Daily Archives: March 11, 2021

2021-03-11: News Headlines

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2021-03-11). Eyes on China: The Quad Takes Scattered Aim. asia-pacificresearch.com

Danny Haiphong (2021-03-11). Anti-Asian racism never stopped being an outgrowth of U.S. imperialism. mronline.org MR Online

news.un (2021-03-11). Myanmar: UN Security Council strongly condemns violence against peaceful protesters. news.un.org The United Nations Security Council has strongly condemned the violence against peaceful protesters in Myanmar and voiced "deep concern" at restrictions on medical personnel, civil society, labour unions and journalists, as demonstrations continue across the south-east Asian nation against the military takeover last month.

The Conversation (2021-03-11). City of lost mosques: how Suzhou tells the story of China's Islamic past. juancole.com By Alessandra Cappelletti | — The labyrinth of alleys and lanes in the old city of Suzhou hides a secret: historical fragments of the long history of Islam in China. Regular stories in the international press highlighting the treatment of Muslims in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region tend to obscure the fact that Islam was …

Pepe Escobar (2021-03-11). The Shape of Things to Come in China. A New Stage in Economic and Social Development. globalresearch.ca It's Lianghui ("Two Sessions") time — the annual ritual of the …

Eds. (2021-03-11). Top Pentagon commander requests astronomical sum of money to prepare for war with China. mronline.org A new U.S. war with China would threaten the world with unthinkable destruction. The danger of such a war cannot be ignored, it must be resisted.

Eds. (2021-03-11). Top Pentagon commander requests astronomical sum of money to prepare for war with China. mronline.org MR Online

Online News Editor (2021-03-11). China approves Hong Kong election reforms that restrict opposition strength. laprensalatina.com Beijing, Mar 11 (efe-epa).- China's National People's Congress on Thursday approved a controversial electoral reform proposal for Hong Kong that seeks to boost Beijing's presence in the semi-autonomous city and restrict the strength of the pro-democracy opposition. The resolution was passed with 2,895 votes in favor, none against, and one abstention. The draft was approved …

Online News Editor (2021-03-11). China confirms 'high-level strategic dialog' with US. laprensalatina.com Beijing, Mar 11 (efe-epa).- The foreign ministry in Beijing confirmed Thursday that China will hold "a high-level strategic dialog" with the United States in Alaska on Mar. 18 and 19. Foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian revealed in a statement that the meeting comes "at the invitation of the US side," the first details of which …

_____ (2021-03-11). Black Alliance For Peace Solidarity Network Demands NATO Support Peace Process In Afghanistan. popularresistance.org The Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) Solidarity Network, made up of allied organizations and individuals, demands the North Atlantic Treaty Organization end its imperialist endeavor in Afghanistan and calls on the United States to abide by the 2020 U.S.-Taliban agreement by exiting Afghanistan by May 1. | The BAP Solidarity Network encourages anti-imperialist, anti-war people and organizations to sign a petition to demand the Biden administration exit Afghanistan. It also has developed a template to help the U.S. public write letters to the editors of news organizations to demand an end to the U.S. intervention.

RT (2021-03-11). Disgraced establishment journalists, Big Tech attack independent platform Substack in ever-expanding definition of 'harassment'. rt.com Journalists, academics and even a Google executive have joined in to attack the independent publishing platform Substack, as the battle over 'harassment' of a New York Times reporter quickly escalated into a censorship war. | What began on Tuesday as an online campaign against Fox News host

Special to People's World (2021-03-11). Kroger closes grocery stores to avoid COVID hazard pay for workers. peoplesworld.org LOS ANGELES—One of the most profitable corporations in the United States is threatening grocery workers' jobs in response to a new coronavirus-era hazard pay requirement. Reacting to a near-unanimous vote by the Los Angeles City Council requiring large grocery and drug chains to offer their front-line essential workers an additional $5 per hour for the …

MEE staff (2021-03-11). Covid-19: US, UK and EU's excess vaccines enough for 20 crisis-stricken countries. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: US, UK and EU's excess vaccines enough for 20 crisis-stricken countries | As many as 46 million people aged over 60 in these countries unlikely to be vaccinated this year, a new IRC report says | Thu, 03/11/2021 – 16: 31 | Israel has been accused of "vaccine apartheid" in the occupied Palestinian territories (AFP) | The number of excess Covid-19 vaccines secured by the United States, the United Kingd…

yenisafak (2021-03-11). Turkey to start human trials on 5 more vaccine candidates. yenisafak.com Turkey will start human trials on five more local vaccine candidates soon and will use its own vaccine in the near future, said the health minister on Thursday.Fahrettin Koca speaking at a press conference said that COVID-19 will not become an ordinary disease like the flu any time soon, but in 2021 it will no longer be a nightmare for health workers.Koca said that once the vaccination program is completed, new cases will be reduced to one-fifth and there will barely be patients in critical condition.He said that Turkey is among the fastest nations in procuring vaccine supplies with a 50-million-dose agreement wi…

RT (2021-03-11). GOP senator ridiculed for taking credit for provision of Covid-19 relief bill he did NOT vote for, says he's 'entirely consistent'. rt.com Republican Senator Roger Wicker has taken heat online after he took credit for championing direct aid to the restaurant industry. The problem is, the assistance is included in a $1.9 trillion Covid-19 package that he opposed. | Wicker has been accused of trying to score political points on the back of the mammoth Covid-19 relief package passed by Congress on Wednesday after a drawn-out debate. The House voted predominantly along party lines, with Democratic Representative Jared Golden of Maine siding with all 210 Republicans to oppose the bill. | Shortly after the legislation was approved, Wicker extolled the…

RT (2021-03-11). Covid has left Americans stressed, drinking more, sleeping less, and struggling with weight issues, psychologists say. rt.com A year of living through Covid has left many Americans drinking more, struggling with their weight and sleeping less — and parents, key workers, the young, and people of color are feeling the stress more. | The findings are detailed in a survey released on Thursday by the American Psychological Association (APA), which finds that Americans have been through a collective trauma that will adversely affect their physical and mental health for years to come. | The APA reported that 61% of Americans have experienced undesired changes in their weight since the pandemic started, gaining more than 13kg on averag…

RT (2021-03-11). Michigan health department hit with lawsuit over its refusal to share nursing home data amid comparisons to Cuomo's cover-up. rt.com A local reporter is suing Michigan's health department after it denied repeat requests for its nursing home data amid the Covid-19 outbreak, piling pressure on the government as lawmakers demand a probe into its pandemic response. | Journalist Charlie LeDuff launched a "Not only does…

RT (2021-03-11). 'The dysfunction goes up to Cuomo': Whistleblower says NY gov's order created Covid deathtraps at disabled group homes. rt.com New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is facing even more scrutiny as reports reveal group homes for developmentally disabled individuals were ordered by the state to accept positive Covid-19 patients, possibly leading to thousands of cases. | Of the nearly 35,000 people living in New York's group homes for disabled individuals, 552 have died from Covid-19 since last year and over 6,000 residents and workers have been infected with the virus, according to the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). | Many are now pointing to an April 10 directive from the Cuomo administration, which is s…

RT (2021-03-11). Biden signs 'historic' $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, promises answers to press later. rt.com US President Joe Biden has signed the coronavirus relief bill, clearing the way for some Americans to get a one-time $1,400 check and giving billions to a number of other policy priorities. He left without taking questions. | In a brief photo opportunity at the White House on Thursday afternoon, Biden called the American Rescue Plan a "historic legislation" that is about "rebuilding the backbone of this country," and said it had broad support among all Americans. | He told the reporters gathered at the Oval Office that he will have "a lot more to say" in his address to the nation scheduled for Thursday evening…

Staff (2021-03-11). U.S. & Other Wealthy Nations Block Effort to Waive Vaccine Patent Rights in Blow to Global South. democracynow.org The United States and other wealthy members of the World Trade Organization have blocked a push by dozens of developing countries to waive patent rights in an effort to boost production of COVID-19 vaccines for poor nations. The proposal by South Africa and India was supported by hundreds of civil society organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam and Amnesty International. Without the waiver, vaccine production will remain in the hands of only a few pharmaceutical companies. "Millions of us are basically going to have to wait for a vaccine, putting global immunity, as well as regional immunity, part…

Staff (2021-03-11). Headlines for March 11, 2021. democracynow.org House Democrats Give Final Approval to $1.9 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Bill , 2.6 Million Have Died of COVID-19 Since World Health Organization Declared Pandemic a Year Ago, Studies Find Coronavirus Variant First Observed in U.K. Is More Deadly and More Transmissible, Dr. Fauci Says U.S. Could Reach Herd Immunity by Fall; TX Threatens to Sue Austin over Mask Mandate, Amnesty International, U.N. Security Council Condemn Deadly Crackdown on Burmese Protests, U.N. Urges World Not to Forget 10-Year War in Syria, a "Living Nightmare", Ex-Brazilian President Lula Attacks Bolsonaro's Pandemic Response: "This Country Ha…

_____ (2021-03-11). UN Rebuke of U.S. Sanctions on Venezuela Met With Stunning Silence. strategic-culture.org John MCEVOY | Alena Douhan, the UN special rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, The report laid bare how a years-long campaign of economic warfare has asphyxiated Venezuela's economy, crushing the government's ability to provide basic services both before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. | "The [Venezuelan] government's revenue was repor…

Online News Editor (2021-03-11). India's vaccine outreach: 58 million doses to 70 countries in 50 days. laprensalatina.com New Delhi, Mar 11 (efe-epa).- India sent more than 58 million doses of Covid-19 jabs to nearly 70 countries as part of its vaccine diplomacy initiative launched 50 days ago to extend its global influence and keep the flock of its allies together. The ambitious diplomacy campaign, dubbed "Vaccine Maitri" (the vaccine friendship) as part …

Online News Editor (2021-03-11). Conspiracy theories fuel Covid-19 vaccine mistrust in Pakistan. laprensalatina.com Islamabad, Mar 11 (efe-epa).- A month after the Covid-19 vaccination drive began in Pakistan, only half of the targeted health workers have received the jab so far, partly due to mistrust fueled by conspiracy theories. The situation is reminiscent of the suspicion about vaccines against polio that is still prevalent in Pakistan because people have …

Alan MacLeod (2021-03-11). NATO video talks 'diversity, respect, embrace' but critics see through the wash job. mronline.org MR Online

RT (2021-03-11). Candace Owens backs Piers Morgan, slams 'leftist narcissist' Meghan Markle & questions racism allegations. rt.com Conservative commentator Candace Owens tore into "narcissist" Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, following reports that she had made a formal complaint to ITV after comments Piers Morgan made about her mental health. | During a Wednesday appearance on Fox News with Sean Hannity, Owens claimed Morgan "was all of us when he was dressing down Meghan Markle and calling her out on the blatant lies that she's told." | Owens claimed Markle "can't even keep her story straight" and questioned how the press could take such a toll on the Duchess of Sussex's mental health when she previously claimed not to read it.

Akram Al-Waara (2021-03-11). Israel's arrest of Palestinian children picking vegetables sparks outrage. middleeasteye.net Israel's arrest of Palestinian children picking vegetables sparks outrage | 'As a Palestinian father, this is one of your worst nightmares', father of two of five boys arrested in southern Hebron hills tells MEE | Thu, 03/11/2021 – 12: 03 | B'Tselem says Israeli forces arrested five Palestinian children in the West Bank on Wednesday (B'Tselem/Twitter) | A video of armed Israeli soldiers arrestin…

MEE staff (2021-03-11). Palestinian elections: Fatah sacks prominent leader amid chaos in its rank. middleeasteye.net Palestinian elections: Fatah sacks prominent leader amid chaos in its rank | Nasser al-Qudwa has refused to run on a single election list that represents all Fatah candidates, seeking to form a new party | Thu, 03/11/2021 – 13: 55 | Nasser al-Qudwa addresses a news conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah, 23 January 2019 (AFP) | The Palestinian movement Fatah has sacked one of its most prominent leaders,…

Staff (2021-03-11). Amazon worker in Bessemer: 'We gonna win'. therealnews.com Darryl Richardson, one of the 5,800 warehouse workers at the Amazon fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama, talks about working conditions at Amazon, and about the historic union election currently underway.

Workers World Party (2021-03-11). PDF of March 11 issue. workers.org Download the PDF. Release Mumia now! Workers are not robots ALSO: On the picket line Where has all the soil gone? Book ban challenged Support for #BAmazon grows Vaccine racism Buffalo antiwar action They're capitalists, not Neanderthals WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH: Breonna Taylor Khalida Jarrar Warehouse memoir EDITORIALS: The true Amazons . . . |

yenisafak (2021-03-11). Turkey plays important role in election crisis-rocked Somalia. yenisafak.com Turkey is playing a key role in Somalia even amid a political stalemate in the Horn of Africa country due to delays in national elections, according to a Turkish analyst."As a donor country, Turkey has been playing an important role in Somalia since 2011," Serhat Orakci, a researcher at the Istanbul-based Humanitarian and Social Research Center (INSAMER), which is part of the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), told Anadolu Agency."And because of that, the political instability in the country has been watched carefully by Turkish officials," said Orakci, also the author of a 2018 book on Turkish-African relatio…

RT (2021-03-11). Pelosi says Biden's 'humanitarian' approach to migration is based on 'love of children'. rt.com Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-California) came to President Joe Biden's defense as a surge of unaccompanied minors have reached the border and the administration has been accused of not being able to handle the situation. | "I trust the Biden administration's policy to be based on humanitarian and love of children rather than political points or red meat for their — for their Republican base," Pelosi said at a Thursday press conference. | Comparing Biden's administration favorably to Trump's when it comes to border policy was a point she hit multiple times, and one that has been echoed by White Hou…

Staff (2021-03-11). Despite Immigration Pledges, Biden Admin Detains Thousands of Unaccompanied Migrant Children. democracynow.org The Biden administration is struggling to address the flow of migrant children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border without their parents, many fleeing extreme violence, poverty and natural disasters in their home countries of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. News reports show more than 3,500 children were detained at the border in just the first nine days of March, with many being held longer than the legal limit of 72 hours. "We can call it a crisis. We can call it a surge," says Aura Bogado, senior investigative reporter at Reveal. "What we shouldn't call it is a surprise."

Staff (2021-03-11). Cleared of Corruption Charges, Will Lula Challenge Bolsonaro in Brazil's 2022 Presidential Race? democracynow.org Former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been cleared to run for office again after a judge annulled all convictions against him. Three years ago, Lula, a former union leader who served as president from 2003 to 2010, had been considered a favorite in the lead-up to the 2018 presidential election until he was jailed and forced out of the race on what many said were trumped-up corruption charges. Lula's jailing helped pave the way for the election of the far-right former military officer Jair Bolsonaro and constitutes "the biggest judicial scandal on Earth," says Valeska Martins, one of Lula's lead…

South Front (2021-03-11). Video: US Aircraft Carrier Deploys in Mediterranean, Threatens Syria? globalresearch.ca The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and its Carrier Strike …

South Front (2021-03-11). Video: Renewed Saudi Air Strikes against Yemen. Houthi Drone Attacks on Saudi Airports. globalresearch.ca March 2021 began with a mix indiscriminate air strikes by Saudi …

yenisafak (2021-03-11). Gaza fishermen killed by Israeli drone: Ministry. yenisafak.com Three Palestinian fishermen were killed on Sunday when an explosive-laden Israeli drone blew up, the Interior Ministry of Gaza said Thursday.Interior Ministry spokesman Iyad al-Bozum said in a statement that an Israeli explosive-laden quadcopter was stuck in the fishermen's fishing net and exploded."The Ministry holds the Israeli occupation fully responsible for the martyrdom of the three fishermen in the coast off Khan Younis, southern Gaza," al-Bozum added.He also urged rights groups to prosecute the Israeli authorities in the international courts for their crimes against the Palestinian people.The fishermen fr…

Rebecca Gordon (2021-03-11). Rethinking Employment in the Biden-Harris Era. counterpunch.org A year ago, just a few weeks before San Francisco locked itself down for the pandemic, I fell deeply in love with a 50-year-old. The object of my desire was a wooden floor loom in the window of my local thrift shop. Friends knowledgeable on such matters examined photos I took of it and assured

Chuck Collins — Omar Ocampo (2021-03-11). Frist Family Leads Pandemic Profiteer Parade in Health Sector. counterpunch.org Not everyone is suffering during the pandemic. The Frist family of Tennessee are the founders and biggest shareholders of Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), the largest for-profit hospital conglomerate in the U.S. Thomas F. Frist Jr. and his family have seen their personal wealth increase from $7.5 billion on March 18, 2020 to $15.6 billion

Michael Jansen (2021-03-11). Lebanon's Crises Ballooning as Politicians Bicker over Government Formation. globalresearch.ca Lebanon's political, economic and COVID crises are ballooning while politicians continue …

yenisafak (2021-03-11). Putin says struggle for vaccine market is going on. yenisafak.com Producers are struggling for the global vaccine market worth $100 billion, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.Some producers compete unfairly, sell a small batch of vaccines at a lower price on the condition to be an exclusive supplier, Putin said, speaking at a video meeting on measures to boost investment activity in Moscow."We see how competitors behave in the global vaccine market worth $100 billion. They come, sell a small batch of their vaccine at a discount, on the condition that everything else will be purchased only from this producer," he said.He also said the pandemic has greatly affecte…

yenisafak (2021-03-11). South Korea's healthcare exports hit record high in 2020. yenisafak.com Amid the coronavirus pandemic, South Korea's healthcare and cosmetics exports grew by a record 38% in 2020, local media reported on Thursday.Exports of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and medical devices stood at $21.7 billion last year, a 38.3% rise from 2019, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing latest data from the Korea Health Industry Development Institute.Medicine exports increased 62.6% to hit $8.43 billion, while exports of medical devices reached $5.7 billion with a 44% increase.Germany was the largest market for South Korean medicines, followed by the US and Japan, the report said.Cosmetics exports climbed 1…

_____ (2021-03-11). EU's Own Goal by Playing Politics With Russian Vaccine. strategic-culture.org The European public can see more clearly than ever that their unelected highly paid bureaucrats are risking pandemic recovery by playing politics with Russia's vaccine. | Italy is to be the first European Union state to produce the Russian Sputnik V vaccine for immunization against the new coronavirus. It was

C.J. Atkins (2021-03-11). Neoliberalism's in trouble: A Marxist look at the American Rescue Act. peoplesworld.org After more than 40 years of dominating our economic and political life, the extreme free market capitalist ideology of neoliberalism is starting to show some serious cracks. "Trickle down" policies that have for decades shoveled money toward the top at the expense of the bottom are breaking down and giving way to a new willingness …

yenisafak (2021-03-11). Six irregular migrants held following car crash in Turkey. yenisafak.com Six irregular migrants of Syrian origin were held following a car crash in southern Turkey on Thursday, according to security sources.Security teams found six irregular migrants who entered the country illegally in a vehicle that rolled over into a garden near the Kirikhan district of southern Hatay province, said sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.The driver, along with two other suspects identified as A.A.M. and A.A., were arrested while the irregular migrants were transferred to the local provincial migration office after routine procedures.Turkey has been a key tra…

Husayn Karimi, Hersch Rothmel (2021-03-11). St. Vincent nurses strike to demand safe staffing in Worcester, Mass. liberationnews.org On March 8, nurses launched an indefinite strike to demand safe staffing and more affordable healthcare at a time when nurse to patient ratios have increased.

Black Alliance for Peace (2021-03-11). Black Alliance for Peace Solidarity Network Demands NATO Support Peace Process in Afghanistan and Withdraw Its Forces. globalresearch.ca The Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) Solidarity Network, made up of …

Ramzy Baroud (2021-03-11). Palestinian Elections Under Fire: An Impossible Democracy Dilemma. mintpressnews.com Between the nightly raids and crackdowns by the Israeli military and the political intrigues within the divided Fatah movement, one wonders if the elections, if they take place, will finally allow Palestinians to mount a united front in the struggle against Israeli occupation.

Ramzy Baroud (2021-03-11). Ready to Work with Netanyahu: Mansour Abbas Splinters Arab Vote in Israel. counterpunch.org As Israel readies for its fourth general elections within two years, scheduled for March 23, Israel's Palestinian Arab voters seem to be in a position of power, slated to become the kingmaker in the country's future coalition government. But something peculiar has happened. The Joint List, which has successfully united the Arab vote in Israel in previous elections, suffered a major setback with the split of the United Arab List (Raam) on February 4.

Prensa Latina (2021-03-11). Displaced persons return home in Latakia, Syria. mronline.org MR Online