2020-04-04: News Headlines

WSWS (2020-04-04). Amid war threats, Washington blocks UN resolution demanding end to sanctions. wsws.org The Trump administration has brushed aside calls for an end to punishing sanctions against Venezuela and Iran, threatening both countries with military aggression.

John Nichols (2020-04-04). 'We Will Not Sit Back and Let Transit Workers Be Treated Like Cannon Fodder'. thenation.com 'We Will Not Sit Back and Let Transit Workers Be Treated Like Cannon Fodder'

yenisafak (2020-04-04). Coronavirus worldwide death toll surpasses 60,000. yenisafak.com 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

yenisafak (2020-04-04). Iran's coronavirus death toll rises to 3,452. yenisafak.com 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.

Kathy Kelly (2020-04-03). 'He's Got Eight Numbers, Just Like Everybody Else': An Anti-Nuclear Activist Behind Bars. commondreams.org 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

Kathy Kelly (2020-04-03). "He's Got Eight Numbers, Just Like Everybody Else" dissidentvoice.org 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 …

Tracy Keeling (2020-04-03). In one stunning sentence, Noam Chomsky nails the most overlooked element of the pandemic. thecanary.co 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 — the climate crisis and nuclear war — where recovery is impossible if we don't tackle them urgently.coronavirus… can have terrifying consequences, but there will be recovery, while the [other threats], there won't be recovery, it's finished…

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2020-04-03). Bernie Sanders Calls for 'Boldest Legislation in History' to Halt Spiraling Covid-19 Catastrophe. commondreams.org "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

Tasnim News (2020-04-03). Iran Reports Drop in New Virus Infections. iranian.com 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 …

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

John Nichols (2020-04-02). 'People Should Not Be Forced to Put Their Lives on the Line to Vote'. thenation.com 'People Should Not Be Forced to Put Their Lives on the Line to Vote'

Sputnik News (2020-04-02). Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has tested positive for COVID-19. iranian.com 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 …

Joe Biden (2020-04-02). Biden walks balance between relaxation of sanctions & continuing maximum pressure. iranian.com 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 …

Zero Hedge (2020-04-01). Trump Warns 'Iran Sneak Attack' Coming — Tehran To Pay "Very Heavy Price" iranian.com For the US administration, it appears now is as good a time as any to start a major proxy war with Iran inside Iraq. Or perhaps the distraction of yet another Middle East war is just what the doctor neocons ordered at a moment the United States and the world for that matter faces its biggest crisis …

Press TV (2020-04-01). US wrong if it thinks virus will stop China in Iran: Analysis. iranian.com 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 …

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

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 …

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

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). 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 …

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 …

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 …

Dale Fisher, Annelies Wilder-Smith (2020-03-19). [Correspondence] The global community needs to swiftly ramp up the response to contain COVID-19. thelancet.com "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.

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …