(2021-05-03). Breakthrough in Afghan Peace Process! globalresearch.ca The "extended Troika" on the Afghan problem comprising the United States, …
(2021-05-03). The Real Story: The U.S. & Israeli War against Iran. answercoalition.org  …
(2021-05-03). Quibbling Over Cruelties: Human Rights Watch, Israel and Apartheid. dissidentvoice.org Criticism of Israel's policies towards Palestinians has always induced a defensive rage from its defenders and advocates. A Threshold Crossed, a report by Human Rights Watch, lit several fires of rage and disapproval. Israel, according to the authors, is responsible for apartheid policies. The word, and the application of its meaning, is immemorially nasty. This …
(2021-05-03). Quibbling Over Cruelties: Human Rights Watch, Israel And Apartheid — OpEd. eurasiareview.com Criticism of Israel's policies towards Palestinians has always induced a defensive rage from its defenders and advocates. The word, and the application of its meaning, is immemorially nasty. This deeply though through policy of Afrikaans origin speaks to a hatred not merely of Black Africans but British imperialism an…
(2021-05-03). Venezuelan President Confirms Fifth Shipment of Russian Sputnik V Vaccine Against COVID-19. sputniknews.com MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says his country has received yet another delivery of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine.
(2021-05-03). US Keeps Blocking Vaccine Patent Waivers Amid Big Pharma Lobbying. truthout.org 
Big Pharma has hired an army of lobbyists to pressure U.S. lawmakers to block an effort at the World Trade Organization to loosen intellectual property rules on COVID-19 vaccines, which would allow countries around the world to ramp up production, vaccinate more people and bring the pandemic to an end sooner. Dozens of countries from the Global South, led by India and South Africa, are demanding a temporary waiver on vaccine patents, but rich countries, including the U.S. under both the Trump and Biden adm…
(2021-05-03). The Weekly Round-Up: #KillTheBill, FPN reviews, and rights under threat in India. ukhumanrightsblog.com 
In the news: People aged 42 and over are now able to book their Covid-19 vaccines, joining the more than 33.8 million people in the UK who have received their first dose. The news comes as the Joint Committee on Human Rights called for a review of all fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for lockdown breaches …
(2021-05-03). Despite India disaster, U.S. government refuses COVID vaccine patent waivers. liberationnews.org 
Photo: Patient outside one of India's largest hospitals for Coronavirus patients. Credit — Ninian Reid A deadly second wave of COVID-19 is raging through India. The country is seeing more than 3,000 deaths and hundreds of thousands of cases every single day. At least 200,000 have died thus far. Modeling data shows that the death …
(2021-05-03). Iran COVID-19 update: 20k infections, 391 deaths. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 03 (MNA) — According to the Iranian Health Ministry, 20,732 new COVID-19 infections have been detected across the country in the past 24 hours.
(2021-05-03). Iran to produce 7mn doses of COVID-19 vaccine as of Oct.-Nov. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 03 (MNA) — Head of Pasteur Institute of Iran Alireza Biglari announced that seven million doses of coronavirus, COVID-19, vaccines will be produced as of Iranian months of Mehr and Aban (falls on Oct.-Nov.) in the current year.
(2021-05-03). Iran seizes Indian ship carrying Covid-19 cases. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 03 (MNA) — The governor of the Iranian Jack County, Hormozgan Province, said Monday that Iranian maritime guards seized an Indian ship carrying Covid-19 cases in the Persian Gulf waters.
(2021-05-03). Iran blocks entry of 5,000 foreigners from eastern borders. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 03 (MNA) — The deputy head of Iran's Police Brigadier General Ghasem Rezaei said that as many as 5,000 foreign passengers were prevented from entering the country from the eastern borders amid Covid-19 cases surge in India.
(2021-05-03). Headlines for May 3, 2021. democracynow.org India Breaks New COVID Records Amid Vaccine Shortages; U.S. Restricts Travel from India, Mourners Remember Slain 16-Year-Old Ma'Khia Bryant in Columbus, Ohio, Colorado Officers Resign After They Attack 73-Year-Old with Dementia, Laugh About Arrest, Biden Administration Releases Documents on Trump's 2017 Drone Order, 4 Families Separated at U.S Border Will Be Reunited, But Thousands Remain Ripped Apart, Traumatized, Biden Admin Cancels Construction of Trump U.S.-Mexico Border Wall, Migrant Boat Capsizes in San Diego, Killing at Least 4 People, North Korea Issues Warning to U.S. After Biden Says Nuclear Program Pre…
(2021-05-03). As Global Pandemic Worsens, U.S. Keeps Blocking Vaccine Patent Waivers Amid Big Pharma Lobbying. democracynow.org 
Big Pharma has hired an army of lobbyists to pressure U.S. lawmakers to block an effort at the World Trade Organization to loosen intellectual property rules on COVID-19 vaccines, which would allow countries around the world to ramp up production, vaccinate more people and bring the pandemic to an end sooner. Dozens of countries from the Global South, led by India and South Africa, are demanding a temporary waiver on vaccine patents, but rich countries, including the U.S. under both the Trump and Biden administrations, have opposed the move. Lee Fang, investigative journalist at The Intercept, says there is a "gl…
(2021-05-03). 'You Have to Be a Special Kind of Monster': B-Town Celebs Slam People Selling Fake COVID-19 Medicine. sputniknews.com On Monday, India saw a slight dip in its daily COVID-19 cases, registering 368,147 infections and at least 3,417 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to the Health Ministry. At present, the nation's overall caseload is 19,925,604, with over 218,959 people having lost their lives since the onset of the pandemic.
(2021-05-03). Blinken and Raab Hold Q&A Session as Day 1 of G7 Ministerial Meeting Wraps Up. sputniknews.com The foreign ministers of the G7 arrived in London this week for a three-day in-person gathering to discuss a wide range of issues, including COVID-19 and economic recovery, the climate crisis, China, and Russia.
(2021-05-03). College Athletes In Supportive Programs Coping Better With Pandemic. eurasiareview.com Like much of society, college athletics were thrown into disarray by the COVID-19 pandemic. While student athletes were suddenly prevented from competing, training or seeing as much of their teammates and coaches, those who perceived they were part of a positive sporting environment also coped better during the early days of the crisis, a new study from the University of Kansas has found. | KU researchers have long studied a caring, task-involved sporting climate, in which young athletes receive support and recognition for their efforts, while mistakes are treated as learning opportunities. But the pandemic pr…
(2021-05-03). World Celebrates Press Freedom Day, Julian Assange Remains In Belmarsh Prison. popularresistance.org As people worldwide celebrate the UN's World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, WikiLeaks publisher and journalist Julian Assange remains incarcerated. | The US continues to demand Assange's extradition for his role in obtaining and publishing national defence documents from 2009 to 2011. The leaks, provided by US Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning, are known as the Guantanamo Files, the Iraq War Logs, the Afghan War Diary, and the US diplomatic cables (aka Cablegate). | There are noteworthy parallels which can be drawn between Assange's case and that of famed US Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg. Ellsberg w…
(2021-05-03). Modi is Singularly Responsible for India's Pandemic Disaster. counterpunch.org 
India has become the new global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, with daily infections surpassing 300,000 per day and the official death toll—likely a massive underestimate—nearing a quarter of a million people. Hospitals are being overrun with patients, and the crisis is exacerbated by a devastating shortage of oxygen. The Indian judiciary has gone as
(2021-05-03). Mounting popular anger in India over Modi government's criminal mishandling of pandemic. wsws.org Responsibility for the human catastrophe now unfolding across India lies not just with the Modi government, but with all of India's capitalist establishment. It has starved the health care system of resources for decades and even now opposes the closing of nonessential businesses.
(2021-05-03). Situation Outside New Delhi Hospital Amid Pandemic Deterioration in India. sputniknews.com The country is facing a skyrocketing death toll and the number of infected continues to spike, with a lack of oxygen and medical equipment creating a major crisis in Indian cities. Multiple nations have sent aid to India in a bid to curb the outbreak.
(2021-05-03). Delhi Hit by Water Scarcity Amid Pandemic That Has Already Made Oxygen Scant. sputniknews.com On 14 April, vice chairman of the Delhi Jal (water) Board, Raghav Chadha, "beseeched intervention" of the chief of Haryana state, which neighbours Delhi, to help meet the water requirements of 22 million people in the city. The capital is dependent on Haryana to ensure the supply of clean and adequate water to meet the needs of the people.
(2021-05-03). Housing And The Rising GDP — Analysis. eurasiareview.com The economy grew at a 6.4 percent annual rate in the first quarter driven by double-digit growth in consumption in both residential and nonresidential investment. The quarter's growth left GDP just 0.9 percent below the pre-pandemic level reported for the fourth quarter of 2019. | Productivity Growth Looks Strong: | The strong growth in the quarter also implies that the pick-up in productivity growth seen in 2020 is continuing. After growing at just a 1.0 percent annual rate for the prior decade, productivity increased by 2.5 percent from the fourth quarter of 2019 to the fourth quarter of 2020. | With…
(2021-05-03). Materials Acquisition For Global Industrial Change (MAGIC) — OpEd. eurasiareview.com Biden relies on adherence to climate crisis creed and belief in MAGIC to transform USA, world : | Via executive orders, regulatory edicts and partisan Green New Deal legislation, President Biden intends to slash US carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions by 50% below their 2005 peak by 2030, and eliminate them (and fossil fuel use) by 2050. But as AOC's former chief of staff noted, the GND is not just about transforming America's energy system; it's about changing the entire economy. | This radical transformation is driven by three fundamental Articles of Faith, none of them based on reality.
(2021-05-03). 20 Afghan military soldiers killed in Farah province. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 03 (MNA) — At least 20 military forces have been killed in a Taliban attack in Farah province.
(2021-05-03). US, Taliban Reportedly Negotiating New Troop Pullout Deadline in July Instead of 9/11 Anniversary. sputniknews.com President Joe Biden earlier announced that the US wouldn't withdraw its forces by 1 May, as it was supposed to under a peace agreement with the Taliban* signed in 2020 by the Trump administration. Instead, Biden set the date of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks as the new deadline.
(2021-05-03). 'Al-Qaeda' Threatens to Continue War, But Group Barely Exists in Afghanistan Anymore. news.antiwar.com With the May 1 deadline date for pullout from Afghanistan come and gone, the media is paying less attention to the Taliban, with whom the May 1 date was negotiated, and instead on al-Qaeda, who the Afghan War hasn't been about for many, many years. | Al-Qaeda is still keen to get attention though, and allegedly, unnamed 'al-Qaeda' issued a
(2021-05-03). Over 100 Killed in Weekend Afghan Fighting, 30 Troops Missing. news.antiwar.com The May 1 pullout date passed, and saw US troops still in Afghanistan, and heavy fighting between Taliban and Afghan military forces in several parts of the country. The Afghan Defense Ministry The Taliban didn't comment on this, but the Afghan Defense Ministry reported clashes in Kandahar and several other provinces around the country. The Taliban itself wasn't just on th…
(2021-05-03). On the Insidious Discourse of "Terrorism" in the US and How It Functions to Demonize Palestine Advocates and Muslims. globalresearch.ca After Heike Schotten, Associate Professor at the University of Massachusetts …
(2021-05-03). May Day 1971: Daniel Ellsberg on Joining Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn at Historic Antiwar Direct Action. democracynow.org 
This week marks the 50th anniversary of the 1971 May Day protests, when tens of thousands of protesters demonstrated against the Vietnam War in Washington, D.C., and brought much of the capital to a standstill through acts of civil disobedience. The mass demonstrations terrified the Nixon administration, and police would arrest over 12,000 people — the largest mass arrest in U.S. history. Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, who attended the May Day protests, says it was part of a wave of popular discontent about the war that mobilized millions. "There was a movement of young people who felt that…
(2021-05-03). The Biggest Bust Ever: Direct Action Lessons From Three Days in May of 1971. counterpunch.org 
Fifty years ago this May, when the U.S. Capitol police were better at arresting large numbers of white trespassers, I watched 1,200 of my fellow anti-war demonstrators carted off to jail for just sitting on the back steps of the Capitol and listening to speeches from two House members. That bust was the last gasp
(2021-05-03). Palestinians protest forceful eviction of families from Sheikh Jarrah in occupied East Jerusalem. peoplesdispatch.org 
An Israeli court ordered at least 13 out of a total of 28 Palestinian families in the Sheikh Jarrah locality to vacate the houses they have been inhabiting for generations to pave the way for the construction of an illegal Jewish settlement…
(2021-05-03). Noam Chomsky: Something Rotten in the State of China? dissidentvoice.org 
The New York Times carries a transcript of Ezra Klein interviewing the venerable professor Noam Chomsky. The interview in its entirety is illuminating. However, the anarchist professor's take on China gives one pause. It seems ill-informed and requires further elucidation. ***** Ezra Klein: How do you think about China as an economic and geopolitical competitor? …
(2021-05-03). Military Situation In Syria On May 3, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On May 3, Russia reported that Idlib militants violated the ceasefire regime in Greater Idlib 32 times: 14 — in Idlib province, 12 — in Latakia province, 4 — in Hama province, 2 — in Hama province | On May 2, the artillery of Turkish-backed forces shelled SDF positions at Arab Hasan Kabir village north of Manbij | On May 2, the artillery of Turkish-backed forces shelled YPG positions near Tal Rafaat | On May 2, the Turkish Army sent a new military rei…
(2021-05-03). Drive-By Shooting In The West Bank, Hours After IDF Shoots And Kills 60-Year-Old Woman. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On May 2nd, three 19-year-old yeshiva students were injured, two of them seriously, in a drive-by shooting at a bus stop in the northern West Bank. | The shots were fired from a passing car at the Tapuah Junction south of Nablus. The victims were all civilians, according to the Israel Defense Forces."IDF troops returned fire at the vehicle, which fled the scene. IDF troops are searching for the vehicle and are setting up roadblocks in the area," the military said. | Then, due to the in…
(2021-05-03). ZarifGate: Iranian Supreme Leader Chastises Foreign Minister. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On May 2nd, Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, issued an apology for comments that he said "annoyed" the country's supreme leader. | Recordings surfaced late last month of Zarif, long the public face of Iranian diplomacy, saying the Revolutionary Guards had far more influence in foreign and nuclear affairs than he did. | Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, appeared to chastise Zarif during a televised speech. | Khamenei didn't specifically say Zarif's name, but…
(2021-05-03). Large Explosion Hit HTS Warehouse In Syria's Idlib Province (Photos, Videos). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On April 3, a large explosion took place near the city of Kafraya in Idlib province. According to photos provided from the area, the explosion occurred at the warehouse of the al-Qaeda-affiliated Hayat Tahrir Sham (HTS). | Shells and IEDs are manufactured at the warehouse that was located near al-Furousiyyah refugee camp in al-Fu'ah area in the north-east of Idlib. | According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights,…
(2021-05-03). Rocket Attack Hit US Camp Victory In Baghdad. southfront.org 
Illustrative Image | The US Camp Victory in Iraq came under rocket fire late on April 2. Two rockets hit the site near Baghdad airport. The third shell was reportedly intercepted by the C-RAM anti-aircraft system. It is the second such attack in 10 days. | Any casualties were reported by the US forces side. CENTCOM No reports of who was responsible for the attack.
(2021-05-03). Second Base Hosting US Troops In Iraq Suffered Rocket Attack In 24 Hours. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On April 3, the Balad Air Base in Salah al-Din province that houses Iraqi forces and US contractors was targeted by rocket attack. | Representatives of the US Defense Ministry confirmed the attack and claimed that there was no damage and no casualties. The commander of the base, Div. Gen. Sahi Abdul Ameri, said that a total of 9-10 explosions were heard, but only three self-made rockets exploded on the territory of the base. | The rockets reportedly were 107mm Katyusha rocke…
(2021-05-03). Military Situation In Iraq On May 3, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On May 2, 3 rockets were fired at Camp Victory in Baghdad. No casualties were reported | On May 2, a logistical convoy of the US military was targeted by an IED attack in the Hillah area | On May 2, a logistical convoy of the US military was targeted by an IED attack in the Samawah area | On May 3, clashes between Turkish Army and the PKK continued in the northern Iraq | At least 42 PKK militants were killed so far in Turkish operation in northern Iraq, according to the T…
(2021-05-03). US Troop Pullout to Help Stability in Afghanistan, Ex-Diplomat Says. sputniknews.com Afghanistan will still face dozens of terror organisations and a number of internal problems, but the US withdrawal will also present a "wonderful opportunity" for the Afghan people simply because it will push them to sit down for talks and bridge their gaps.
(2021-05-03). Blinken Says Troop Pullout From Afghanistan 'Doesn't Mean We're Leaving'. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says there will still be US presence in Afghanistan after the pullout of American forces is completed.
(2021-05-03). Ron Paul: Will Special Interests Allow America's 'Longest War' To Finally End? — OpEd. eurasiareview.com Even if "won," endless wars like our 20 year assault on Afghanistan would not benefit our actual national interest in the slightest. So why do these wars continue endlessly? Because they are so profitable to powerful and well-connected special interests. In fact, the worst news possible for the Beltway military contractor/think tank complex would be that the United States actually won a war. That would signal the end of the welfare-for-the-rich gravy train. | In contrast to the end of declared wars, like World War II when the entire country rejoiced at the return home of soldiers where they belonged, an end to…
(2021-05-03). Armenian parliament votes down Pashinyan as new PM. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 03 (MNA) — Armenian lawmakers convened for a special meeting on Monday and voted down the candidacy of acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan as the new head of government to organize snap parliamentary elections.
(2021-05-03). Two More Russian Military Sites Set Up In Armenia's South. eurasiareview.com The Russian military has set up two new military sites in the south of Armenia near the border with Azerbaijan as an "additional security guarantee" both for the province of Syunik and the country as a whole, acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told lawmakers on Monday, May 3. | "It's no secret that two strongholds of the 102nd Russian military base were established in the Syunik province," Pashinyan said. | "This is an additional security guarantee not only for the Syunik region but for Armenia." | Armenian Defense Minister Vagharshak Harutyunyan said in February that Yerevan sought an expansion of the Russ…
(2021-05-03). 'Get the F**k Out': Philippines Hits Out at Beijing Over South China Sea Reef. sputniknews.com Since April, Beijing and Manila have been embroiled in a standoff over fishing grounds near South China Sea reefs claimed by both sides.
(2021-05-03). Trump Labels 2020 Election Defeat A 'Big Lie'. eurasiareview.com By Ken Bredemeier | Former U.S. President Donald Trump lost his reelection contest to Democrat Joe Biden six months ago Monday, but he is still claiming he was cheated out of another term in the White House, leaving some Republican officials at odds with one another and Trump over the legitimacy of Biden's victory. | "The Fraudulent Presidential Election of 2020 will be, from this day forth, known as THE BIG LIE!" Trump said in a new statement. | The former president's commentary from his Atlantic Ocean mansion in Florida appropriated the "big lie" sentiment his political opponents have used to describe his cl…
(2021-05-03). Russia Appreciates Importance Of French Business Despite European Sanctions. eurasiareview.com On April 29, Russian President Vladimir Putin held videoconference with leaders of several French companies-members of the Franco-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI France-Russia) to discuss some aspects of Russian-French trade, economic and investment cooperation, including the implementation of large joint projects as well as the prospects for collaborative work. | Putin noted that the Economic Council of the Franco-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is still operational in spite of difficulties, and the late April meeting was the fourth time since 2016. From the historical records, France h…
(2021-05-03). Iran Denies It's In Legal Talks With UK On Zaghari's Case. eurasiareview.com The Iranian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson rejected reports that Tehran and London are engaged in legal negotiations about the release of Nazanin Zaghari, a dual Iranian-British citizen jailed for espionage. | Asked by reporters about comments from British officials about the continuation of legal talks on the release of Zaghari, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh said at a press conference on Monday, "Legal negotiations are not going on between the two countries." | He emphasized that the Iranian Judiciary is the one that can comment on the issue. | "What is being discussed relates to issues abo…
(2021-05-03). Widespread Protests By Workers And Retirees On International Workers' Day Reflection Of Dissatisfaction Of Iranian People With Khamenei's Regime — OpEd. eurasiareview.com On Saturday, May 1, 2021, coinciding with International Workers' Day in Iran, there were large gatherings of workers and retirees in 20 cities, including the capital Tehran; It was held in protest of their dire living conditions. Demonstrators chanted slogans such as "Government of looters, enemy of workers", "Shout of so much injustice." | "Our enemy is here, they are lying that it is America " – "Political prisoners must be freed" – "Workers awaken they are fed-up with the dictatorship" – Death to the oppressor; hail upon the worker! | They protested the current situation. These protest rallies have been hel…
