Amid war threats, Washington blocks UN resolution demanding end to sanctions
wsws.org | 2020-04-04
The Trump administration has brushed aside calls for an end to punishing sanctions against Venezuela and Iran, threatening both countries with military aggression.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/04/unsa-a04.html

'We Will Not Sit Back and Let Transit Workers Be Treated Like Cannon Fodder'
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2020-04-04
'We Will Not Sit Back and Let Transit Workers Be Treated Like Cannon Fodder'…
thenation.com/article/activism/public-transportation-worker-covid/

Iran's coronavirus death toll rises to 3,452
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-04
Iran's death toll from the coronavirus outbreak climbed to 3,452 on Saturday, with 158 more fatalities recorded over the past 24 hours, Health Ministry Spokesman Kianoush Jahanpur said.The total number of cases diagnosed with the disease reached 55,743, of whom 4,103 are in critical condition, he said on state TV. Iran is the country worst affected by the pandemic in the Middle East.
yenisafak.com/en/world/irans-coronavirus-death-toll-rises-to-3452-3515954

Coronavirus worldwide death toll surpasses 60,000
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-04
The global death toll from coronavirus crossed 60,000 on Saturday, according to figures compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.The virus known as COVID-19, which emerged in Wuhan, China last December, has spread to at least 181 countries and regions around the globe, while confirmed cases have exceeded 1.1 million.With the exact number of deaths at 60,115, more than 233,000 people diagnosed with the virus globally have recovered.Italy, Spain, China, and Iran continue to be the most affected countries.The U.S. has reported the most number of cases

'He's Got Eight Numbers, Just Like Everybody Else': An Anti-Nuclear Activist Behind Bars
Kathy Kelly | commondreams.org | 2020-04-03
Ideally, nuclear weapon arsenals will be recognized as a crazed burden we must finally shed if we've any hope of surviving our past recklessness. (Photo: A B53 nuclear bomb at the Pantex facility in Texas/NNSA/flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/nukebomb_0_1.jpeg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/04/03/hes-got-eight-numbers-just-everybody-else-anti-nuclear-activist-behind-bars?cd-origin=rss

"He's Got Eight Numbers, Just Like Everybody Else"
Kathy Kelly | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-04-03
On April 4, 2020, my friend Steve Kelly will begin a third year of imprisonment in Georgia's Glynn County jail. He turned 70 while in prison, and while he has served multiple prison sentences for protesting nuclear weapons, spending two years in a county jail is unusual even for him. Yet he adamantly urges supporters …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/04/hes-got-eight-numbers-just-like-everybody-else/

In one stunning sentence, Noam Chomsky nails the most overlooked element of the pandemic
Tracy Keeling | thecanary.co | 2020-04-03
Renowned US intellectual, author, and commentator Noam Chomsky addressed the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic in a recent interview. Amid a global panic over the disease, he nailed the most overlooked element of the emergency. | Crucially, he pointed out that though coronavirus "can have terrifying consequences" there "will be recovery". But there are other threats

Iranian student volunteers disinfect passing cars against COVID-19 in Shiraz (Photos)
Mehr News | iranian.com | 2020-04-03
To combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, the students in Shiraz, Fars province Province, have formed small groups disinfecting passing cars.
iranian.com/2020/04/02/student-volunteers-disinfect-passing-cars-against-covid-19-in-shiraz/

Iran Reports Drop in New Virus Infections
Tasnim News | iranian.com | 2020-04-03
Iranian Health Ministry spokesman Kianoosh Jahanpoor said on Friday that the total number of coronavirus cases in the country has reached 53,183. "With 134 new deaths in the past 24 hours, the death toll from the virus has reached 3,294. Unfortunately, we had 2,715 new cases since yesterday," Jahanpoor said on state TV. He also …
iranian.com/2020/04/03/iran-reports-drop-in-new-virus-infections/

Bernie Sanders Calls for 'Boldest Legislation in History' to Halt Spiraling Covid-19 Catastrophe
Eoin Higgins, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-04-03
"In this unprecedented moment in modern American history, it is imperative that we respond in an unprecedented way." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bernie_sanders_iran_trump_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/04/03/bernie-sanders-calls-boldest-legislation-history-halt-spiraling-covid-19-catastrophe?cd-origin=rss

'People Should Not Be Forced to Put Their Lives on the Line to Vote'
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2020-04-02
'People Should Not Be Forced to Put Their Lives on the Line to Vote'…
thenation.com/article/politics/wisconsin-democratic-primary/

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has tested positive for COVID-19
Sputnik News | iranian.com | 2020-04-02
Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has tested positive for COVID-19, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) reported on Thursday, citing the parliament's public relations department. Larijani, tested due to having some of the coronavirus symptoms, has been quarantined and is receiving treatment, IRIB added. Earlier, Iran's Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi, Vice President for …
iranian.com/2020/04/02/iranian-parliament-speaker-ali-larijani-has-tested-positive-for-covid-19/

Biden walks balance between relaxation of sanctions & continuing maximum pressure
Joe Biden | iranian.com | 2020-04-02
Statement from Vice President Joe Biden on Sanctions Relief During COVID-19 In times of global crisis, America should lead. We should be the first to offer help to people who are hurting or in danger. That's who we are. That's who we've always been. And, in the midst of this deadly pandemic that respects no …
iranian.com/2020/04/02/biden-walks-balance-between-relaxation-of-sanctions-continuing-maximum-pressure/

US wrong if it thinks virus will stop China in Iran: Analysis
Press TV | iranian.com | 2020-04-01
China's long-running pursuit of infrastructure projects in Iran is set to continue despite intensified US sanctions as the Islamic Republic battles the novel coronavirus, analysts say. China is Iran's largest crude oil customer and a top trade partner. It regards the Middle Eastern powerhouse a key destination in China's trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative involving …
iranian.com/2020/04/01/us-wrong-if-it-thinks-virus-will-stop-china-in-iran-analysis/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

[Correspondence] The global community needs to swiftly ramp up the response to contain COVID-19
Dale Fisher, Annelies Wilder-Smith | thelancet.com | 2020-03-19
"Much of the global community is not yet ready for COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]".1 This is arguably one of the most resonating phrases in the Report of the WHO-China Joint Mission on Coronavirus Disease 2019,1 released publicly on Feb 28, 2020. Major transmission hotspots were brought under control in China, but subsequently others sprouted across the globe. Since late February, 2020, the daily number of new cases has been higher in other parts of the world. New major epicentres have established in South Korea, Japan, Iran, and Italy.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30679-6/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.