(2021-05-08). Fiji government scrambles to contain COVID-19 outbreak. wsws.org The emergence and rapid spread of the Indian COVID-19 variant in the southwest Pacific further demonstrates how vulnerable the world remains to the pandemic.
(2021-05-08). Financialized Capitalism in India. dissidentvoice.org 
India — gripped by the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic — has been endlessly witnessing desperate scrambles for hospital beds, the dire need for oxygen and mass cremation. Amid all this, the stock market is booming. In fact, Mumbai Sensex has signaled that bullish trends have been on the rise. Over the year ending …
(2021-05-08). Vaccination Drive Smooth Sailing Affair in Delhi Despite Fight for Slots to Register – Video. sputniknews.com After holding a series of meetings over India's response to record daily surges in Covid cases, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month announced the opening up of vaccination for everyone above age 18 from 1 May.
(2021-05-08). COVID-19 daily death toll in Iran stands at 283. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 08 (MNA) — The coronavirus pandemic claimed 283 lives in Iran over the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry announced.
(2021-05-08). Iran to import large number of Chinese Covid-19 vaccines. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 08 (MNA) — Following the held talks between Iranian FM Zarif and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Iran is to import a large number of Covid-19 vaccines from China.
(2021-05-08). "Covo-Pasteur", "Barakat" vaccine to hit market soon: Rouhani. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 08 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that two domestically-produced COVID-19 vaccines, 'Covo-Pasteur' and 'Covo-Barakat', will hit the domestic market in very near future.
(2021-05-08). Sri Lanka: Stop the criminal mishandling of the pandemic! Lockdown the country with full compensation to those affected! wsws.org The Rajapakse government's criminal policies have led to a new deadly surge of the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2021-05-08). [Editorial] India's COVID-19 emergency. thelancet.com The scenes of suffering in India are hard to comprehend. As of May 4, more than 20 ∑2 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported, with a rolling average of 378‚Äà000 cases a day, together with more than 222‚Äà000 deaths, which experts believe are likely to be substantial underestimates. Hospitals are overwhelmed, and health workers are exhausted and becoming infected. Social media is full of desperate people (doctors and the public) seeking medical oxygen, hospital beds, and other necessities. Yet before the second wave of cases of COVID-19 began to mount in early March, I…
(2021-05-08). What can the UN do to support India through its deadly COVID-19 surge? news.un.org The UN is at the forefront of efforts to help India extricate itself from the almost unimaginable scale of suffering its citizens are undergoing, as a result of a devastating wave of COVID-19 infections. Earlier this week, UN News spoke to the country chiefs based in India, for the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Children's Fund, to get their take on the crisis. Here are some key excerpts from the interviews.
(2021-05-08). The Spoils of War: Afghanistan's Multibillion Dollar Heroin Trade. globalresearch.ca Since the US led invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001, the Golden Crescent opium trade has soared. According to the US media, this lucrative contraband is protected by Osama, the Taliban, not to mention, of course, the regional warlords, in defiance of the "international community".
(2021-05-08). Taliban strongly condemns deadly explosions in W Kabul. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 08 (MNA) — Taliban Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid condemned today's deadly bomb blasts hit western Afghanistan capital Kabul on Sat. and blamed ISIL Takfiri terrorists as the main cause behind the explosions in the capital.
(2021-05-08). Indian medical staff indict Modi government, authorities for catastrophic mishandling of pandemic. wsws.org "A death due to oxygen shortages is not a coronavirus death but criminal social murder by the Modi government," an Indian doctor told the WSWS.
(2021-05-08). The Indian ruling elite's criminal response to the pandemic—a global catastrophe. wsws.org Whilst the mass of the population is condemned to want, hunger and death, a tiny minority gorge on wealth that would put the Mughals or even the more rapacious British colonial East India Company to shame.
(2021-05-08). Tuesday 5/11: STOP The Madness-Speakout At Japanese Consulate Against Olympics In Japan During Pandemic. indybay.org San Francisco Japanese Consulate | 275 Battery St/California St. | San Francisco…
(2021-05-08). 'New Central Park Karen' Swipes Black Woman's Charger, Tells Cops She's Being 'Threatened' and 'Beaten.' Video Shows She Lied. theroot.com 
First, let me just say that I refuse to call this one a "Karen." The internet has already dubbed her the "New Central Park Karen"—meaning she's the uninspired sequel to
(2021-05-08). The Xinjiang genocide determination as agenda. mronline.org 
Because of the world's fundamental interconnectedness, the increasingly Cold War-like relations between The West and China have negative consequences for both systems and for the rest of the world. | May 8, 2021…
(2021-05-08). Take Action! #SaveSheikhJarrah and Defend Jerusalem: Boycott Israel, Support Palestinian Resistance. samidoun.net 
As we approach the 73rd anniversary of the Nakba, the Zionist colonization of Palestine and the forced expulsion of Palestinians, the Nakba is continuing. This is apparent everywhere in Palestine, but perhaps is most clear in the heart of Jerusalem, Palestine's capital: in Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan, where Palestinian families are being threatened with imminent expulsion from their homes and lands by the Israeli regime and its colonial settlers, as they refuse to concede their lives to racist Zionist colonialism. Palestinians in Jerusalem are under attack on multiple levels, defending their land, city and identity…
(2021-05-08). The Heat: China leads multilateralism talks at UN. america.cgtn.com 
The United Nations Security Council met in New York on Friday to discuss joint efforts to combat global challenges. The virtual gathering, chaired by Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, sought to reaffirm support for multilateralism — nation's working together — and to …
(2021-05-08). Suicide Drone Hit Large Base Hosting US Troops In Western Iraq. southfront.org 
Illustrative image, source: the Houthis media wing | Early on May 8th, a suicide drone struck Ain al-Assad Air Base, where US are known to be deployed, in the western Iraqi province of al-Anbar. | In an official statement, Colonel Wayne Marotto, a spokesman for the US-led coalition, said that an aircraft hangar was damaged as a result of the drone strike. The spokesman noted that there were no human losses."The attack is under investigation," Col. Marotto said. "Each attack against the GoI [Government of Iraq],…
(2021-05-08). ISIS Executed Tribal Fighters In Egypt, Intelligence Operatives In Iraq (18+ Video, Photo). southfront.org 
File image. | ISIS terrorists has executed four men in Egypt and Iraq after accusing them of fighting or spying for their respective countries. | On May 7, the terrorist group's news agency, Amaq, released a video showing the execution of two men in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. According to the group's claims, the men were fighters in a tribal force loyal to the government. | Both men were shot in the head. ISIS claimed that the execution took place near the town of al-Amal to the southeast of the city of Arish. |
(2021-05-08). Armed Militants Stormed Headquarters Of Libyan Interim Government. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On May 7th, armed militants stormed headquarters of the Libyan Interim Government. They attacked the Corinthia Hotel in the Libyan capital Tripoli, where the Presidential Council met yesterday. | Presidential council spokeswoman Najwa Wahiba confirmed that armed men had stormed "one of the headquarters where the council meets." She also claimed that nobody from the council was in the building at the time as the body does not work on Fridays. | Later, a senior official at the pr…
(2021-05-08). Greater Idlib: Clashes Reported Following Attack On Turkish Military Convoy. southfront.org 
Turkish forces are seen near Mount Barsaya, northeast of Afrin, Syria January 23, 2018. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi | Early on May 8, a convoy of the Turkish Armed Forces came under attack in the eastern countryside of Idlib in Syria's northwestern region. | The convoy was hit by an improvised explosive device while passing on a road linking the towns of Ma'arrat Mirin and Ram Hamadan. According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the attack resulted in a number of injuries. | Opposition sourc…
(2021-05-08). Al-Qaeda-Linked Terrorists Targeted Syrian Army In Southern Idlib With Improvised Cannon (Photos). southfront.org 
A patch of Ansar al-Tawhid, illustrative image. | On May 8, al-Qaeda-affiliated Ansar al-Tawhid targeted an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) launcher of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in the town of Maarrat Mukhs in the southern Idlib countryside. | Ansar al-Tawhid terrorists targeted the ATGM launcher with an improvised cannon known as
(2021-05-08). Massacre In Kabul: At Least 40 Killed In Girl School Bombing (Video). southfront.org 
Screen grab from TOLO News video. | At least 40 people were killed on May 8 when three explosions rocked the Sayed ul Shuhada school to the west of the Afghan capital Kabul. | The first explosion was caused by a booby-trapped car. Later, two rockets landed near the school, which hosts mostly female students. | A spokesman for the Interior Ministry, Tariq Arian, said that 25 people were killed. However, Ghulam Dastagir Nazari, a spokesman for the Health Ministry, put the death toll at 46 people. Most of the victims…
(2021-05-08). Massive Fire Broke Out Near Key Iranian Nuclear Reactor, Major Oil Export Port (Video). southfront.org 
Screen grab from one of the fire videos. | Late on May 7, a massive fire broke out in the Iranian city of Bushehr, where a nuclear plant, an oil port and a military naval base are located. | Residents of Bushehr were quick to upload footage of the fire, which spread near the entrance of the city's main port, to social media | According to the Fars News Agency, fifteen firefighters, six trucks and a tanker were mobilized to face the massive fire, which was put down within two hours. No human losses were reported. | T…
(2021-05-08). Military Situation In Yemen On May 8, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On May 7, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 10 airstrikes on the Sarwah area | On May 7, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 2 airstrikes on the Madghal area | On May 7, people in the Ansar Allah controlled areas held massive demonstrations on the occasion of Quds day in support of Palestine | On May 7, clashes between Ansar Allah an Saudi-led forces were reported in Asdas area | On May 8, Ansar Allah reportedly attacked Khamis Mushait with a drone | On May 8, clashes…
(2021-05-08). Leading Yasen-M Nuclear Submarine Entered Service With Russian Navy. southfront.org 
Yasen-M class nuclear attack submarine Kazan | On May 7th, the nuclear submarine "Kazan" has been taken into service with Russian Navy, according to the information department of the Russian Defense Ministry. "Today in Severodvinsk at the Sevmash enterprise under the leadership of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Nikolai Evmenov, a solemn ceremony of admission to the Navy of the fourth generation Kazan nuclear submarine (APC) of the Yasen-M project was held," the department reported. | On May 5, the…
(2021-05-08). Military Situation In Syria On May 8, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On May 8, Russia reported that Idlib militants violated the ceasefire regime in Greater Idlib 52 times: 24 — in Idlib province, 17 — in Latakia province, 9 — in Hama province, 2 — in Aleppo province | On May 7, SAA artillery shelled positions of Turkish-backed forces in the Ariha area | On May 7, Turkish border guards reportedly killed a fisherman near Darkush town | On May 6, US forces carried out a military patrol near the town of Malekiyah | MORE O…
(2021-05-08). Islamic Ummah urged to stand by inhabitants of al-Quds. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 08 (MNA) — A senior member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement called on the Islamic Ummah to stand by the residents of al-Quds and Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in Palestine.
(2021-05-08). VIDEO: Zionists attack Palestine worshipers at Al-Aqsa Mosque. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 08 (MNA) — The Zionists attacked the worshipers last night with sound bombs, tear gas and plastic bullets while the Palestinians were praying in Al-Aqsa Mosque.
(2021-05-08). Divest in Israel's Elbit on Tohono O'odham Nation and in Palestine. indybay.org The 'Divest in Elbit' panel today reveals the surveillance and weapons of the Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems, targeting Tohono O'odham and Palestinians, by way of U.S. contracts and funding, violating human rights and international law.
(2021-05-08). Video: The Al Qaeda Affiliated "Moderate Opposition" in Northern Syria. globalresearch.ca Visit and follow us on Instagram at @crg_globalresearch. As soon as …
(2021-05-08). White Helmets corruption scandal deepens: Dutch gov't investigated parent org for fraud, but covered it up. thegrayzone.com The Netherlands investigated fraud by the Mayday Rescue Foundation, which funded the Syrian White Helmets with over $120 million in Western government contracts. But top Dutch officials covered up the corruption. The decade-long dirty war on Syria proved to be a cash cow for some of the most prominent US and UK regime-change operatives. Western government contractors got hundreds of millions of dollars to run schemes to destabilize Damascus —— and some of them took a cut for themselves, profiting …
(2021-05-08). United States Withdraws From Afghanistan? Not Really. zcomm.org The U.S. will "withdraw," but will also leave behind its assets to checkmate China and Russia. These geopolitical considerations eclipse any concern for the Afghan people…
(2021-05-08). [Editorial] India's COVID-19 emergency. thelancet.com The scenes of suffering in India are hard to comprehend. As of May 4, more than 20 ∑2 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported, with a rolling average of 378‚Äà000 cases a day, together with more than 222‚Äà000 deaths, which experts believe are likely to be substantial underestimates. Hospitals are overwhelmed, and health workers are exhausted and becoming infected. Social media is full of desperate people (doctors and the public) seeking medical oxygen, hospital beds, and other necessities. Yet before the second wave of cases of COVID-19 began to mount in early March, I…
(2021-05-08). Suicide Drone Hit Large Base Hosting US Troops In Western Iraq. southfront.org Illustrative image, source: the Houthis media wing | Early on May 8th, a suicide drone struck Ain al-Assad Air Base, where US are known to be deployed, in the western Iraqi province of al-Anbar. | In an official statement, Colonel Wayne Marotto, a spokesman for the US-led coalition, said that an aircraft hangar was damaged as a result of the drone strike. The spokesman noted that there were no human losses."The attack is under investigation," Col. Marotto said. "Each attack against the GoI [Government of Iraq],…
(2021-05-08). Suicide Drone Hit Large Base Hosting US Troops In Western Iraq. southfront.org Illustrative image, source: the Houthis media wing | Early on May 8th, a suicide drone struck Ain al-Assad Air Base, where US are known to be deployed, in the western Iraqi province of al-Anbar. | In an official statement, Colonel Wayne Marotto, a spokesman for the US-led coalition, said that an aircraft hangar was damaged as a result of the drone strike. The spokesman noted that there were no human losses."The attack is under investigation," Col. Marotto said. "Each attack against the GoI [Government of Iraq], KRG [t…
(2021-05-08). Naxalism: The Red Terror In India — Analysis. eurasiareview.com Introduction: | The word Naxal comes from the village of Naxalbari in West Bengal, which was the site of the Naxalite peasant revolt in 1967. Naxalists believe in uprooting the discriminative system of haves and have not and create a society of equality based on the ideology of Karl Marx. Its epicenter was in West Bengal but rapidly it spread into other states of India such as Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana through the activities of underground groups like the Communist Party of India (Maoist). Also Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district is highly affected by the Naxalists. | Types o…
(2021-05-08). WHO Says Up to 194 Members to Decide on Taiwanese Observership at World Health Assembly. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON, May 8 (Sputnik) – It is up to the 194 member states of the World Health Organization to decide on whether to extend an invitation to Taiwan to participate in the World Health Assembly, according to WHO.
(2021-05-08). Blast Near School in Kabul Reportedly Leaves At Least 40 Dead, Dozens Injured. sputniknews.com This comes after US and NATO ground forces started withdrawing from Afghanistan on 1 May in accordance with an announcement made by President Biden last month.
(2021-05-08). Re-Engaging Russia — OpEd. eurasiareview.com Russian realignment offers the biggest opportunity to dramatically transform the international situation in the immediate future. A cooperative relationship between Russia and the Industrialized World could be a highly visible example of democratic development, strongly undercutting Chinese promotion of autocracy and minimizing cyber intrusions. It would also significantly reduce requirements for military forces, including a potential for major reductions in nuclear weapons. Diplomatically, collaboration with Russia could help resolve confrontations in Afghanistan, Venezuela, Ukraine, Belarus, Syria and Myanma…
(2021-05-08). Kabul school bombing condemned by senior UN officials. news.un.org Saturday's deadly bombing outside a high school in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, has been condemned by leading UN officials. The attack led to the deaths of at least 30 people, including several schoolchildren.
(2021-05-08). NATO Looking to Support the Afghan Military After Withdrawal. news.antiwar.com As NATO is pulling troops out of Afghanistan, "The drawdown of the NATO troops, the end of the Resolute Support Mission, is not the end to our partnership with Afghanistan, it's actually opening up a new chapter and we are now looking into how we can continue to provide support," "We are lookin…
(2021-05-08). Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and New Zealand. wsws.org Korea: Renault Samsung autoworkers locked out; Bangladeshi transport workers demand food assistance; Australian broadband network technicians walk off.
(2021-05-08). Appalling surge of anti-Asian violence—with historic roots. nationofchange.org If ferocity against law-abiding citizens doesn't quality as anti-American terrorism, the term needs rethinking.
(2021-05-08). Magnitude 3.7 Earthquake Hits Southern New Zealand, Geological Agency Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – A magnitude 3.7 earthquake was registered in southern New Zealand on Saturday morning, local geological agency GeoNet said.
(2021-05-08). Happy-the-Elephant Makes Way Into New York Court Seeking Release From Zoo Captivity, Creates History. sputniknews.com Back in 1971, a female Asian elephant born in the wilderness was reportedly imported to the US from Thailand. The now defunct drive-through natural park Lion Country Safari, Inc. in California bought Happy-the-elephant for $800 along with six other calves and named them all after fairy tale princess Snow White's dwarf friends.
(2021-05-08). Busybodies Outside The Gates — OpEd. eurasiareview.com By Azu Ishiekwene* | Bill and Melinda Gates had barely finished saying the "D" word when all kinds of marriage counsellors and grief-mongers besieged social media with suggestions of why they think the couple is breaking up. | The sentiments, ranging from the probable to the bizarre, with a sprinkling of fictional tales in between, have defied the couple's request for privacy. Misery loves company. Some accounts even make you wonder if the composers might have had a bedside view of the 27-year-old marriage. | A break-up is a messy thing. You don't have to experience it to know. But for all those who are outsid…
(2021-05-08). Exploring Functionality In Aquatic Ecosystems. eurasiareview.com The functions of water-dominated ecosystems can be considerably influenced and changed by hydrological fluctuation. The varying states of redox-active substances are of crucial importance here. Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have discovered this, in cooperation with partners from the Universities of Tàºbingen and Bristol and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Halle-Leipzig. They present their discovery in the journal Nature Geoscience. The new study enables a more precise understanding of the biogeochemical processes that contribute to the degradation of pollutants and the reducti…
(2021-05-08). The Failed Promise Of Malaysia's New Economic Policy — Analysis. eurasiareview.com The affirmative action program should have embraced entrepreneurship, not cronyism: | In 1971, still smarting from disastrous race riots in 1969 that are believed to have taken the lives of hundreds of people on both sides, Malaysia's government implemented a revolutionary affirmative action program for its ethnic Malay majority to attempt to bring them up to the commanding economic heights occupied by the minority ethnic Chinese. | This is the fiftieth year the so-called New Economic Policy has been in existence. It was supposed to end in success in 1990. But today the NEP's goals remain unmet and ins…