR (2020-03-23). EU Supports Iran, Venezuela Bids for IMF COVID-19 Funds. telesurenglish.net Foreign Ministers of the European Union (EU) supported Monday Iran and Venezuela's requests for financial aid to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to fight the coronavirus pandemic. | RELATED: | "We are going to support this request because these countries are in a very difficult situation mainly due to the U.S. sanctions that prevent them from having income by selling their oil," EU Foreign Affairs Chief Josep Borrell said at a vi…

Annelle Sheline (2020-03-23). The Coronavirus Exposes the Foolishness of the US Sanctions Policy. thenation.com The Coronavirus Exposes the Foolishness of the US Sanctions Policy…

commondreams (2020-03-23). Nuclear Lobby's Coronavirus Cash Grab is Shameless. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Andrea Germanos & Jon Queally, staff writers (2020-03-23). Nuclear Industry Effort to Exploit Coronavirus Crisis for Backdoor Bailout Decried as 'Disaster Capitalism at its Worst'. commondreams.org "The nuclear industry begged for a bailout last fall and is now using coronavirus to try and brazenly grab more cash," warned Friends of the Earth. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/three_mile_island_-_gettyimages-110954022_0_0.jpg

Massoud Shadjareh (2020-03-23). Punishing sanctions against Iran are turning the coronavirus pandemic into a massacre. iranian.com Coronavirus is a crisis. In Iran, it's a massacre – because of Trump's sanctions. Even before COVID-19, these sanctions were recognised by Human Rights Watch as undermining access to healthcare. The virus has taken lives globally but in Iran it has been particularly shocking, with hospital beds in parking lots and mass graves visible from space. Hundreds of lives have been …

Manouchehr Hosseinzadeh (2020-03-23). The Charlatan and the Villager. iranian.com The despicable Mr. Charlatan is known to all of us, he is the deceiving, conniving, scandalous, and cruel bully whose greed is limitless and his shame none. He is the man of all trades but skilled in nothing, claims to knowledge that he doesn't have, and witnesses to events that hasn't happened. He doesn't care …

The Iranian (2020-03-23). Goes to show the level of hubris and profound BS of Western produced statistics. iranian.com

Juan Cole (2020-03-22). As US Pulls Military Trainers from Iraq, will the Coronavirus Finally End America's Forever Wars? iranian.com Will the coronavirus result in the second withdrawal of US troops from Iraq? There is an increasing question of whether the some 5,000 US military personnel there can be protected from the outbreak if they remain in that country. In any case, many of those servicemen are involved in training Iraqi troops, and the Baghdad …

Tasnim News (2020-03-22). Official: Upward Trend in Coronavirus Cases in Tehran Stops. iranian.com Governor of Tehran Province said the rising trend in the new cases of COVID-19 in the Iranian province has stopped. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Anushirvan Mohseni said the growing trend in the coronavirus cases in the province of Tehran has stopped. While the growth rate of new infections on March 19 stood at 7 …

IRNA (2020-03-22). Pakistan PM once again asks Trump to lift Iran sanctions. iranian.com Prime Minister of Pakistan who believes that US sanctions against Iran are cruel and unfair has once again called upon Donald Trump to lift economic sanctions from the Islamic Republic. Imran Khan in a tweet on Sunday said the people of Iran are facing untold suffering as sanctions are crippling Iran's efforts to fight COVID19. …

IRNA (2020-03-21). Qatar's 2nd medical shipment arrives in Tehran. iranian.com Second anti-COVID19 consignment donated by Qatari government arrived in Imam Khomeini International Airport in the capital on Friday to help Iran's fight against coronavirus outbreak. Based on the coordination between Iran and Qatar's governments and follow-ups made by Iran's Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian as Iranian head of Iran-Qatar Joint Economic Cooperation Commission, Tehran received second …

Al Jazeera (2020-03-21). Delicious: Najmieh Batmanglij transforms Iran's national dish into a pizza. iranian.com Ghormeh sabzi on a pizza? Yara convinced the goddess of Iranian cuisine, Najmieh Batmanglij, to transform Iran's national dish into a pizza … with tons of cheese! Was it a delicacy or a disaster? Watch to find out.

Reza Amin (2020-03-21). Nowruz: The world keeps burning, but it keeps on turning. iranian.com Happy Iranian New Year, it's 1399! last year didn't end so well, but don't complete your 14th century on a lousy note! The 15th century is around the corner, and there is so much to look forward to. Enjoy your holiday, like all of Iran, then get back to work, and remember… Iranians have survived …

Gareth Porter (2020-03-20). Pompeo and Netanyahu paved a path to war with Iran, and they're pushing Trump again. thegrayzone.com Though it narrowly averted war with Iran this January, the Trump administration is still pushing for all-out military conflict. The…

Aaron Maté (2020-03-20). Expert: US sanctions on Iran, Venezuela during pandemic could be genocidal. thegrayzone.com Intensified US sanctions on Iran, Venezuela during the COVID-19 pandemic could amount to genocide, a former UN expert warns. Iran…

The Iranian (2020-03-20). Happy Nowruz! نوروزتان مبارک. iranian.com

Staff (2020-03-19). Headlines for March 19, 2020. democracynow.org Italy Records Record 475 Coronavirus Deaths as Infections Continue Climbing, British PM Boris Johnson Closes Schools After Reversing Lax Virus Containment Plan, Millions of Brazilians Protest from Windows and Balconies Demanding President's Ouster, World Health Organization Warns Critical Lack of Testing Is Costing Lives, Egypt Arrests Protesters Calling for Release of Prisoners at Risk of COVID-19, Yemen, Already Wracked by U.S.-Supported, Saudi-Led War, Braces for Coronavirus, Trump Admin Tightens Sanctions That Have Devastated Iran's Public Health System, Trump Signs Coronavirus Relief Bill Providing Paid Leav…

Sputnik News (2020-03-19). US Aims to 'Maximize Suffering' With Iran Sanctions as Outbreak Deepens — Scholar. iranian.com On Tuesday, the US added even more sanctions on Iran, which is in the midst of a severe COVID-19 outbreak. US sanctions were already killing the sick in Iran even before the pandemic, but one Iranian scholar told Sputnik the bigger problem is regional poverty, which is also largely Washington's doing. US Secretary of State …

Sputnik News (2020-03-19). Iranian Doctors Urge Neighbours to Liquidate Any US Biological Labs Amid Coronavirus Fears. iranian.com With over 17,300 cases and 1,135 deaths to date, Iran has been one of the countries hit hardest by COVID-19, with the virus affecting not only the population at large, but a big portion of the political elite as well. Last week, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said there was evidence that the pandemic may have …

IRNA (2020-03-19). China, France send anti-Coronavirus aid to Iran. iranian.com Beijing Municipality sent 30 tons of medical and healthcare items to Iran in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The donation has been sent to the capital city of Tehran by 11 trucks. Thanking China for the measure, Tehran Mayor Pirouz Hanachi called for mutual cooperation in various areas. France sends medical aid …

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 …

Roy M Anderson, Hans Heesterbeek, Don Klinkenberg, T Déirdre Hollingsworth (2020-03-09). [Comment] How will country-based mitigation measures influence the course of the COVID-19 epidemic? thelancet.com Governments will not be able to minimise both deaths from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the economic impact of viral spread. Keeping mortality as low as possible will be the highest priority for individuals; hence governments must put in place measures to ameliorate the inevitable economic downturn. In our view, COVID-19 has developed into a pandemic, with small chains of transmission in many countries and large chains resulting in extensive spread in a few countries, such as Italy, Iran, South Korea, and Japan.

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 …

Strategic Culture (2020-02-08). US Deploys 'Mini-Nukes' in Deplorable Threat to World Peace. theantimedia.com These so-called "mini-nukes" represent—despite the diminutive-sounding name—an increased risk of nuclear war.

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…

Jason Ditz (2020-02-05). Trump Says War With Iran Was "Closer Than You Thought" Last Month. theantimedia.com Trump told reporters that the U.S. came "closer than you thought" to war with Iran last month.

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 …

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 …