Articles by: Countercurrents Collective

The Taliban fighters posing for family photo and relaxing in the Presidential Palace, Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug 15, 2021

Strict Punishment, Amputations and Executions will Return to Afghanistan, says Taliban Co-founder

Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, a co-founder of the Taliban who will control prisons under the new regime in Afghanistan, said strict punishment, including amputations and executions, will return. “Everyone criticized us for the punishments in the stadium, but we have never said anything about their laws and their punishments,” Turabi said in Kabul during an interview, which was published Thursday by the[Read More…]

by — 24/09/2021 — 0 comments — World
Machinery operating in the annex pit at the Cerrejon Coal Mine in Barrancas, La Guajira, Colombia. Nicolo Filippo Rosso/Bloomberg via Getty Images

They are murdered: They face violence: They are Defenders of Environment

Hundreds of environment defenders have been murdered in countries. Environment defenders face lethal attacks and violence. Global Witness in Last Line of Defence report said: In 2020, we recorded 227 lethal attacks – an average of more than four people a week – making it once again the most dangerous year on record for people defending their homes, land and[Read More…]

by — 23/09/2021 — 0 comments — Environmental Protection
Bad Business: World Bank and China, A Rigging Scandal

Bad Business: World Bank and China, A Rigging Scandal

A business bad in standard of business has been done, and the business involves the World Bank (WB) and China. Media reports said: Some investors and campaigners expressed dismay on September 17, 2021 at revelations that the WB leaders pressured staff to boost China’s score in an influential report that ranks countries on how easy it is to do business[Read More…]

by — 22/09/2021 — 0 comments — World
Kids cannot go without food, migrants say

Kids cannot go without food, migrants say

People trying to migrate to the U.S. tell their stories, which have been collected from media reports. Migrant Charlie Jean had crossed back into Ciudad Acuña from the camps to get food for his wife and three daughters, ages 2, 5 and 12. He was waiting on the Mexican side for a restaurant to bring him an order of rice.[Read More…]

by — 21/09/2021 — 0 comments — World
Massive, Illegal Expulsion of Migrants from U.S.A

Massive, Illegal Expulsion of Migrants from U.S.A

In a massive show of force, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) mounted officers attempted to contain migrants as they crossed the Rio Grande from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, into Del Rio, Texas, on September 19, 2021. Thousands of Haitian migrants have been arriving to Del Rio, Texas, as authorities attempt to close the border to stop the flow of[Read More…]

by — 21/09/2021 — 0 comments — World
Stay Home: Taliban-run Kabul Municipality Orders Female Workers

Stay Home: Taliban-run Kabul Municipality Orders Female Workers

Female employees of the Kabul municipality have been told to stay home, with work only allowed for those who cannot be replaced by men, the interim mayor of Afghanistan’s capital said Sunday, detailing the latest restrictions on women by the new Taliban rulers. The decision to prevent most female city workers from returning to their jobs is another sign that[Read More…]

by — 20/09/2021 — 0 comments — World
“Do Not Touch My Clothes”: Afghan Women Post Selfies in Colorful Dresses to Protest Taliban Dress Codes

“Do Not Touch My Clothes”: Afghan Women Post Selfies in Colorful Dresses to Protest Taliban Dress Codes

Fatima Kakkar, MD, MPH (@DrFatimaKakkar) wrote: Proudly wearing in our traditional, colourful, vibrant Afghan clothes #DoNotTouchMyClothes #AfghanWoman #AfghanistanCulture #AfganistanWomen Afghan women are protesting Taliban imposed women dress code. At the same time, Taliban organized a head to toe veiled women gathering at the Shaheed Rabbani Education University in Kabul on September 11, 2021 attended by a few dozens of women[Read More…]

by — 17/09/2021 — 0 comments — Uncategorized
Record-smashing heat extremes may become much more likely with climate change, finds study

Record-smashing heat extremes may become much more likely with climate change, finds study

Cyprus. Cuba. Turkey. Canada. Northern Ireland. Antarctica. All recorded their hottest-ever temperatures in the last two years, and according to a new study, more such extremes are coming. A Reuters report said: In the next three decades, “record-shattering” heat waves could become two to seven times more frequent in the world than in the last 30 years, scientists report in[Read More…]

by — 28/07/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Clouds May Speed Up Global Warming

Clouds May Speed Up Global Warming

 “Cloud research is a tricky business. Clouds sometimes have a warming effect on the local climate and sometimes a cooling effect — it all depends on the type of cloud, the local climate and a variety of other conditions. “One of the most fundamental questions about climate change is also one of the thorniest: How much, exactly, will the Earth[Read More…]

by — 28/07/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Destroyed houses are seen in Schuld, Germany, Thursday, July 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

We Cannot Go on Like This: Merkel Says on Tackling Climate Crisis After Floods

Less than three months before leaving office, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has openly conceded that the industrial world has failed to adequately fight climate change and that more rapid, pain-inducing steps were urgently needed. Media reports said: Merkel, who has led Europe’s largest economy and one of the world’s leading emitters of CO2 for the last 16 years, reflected on her own bitter experience.[Read More…]

by — 27/07/2021 — 1 comment — Climate Change
Heatwave in U.S.: From Coast to Coast, Millions Affected

Heatwave in U.S.: From Coast to Coast, Millions Affected

A widespread heatwave has begun across the contiguous U.S., with at least 35 million people likely to see temperatures reach or exceed 100°F by the end of the week. Heat alerts are in place across at least 16 states in the south, midwest and western U.S. Media reports said: The hot weather, which comes courtesy of another heat dome building[Read More…]

by — 27/07/2021 — 2 comments — Climate Change
Cuba is an example of resistance, says Mexican president while wants to replace OAS

Cuba is an example of resistance, says Mexican president while wants to replace OAS

Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Saturday that Cuba is an “example of resistance,” and proposed the entire country should be declared a World Heritage site. Media reports said: The Mexican President praised Cuba’s ability to stand up to U.S. hostility since 1959. López Obrador has in the past stated his opposition to U.S. sanctions that limit commerce with[Read More…]

by — 25/07/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Carlos Lazo getting ready to start his march from Miami to Washington, D.C. Credit: Tighe Barry

“Let Cuba live”: Lula, Correa, Cornel West and 400 Leading Personalities of the World Demand to U.S. President Biden

People from different walks of life are standing in support of revolution in Cuba. They are calling to defend the revolution in Cuba. Leading artists, intellectuals, personalities, U.S. lawmakers are calling on the U.S. government to withdraw blockade against Cuba. A Granma report said: As another reliable example of the rejection generated in the international community by the hostile policy[Read More…]

by — 23/07/2021 — 1 comment — World
Cuba: US narrative paving way for military incursion

Cuba: US narrative paving way for military incursion

Threat for imperialist intervention in Cuba is increasing. A Havana, July 22, 2021 datelined AP report said: Cuba criticized the US and President Joe Biden on Wednesday for a series of statements by senior officials, accusing the US government of seeking to justify a military intervention. The report said: Johana Tablada, deputy director for US affairs at Cuba’s Ministry of[Read More…]

by — 22/07/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Pegasus Spyware: UN Urges Better Regulation of Surveillance Technology

Pegasus Spyware: UN Urges Better Regulation of Surveillance Technology

The UN voiced alarm Monday at reports that several governments used Israeli phone malware to spy on activists, journalists and others, stressing the urgent need for better regulation of surveillance technology. Media reports said: The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said the apparent widespread use of Pegasus spy software to illegally undermine the rights of those under surveillance, including journalists[Read More…]

by — 21/07/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Politicians, Journalists, HR Activists And Others Spied Upon Using Pegasus Spyware

Politicians, Journalists, HR Activists And Others Spied Upon Using Pegasus Spyware

NSO Group, a private Israeli firm that sells surveillance technology to governments worldwide, insists that its Pegasus spyware is used only to “investigate terrorism and crime.” Leaked data, however, reveals that the company’s hacking tool “has been used to facilitate human rights violations around the world on a massive scale.” That’s according to an investigative report published Sunday by the[Read More…]

by — 19/07/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Floods have affected cities across Europe, including Zurich in Switzerland

Deadly flooding and heatwaves in Europe highlight urgency of climate action, says WMO

Heavy rainfall that has triggered deadly and catastrophic flooding in several western European countries, is just the latest indicator that all nations need to do more to hold back climate change-induced disasters, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Friday. The UN agency said that countries including Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands had received up to two months’ rain[Read More…]

by — 17/07/2021 — 1 comment — Climate Change
World faces a ‘hurricane of humanitarian crises’, warns UN chief 

World faces a ‘hurricane of humanitarian crises’, warns UN chief 

There is a bloody surge” impacting humanitarian crises around the world, with civilians in conflict zones paying the highest price, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres told the UN Security Council on Friday. UN’s and media reports said: The UN secretary general’s speech to the U.N. Security Council was read by UN deputy secretary-general Amina Mohammed. The UN chief cited Ethiopia’s Tigray[Read More…]

by — 17/07/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Cornel West accuses Harvard of ‘spiritual rot’ in resignation letter

Cornel West accuses Harvard of ‘spiritual rot’ in resignation letter

Cornel West, prominent professor of African American studies and progressive activist, said this week that his resignation from Harvard University was driven by a tenure dispute and the Ivy League school’s “intellectual and spiritual bankruptcy.” According to media reports, Cornel West said in a letter dated June 30: “How sad it is to see our beloved Harvard Divinity School in such decline[Read More…]

by — 15/07/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Under the Shadow of the Pandemic: The Number of Hungry People Continued to Rise in 2020

Under the Shadow of the Pandemic: The Number of Hungry People Continued to Rise in 2020

The number of people in the world affected by hunger continued to increase in 2020 under the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic, says the annual UN report – The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World – published on Monday. According to the report, “Even in Northern America and Europe, where the lowest rates of food insecurity are found,[Read More…]

by — 13/07/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Devastating Drought Ravages California, Water Use by 15% Cut Suggested

Devastating Drought Ravages California, Water Use by 15% Cut Suggested

As California faces devastating drought the U.S. state’s governor Gavin Newsom has asked people and businesses to voluntarily cut their water use by 15%. The western U.S. weathers a devastating drought. Reservoirs across California, which are depended on for agriculture, drinking water and fish habitat, have dwindled to dangerously low levels and some counties have already enacted mandatory water restrictions. Agriculture and tourism could[Read More…]

by — 12/07/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Rising Bread Price, and Fuel and Electricity Shortages Grip Lebanon without a Fully Functioning Government

Rising Bread Price, and Fuel and Electricity Shortages Grip Lebanon without a Fully Functioning Government

Lebanon is facing shortages of fuel and electricity. The price of bread has risen again in bakeries and stores in Lebanon as a result of rising production costs and the free-falling pound, the Lebanese Economy Ministry said Saturday. Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri is slated to present President Michel Aoun this week with a new Cabinet lineup in a last-ditch[Read More…]

by — 12/07/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Heatwave blankets U.S. West and California wildfire generates its own lightning

Heatwave blankets U.S. West and California wildfire generates its own lightning

As another heatwave hits the U.S. West this weekend, firefighters struggled to contain an exploding Northern California wildfire under blazing temperatures. On Friday, Death Valley National Park in California recorded a staggering high of 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54 Celsius) and could reach the same high on Saturday. If verified, the 130-degree reading would be the hottest high recorded there since[Read More…]

by — 11/07/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
People turn to extreme measures to keep cool in an extreme heatwave. (Getty Images)

Pacific Northwest heatwave virtually impossible without human-driven climate change, finds study

The historic heat wave that struck the Pacific Northwest and killed hundreds of people would have been “virtually impossible without human-caused climate change,” an international team of climate researchers said in a new report. The World Weather Attribution’s analysis, published July 8, 2021, Wednesday, found that the record-setting heat that triggered wildfires and was linked to hundreds of deaths was a one-in-a-1,000-year event that “would have been[Read More…]

by — 09/07/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Heavy Metals have Contaminated Entire French Population, Warns Study

Heavy Metals have Contaminated Entire French Population, Warns Study

A study has found that nearly all French people are contaminated with heavy metals such as arsenic and mercury, and that exposure levels are higher than in other European countries. A RFI report said: France’s national health agency Santé Publique France said smoking and the consumption of fish and seafood products had contributed to the findings, published recently. The presence[Read More…]

by — 07/07/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
A defaced statue of Queen Elizabeth II lies after being toppled during a rally outside the provincial legislature in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, July 1, 2021. © Reuters / Shannon VanRaes

1,100 Children Graves in Canada found, Queen Elizabeth II and Victoria statues toppled, 7 Churches lighted

Statues of Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Victoria were torn down by protesters in Winnipeg, Canada. The latest acts of protests followed a spree of attacks on Catholic churches built on First Nation lands. At least seven churches have caught fire in recent weeks, since the grim discovery of more than 1,100 unmarked graves at sites where Catholic-run residential schools used to[Read More…]

by — 05/07/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Human Rights
People above Profit: Thousands Demonstrate in Brazil in New Wave of Protests in 350 Cities

People above Profit: Thousands Demonstrate in Brazil in New Wave of Protests in 350 Cities

In Brazil, social movements, trade unions, and human rights activists on Saturday demonstrated in at least 350 cities to condemn the recent corruption scandal linking President Jair Bolsonaro with the purchase at inflated prices of Indian-produced Covaxin COVID-19 vaccines. The protests supported the impeachment petition submitted by unions, left political parties and social organizations to the Lower House on Wednesday. The nationwide mobilizations come after the Senate Commission[Read More…]

by — 05/07/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Epic drought in the U.S. West: Competing Interests Between Farmers and Fish, and Water Futures Fail to Yield

Epic drought in the U.S. West: Competing Interests Between Farmers and Fish, and Water Futures Fail to Yield

Extreme drought is tearing apart communities in a massive river basin along the U.S. states of Oregon-California border. Farmers, tribes and wildlife face a bleak future together. At the same time, water futures market is also failing the California farmers. A Guardian report – “Running out of water: how climate change fuels a crisis in the US west” – said[Read More…]

by — 04/07/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Handover ceremony at Camp Anthonic, from US Army to Afghan Special Forces, Helmand province, Afghanistan, May 2, 2021.

Taliban has won the war in Afghanistan, says Lord Dannatt, former British army head

The Taliban has “prevailed” in its battle with the West in Afghanistan, said General Lord Dannatt, the former head of the British Army as it emerged all UK and U.S. troops will be withdrawn on Sunday. Writing in The Telegraph, General Lord Dannatt said: “Ultimately, Taliban force of arms has prevailed, and the people of that country have been denied the[Read More…]

by — 03/07/2021 — 1 comment — Imperialism
Visitors walk past the thermometer at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center in Death Valley, California, U.S. on June 17, 2021. (Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Heat Dome over the Pacific Northwest worst on record: hundreds die  

The ‘heat dome’ over western Canada and parts of the U.S. Pacific northwest is taking its toll: Already hundreds of deaths. A Reuters report from Vancouver and Portland said: In Canada’s British Columbia, at least 486 sudden deaths were reported over five days, nearly three times the usual number that would occur in the province over that period, the B.C.[Read More…]

by — 02/07/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Extreme Heat in Canada’s British Columbia and U.S. Northwest: Scores feared dead  

Extreme Heat in Canada’s British Columbia and U.S. Northwest: Scores feared dead  

Extreme heatwave has hit the Canadian west coast and the northwest U.S. leading to scores of deaths. In areas, temperature rose to more than 46°C to more than 47°C. Media reports on the heat dome now covering the Pacific Northwest are telling hardship of people in the regions, melting of power cables, buckling of roads, and closure of schools, universities,[Read More…]

by — 30/06/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Climate Crisis Pushes A Million People in Madagascar to the ‘Edge of Starvation,’ Says WFP

Climate Crisis Pushes A Million People in Madagascar to the ‘Edge of Starvation,’ Says WFP

Climate crisis has pushed communities in Madagascar to the verge of starvation. The World Food Programme (WFP) says resources are scarce in the country after the worst drought in four decades. The WFP said more than a quarter of people are suffering in one area. And $78.6 million is needed to fight the crisis. Climate change is the driving force[Read More…]

by — 25/06/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
(Photo: FridaysForFuture/Flickr/cc)

Hunger, disease, drought: UN report warns of climate crisis

Hunger, disease and drought will afflict tens of millions of more people within decades, warns a draft UN assessment that lays bare the dire human health consequences of a warming planet. “Life on Earth can recover from a drastic climate shift by evolving into new species and creating new ecosystems,” the report says. “Humans cannot.” The forthcoming 4,000-page draft report[Read More…]

by — 24/06/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Brazilian Court Clears ex-President Lula of Corruption Charges in another Legal Win

Brazilian Court Clears ex-President Lula of Corruption Charges in another Legal Win

Brazil’s former leftist president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, scored a fresh legal victory on Monday after a federal court acquitted him of passive corruption charges relating to alleged political favors, citing lack of evidence. In 2017, Lula was accused of having granted political favors to automobile companies in exchange for donations of 6 million reals (around $1.2 million) to[Read More…]

by — 22/06/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
School Children, Fracking Fumes, Immigrant Parent’s Daughter, Climate Crisis and Billions of Dollar

School Children, Fracking Fumes, Immigrant Parent’s Daughter, Climate Crisis and Billions of Dollar

Media reports from the U.S. tell about environmental incidents and hardship of the common people in the society. Fracking and Children A Fort Worth Star-Telegram report (Thousands of Arlington’s schoolchildren are exposed to fracking fumes, report warns, Thu, June 17, 2021) said: More than half of Arlington’s public school children attend classes within half a mile of a natural gas[Read More…]

by — 21/06/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Prepare for both dialogue and confrontation with U.S., says N. Korea’s leader Kim

Prepare for both dialogue and confrontation with U.S., says N. Korea’s leader Kim

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said North Korea should prepare for both dialogue and confrontation with the United States, particularly confrontation, state media KCNA reported on Friday. It was Kim’s first direct comment on the Biden administration. The remarks came during Thursday’s plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party’s central committee, after an earlier session where Kim called for[Read More…]

by — 18/06/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Heat wave scorches the U.S. West: 50 million people under warnings

Heat wave scorches the U.S. West: 50 million people under warnings

Heat wave is scorching the U.S. West. More than 50 million people in eight U.S. states were under heat warnings Tuesday as the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) urged people to remain hydrated and stay indoors. A week of triple-digit temperatures made worse by climate crisis is forecast across much of the U.S. West this week, with records poised to fall[Read More…]

by — 17/06/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Coal is coming back in Europe as Gas is Scarce

Coal is coming back in Europe as Gas is Scarce

Coal is a hot issue in this energy-starved world. There is a drive to get out of coal for a better climate. But coal is coming back in Europe. A Bloomberg report said: “Europe is so short of natural gas that the continent — usually seen as the poster child for the global fight against emissions — is turning to[Read More…]

by — 16/06/2021 — 1 comment — Climate Change
Stop Antagonizing China: Suggests Australia’s Top Exporting State

Stop Antagonizing China: Suggests Australia’s Top Exporting State

Australia’s biggest exporting state on Tuesday urged Canberra to stop antagonizing China, the country’s top trade partner, in remarks that came amid escalating criticism of Beijing led by the U.S., Australia’s main ally. “This isn’t about kowtowing to other countries and giving in,” Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan said at Australia’s biggest oil and gas industry conference, being held in[Read More…]

by — 15/06/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
G7 is divided over China

G7 is divided over China

G7 is divided over the China issue. A report by The Telegraph (“China divides G7 as Biden calls for international investigation into origins of Covid-19”, June 14, 2021) said: “Joe Biden has called for an international investigation to establish whether Covid-19 leaked from a Chinese laboratory as he tried to rally G7 leaders behind a ‘competition with autocracies.’ “But his remarks about a[Read More…]

by — 14/06/2021 — 2 comments — World
Destroyed Tapovan Vishnugad Hydroelectric Plant after devastating debris flow on Feb. 7, 2021. Credit: Irfan Rashid, Department of Geoinformatics, University of Kashmir.

Chamoli disaster could happen again: Scientists solve the mystery behind the devastation

Some four months ago, a devastating flood ravaged the Chamoli district in the Indian Himalayas, killing over 200 people. The flood was caused by a massive landslide, which also involved a glacier. Researchers at the University of Zurich, the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) and ETH Zurich have now analyzed the causes, scope and impact[Read More…]

by — 14/06/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Environmental Protection
A few reports on G7 summit

A few reports on G7 summit

The eyes of the world media audience are on Cornwall, a south-west England holiday destination, over the next couple of days as the powerful Group of Seven (G7) summit is going on there. The usual allies — the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and the US — are joined on this occasion by Australia, South Korea, India and South[Read More…]

by — 12/06/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Taiwan, Japan, China: A few developments

Taiwan, Japan, China: A few developments

In the eastern Asia region, Taiwan has become a sensitive topic, especially as Japan, the U.S. and some other U.S. allies move closer to Taipei. Relations with Taiwan is unofficial Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told a regular news conference Friday that “Japan’s position is to maintain relations with Taiwan as those of practical and non-governmental” as stated in[Read More…]

by — 11/06/2021 — 1 comment — World
Major news, social media sites back online after massive internet outage

Major news, social media sites back online after massive internet outage

Dozens of major websites — including The New York Times, CNN, Reddit, Spotify, Twitch, GitHub, gov.uk, Hulu, HBO Max, PayPal, Vimeo, Shopify — were beginning to return online Tuesday morning after crashing in an apparent massive internet outage. The cause of the outage was not immediately clear. Fastly, a popular content delivery network (CDN), confirmed it was experiencing an outage on its[Read More…]

by — 08/06/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Saudi Arabia no Longer an Oil Producing Country, claims the kingdom

Saudi Arabia no Longer an Oil Producing Country, claims the kingdom

Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman announced that Saudi Arabia was no longer an oil-producing country. “Saudi Arabia is no longer an oil country, it’s an energy-producing country,” the Energy Minister told S&P Global Platts this week. But that does not mean Saudi Arabia is planning on producing any fewer barrels of oil. And it does not mean[Read More…]

by — 07/06/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
“We need some divine intervention”: Governor asks Utahns to pray for rain amid brutal drought, California also faces deadly drought

“We need some divine intervention”: Governor asks Utahns to pray for rain amid brutal drought, California also faces deadly drought

U.S. state Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) issued a declaration on Thursday that urges residents to pray for rain as the state experiences record drought. At least 90% of the state is currently experiencing “extreme” to “exceptional” drought, the two worst categories, according to data from the U.S. Drought Monitor. “I’ve already asked all Utahns to conserve water by avoiding long showers, fixing[Read More…]

by — 05/06/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Spend $50bn to end COVID, suggest IMF, World Bank, WHO and WTO

Spend $50bn to end COVID, suggest IMF, World Bank, WHO and WTO

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, World Health Organization (WHO) and World Trade Organization (WTO) on Tuesday made a rare and what they called “extraordinary” plea for international cooperation and investment. “By now it has become abundantly clear there will be no broad-based recovery without an end to the health crisis,” the four bodies said in a joint statement.[Read More…]

by — 03/06/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Monsoon likely to hit India’s southwest coast around June 3, hopes weather office

Monsoon likely to hit India’s southwest coast around June 3, hopes weather office

Monsoon rains are likely to hit India’s southern coast around June 3, largely in line with typical patterns, the state-run India Meteorological Department said in its latest revised forecast on Sunday. Earlier in the day, the weather office had said the start of the monsoon would be on May 31. The leading edge of the southwest monsoon advanced across central[Read More…]

by — 01/06/2021 — Comments are Disabled — South Asia
A system buried 215 children at a former residential school in Canada

A system buried 215 children at a former residential school in Canada

At the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Colombia, Canada, remains of 215 children were found buried. Some of the children were as young as three years old when they died, the First Nation said. Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation hired a specialist in ground-penetrating radar to carry out the work and believes the deaths of the children are undocumented. Chief Rosanne[Read More…]

by — 31/05/2021 — 2 comments — Human Rights
Handover ceremony at Camp Anthonic, from US Army to Afghan Special Forces, Helmand province, Afghanistan, May 2, 2021.

Leave Kabul: Foreign missions prepare for evacuation

In the wake of U.S. and NATO troops withdrawal, foreign missions in Kabul are preparing for evacuation. Media reports said: The U.S. Defense Department and the State Department are drawing up plans for the possible evacuation of Afghans whose lives are in danger because of their work for the U.S. government, the U.S. military’s top officer said. Army Gen. Mark[Read More…]

by — 29/05/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
People of Lakshadweep are in panic

People of Lakshadweep are in panic

IMAGE: Lakshadweep Administrator Praful K Patel, right, with Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi. Photograph: Kind courtesy @prafulkpatel/Twitter Praful K Patel , a hardcore RSS man, was appointed as the Administrator of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, where 99 per cent inhabitants are Muslims, in December 2020. He was allegedly given the task of “communalizing the island as soon as possible.”[Read More…]

by — 28/05/2021 — Comments are Disabled — India
Andhra CM asks PM Modi to halt Covid-19 vaccine supply to pvt hospitals; it is “socially unacceptable”

Andhra CM asks PM Modi to halt Covid-19 vaccine supply to pvt hospitals; it is “socially unacceptable”

Taking a critical view of the Centre’s present Covid-19 vaccination policy, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on May 22 Saturday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to halt supply of vaccines to private hospitals. In a two-page letter to Modi,  Reddy requested that the entire available stock of Covid-19 vaccine to be made available only to the[Read More…]

by — 27/05/2021 — Comments are Disabled — India
$150 billion of oil money has been stolen from Iraq since the US-led invasion of 2003

$150 billion of oil money has been stolen from Iraq since the US-led invasion of 2003

An estimated $150 billion of stolen money has been smuggled out of Iraq in corrupt deals since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, Iraqi President Barham Salih said Sunday. CNN and The New Arab reports said: “Of the close to a thousand billion dollars made from oil since 2003, an estimated $150 billion of stolen money has been smuggled[Read More…]

by — 26/05/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
116 Ex-bureaucrats write to PM Modi on Covid handling

116 Ex-bureaucrats write to PM Modi on Covid handling

They demanded: Stop Central Vista project, give free doses to all “What numbs our senses daily is not just the cries of the citizenry for medical assistance and the death toll in its thousands but the manifestly casual attitude of your government to the magnitude of the crisis and its implications for the mental and physical health of the community[Read More…]

by — 22/05/2021 — Comments are Disabled — India
Activists rally outside Pfizer headquarters in New York City on March 11, 2021. (Photo: Steve Frances Kong)

Profit First: COVID vaccines create 9 billionaires with combined wealth greater than cost of vaccinating poorest countries

At least nine persons have become new billionaires since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, thanks to the excessive profits pharmaceutical corporations with monopolies on COVID vaccines are making, said the People’s Vaccine Alliance (PVA), a group advocating turning vaccine receipts into a global public good. Between them, the nine new billionaires, have a combined net wealth of $19.3 billion,[Read More…]

by — 21/05/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Progressive Alliance Wins in Chile: Pinochet-Era Constitution to be Rewritten

Progressive Alliance Wins in Chile: Pinochet-Era Constitution to be Rewritten

Resounding victories for leftist and independent candidates saw rightwing politicians crash to dismal electoral defeats alongside those with links to Chile’s transition to democracy. Communist party members in Santiago celebrated victories in the constitutional assembly elections. The Chilean voters this weekend elected a progressive slate of delegates to the constituent assembly tasked with rewriting the country’s right-wing constitution, which was[Read More…]

by — 19/05/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
U.S. Operating 60,000-Troop Strong Secret Army, Claims Newsweek report

U.S. Operating 60,000-Troop Strong Secret Army, Claims Newsweek report

The U.S. military is operating a 60,000-troop strong secret army without any Congressional oversight, spending at least $900 million on the program annually, claimed a Newsweek report. The Newsweek report cited the results of a two-year investigation. The magazine’s report, said to be based on dozens of Freedom of Information Act requests, the analysis of 1,600 resumes and job postings,[Read More…]

by — 18/05/2021 — 2 comments — Imperialism
Israel thanks Biden administration for blocking UN statement calling for ceasefire

Israel thanks Biden administration for blocking UN statement calling for ceasefire

Israel’s Defense Minister expressed gratitude to the U.S. for blocking a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire for the third time in a row. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in the western part of Gaza, according to the Jerusalem Post, while local reports suggested that an office for Palestinian Prisoners’ Affairs was targeted, as well as agricultural lands. A recent[Read More…]

by — 18/05/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Palestine
The Al Jalaa Tower housing Al Jazeera and The Associated Press offices collapses after being hit by Israeli missile in Gaza City [Mohammed Salem/Reuters]

Israel Bombs The Building That Houses AP, Al Jazeera etc In Gaza

Israel has bombed the building that houses media offices including AP, Al Jazeera , AJEnglish and other international news organisations. It was not immediately clear if there were casualties in Saturday’s attack. Live Al Jazeera video showed the 11-storey Al-Jalaa building, which also houses a number of residences and other offices, crashing to the ground after being bombed as dust[Read More…]

by — 15/05/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Palestine
Smoke rises after an Israeli missile strike rocks Gaza City on 11 May. Ali HamadAPA images

UN chief, Biden, Putin and China on Israel’s Gaza attack

UN head Antonio Guterres implored the warring parties in Israel and Gaza to halt the bloodshed, amid reports that Israeli officials rejected a ceasefire plan floated by Egypt. “Out of respect for the spirit of Eid, I appeal for an immediate de-escalation and cessation of hostilities in Gaza and Israel,” the UN secretary-general said in a tweet on Thursday night.[Read More…]

by — 14/05/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Palestine
The Pandemic: Global Death Over 3.34M, India Reports Over 343,000 New Cases

The Pandemic: Global Death Over 3.34M, India Reports Over 343,000 New Cases

The global death toll from the coronavirus pandemic has topped 3.34 million and over 160.8 million cases of the infection have been detected, according to Baltimore, Maryland’s Johns Hopkins University (JHU). The U.S., India and Brazil are the top three countries in terms of the number of registered coronavirus infections, while the largest number of COVID-19-related deaths has been observed[Read More…]

by — 14/05/2021 — 1 comment — World
Vancouver, ‘Anti-Asian Hate Crime Capital of North America,’ says Report

Vancouver, ‘Anti-Asian Hate Crime Capital of North America,’ says Report

With more anti-Asian hate crimes than 10 of the most populous U.S. cities combined in 2020, Vancouver has reportedly become the “Anti-Asian Hate Crime Capital of North America.” A report in Bloomberg looked into police figures collected by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism (CSHE) at Cal State San Bernardino. The Bloomberg report looks deeply, with historical[Read More…]

by — 13/05/2021 — 1 comment — World
‘Out of gas:’ Multiple U.S. states declare emergency, drivers in the U.S. Southeast are scrambling for fuel

‘Out of gas:’ Multiple U.S. states declare emergency, drivers in the U.S. Southeast are scrambling for fuel

Gas (fuel) outages are spreading across the U.S. Southeast as motorists rush to fill up their cars days after the biggest U.S. fuel pipeline temporarily shut down following a cyberattack. Gas stations in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee were seeing some panic buying, said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. Virginia and Florida declared a state of[Read More…]

by — 12/05/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
U.S. issues emergency legislation over fuel pipeline cyber-attack by criminal gang

U.S. issues emergency legislation over fuel pipeline cyber-attack by criminal gang

An example of a DarkSide ransomware notice that appears on victims’ computer screens The U.S. government has issued emergency legislation on Sunday after the Colonial Pipeline, the country’s largest fuel pipeline, was hit by a ransomware cyber-attack. The Colonial Pipeline carries 2.5 million barrels a day, 45% of the U.S. East Coast’s supply of diesel, gasoline and jet fuel. It[Read More…]

by — 10/05/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Fish and France and UK, but it is not fish

Fish and France and UK, but it is not fish

Over Fish, France and UK are having a quarrel. But it is not fish that has started the quarrel. Media reports said: France’s junior minister for European affairs Clement Beane threatened the UK on financial services if Britain failed to grant licenses to French fishermen. Clement Beane said France would retaliate in sectors like banking in the European Union to[Read More…]

by — 10/05/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
The Arctic’s greening won’t save us

The Arctic’s greening won’t save us

A new research led by scientists at UC Irvine and Boston University, published in Nature Climate Change (Jonathan A. Wang, Alessandro Baccini, Mary Farina, James T. Randerson, Mark A. Friedl, Disturbance suppresses the aboveground carbon sink in North American boreal forests, Nature Climate Change, 2021; DOI: 10.1038/s41558-021-01027-4 ) suggests that all the new green biomass is not as large a[Read More…]

by — 07/05/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Climate change will be disastrous even after latest world pledges, says report

Climate change will be disastrous even after latest world pledges, says report

The recent pledges made by governments to limit carbon emissions will not be sufficient to meet the goal of keeping global temperatures from rising above 1.5 degrees Celsius, claims a new report. Instead, those nonbinding commitments will result in a rise in the average global temperature to a potentially catastrophic 2.4 degrees Celsius. The Climate Action Tracker (CAT), an independent[Read More…]

by — 06/05/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
(Source: U.S. National Centers for Environmental Information - NCEI)

U.S.’s new normal: hotter, wetter, shorter, heavier, drier and more extreme weather

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) revealed new standards on Tuesday, May 4, 2021 for what an average or “normal” U.S. climate looks like, showing average temperatures in the U.S. rising significantly. Shifting the baseline for normal temperatures highlights just how quickly climate crisis is affecting conditions on Earth. Updating these standards is important for helping shape government[Read More…]

by — 05/05/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Surveillance, counter Russian “propaganda”, Snowden and World Press Freedom Day

Surveillance, counter Russian “propaganda”, Snowden and World Press Freedom Day

Partner with private firms to surveil domestic terrorists A May 3, 2021, Washington datelined CNN report said: The Biden administration is considering using outside firms to track extremist chatter by Americans online, an effort that would expand the government’s ability to gather intelligence but could draw criticism over surveillance of U.S. citizens. The Department of Homeland Security is limited in[Read More…]

by — 04/05/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Afghan National army (ANA) soldiers line up during military training in Badakhshan province, Afghanistan, on May 8, 2016 (Photo by Mohammad Sharif Shayeq/NurPhoto) *** Please Use Credit from Credit Field ***

Reports from Afghanistan: General’s comment, blast, cost

U.S. general: Afghan forces could face ‘bad possible outcomes’ A May 2, 2021, Washington datelined AP report said: Afghan government forces face an uncertain future and, in a worst-case scenario, some “bad possible outcomes” against Taliban insurgents as the withdrawal of American and coalition troops accelerates in the coming weeks, the top U.S. military officer said Sunday. Gen. Mark Milley[Read More…]

by — 03/05/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
TMC Wins in Bengal, Left in Kerala, DMK in Tamil Nadu and BJP in Assam in the super spreader election

TMC Wins in Bengal, Left in Kerala, DMK in Tamil Nadu and BJP in Assam in the super spreader election

In the most anticipated election results in recent times, Mamata Banerjee led Trinamool Congress (TMC) retained West Bengal, Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPI-M) led left front retained Kerala, Dravida Munnetra Kazhakam (DMK) won Tamil Nadu while BJP won Assam and the union territory of Puduchery. Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress is leading in 215 of Bengal’s 294 seats and[Read More…]

by — 02/05/2021 — Comments are Disabled — India
Amidst pandemic and economic sufferings, 2020’s global military spending reached highest level in decades

Amidst pandemic and economic sufferings, 2020’s global military spending reached highest level in decades

Military spending around the world has increased to unprecedented level since 1988 despite economic suffering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the U.S. was ahead of all the countries again, finds Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2020, the latest report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). In 2020, nations were struggling to support their economies through the times[Read More…]

by — 27/04/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Millions of children at risk from serious disease after Covid disrupts 60 mass immunization campaigns

Millions of children at risk from serious disease after Covid disrupts 60 mass immunization campaigns

An alliance of international health agencies has warned that up to 228 million people, mostly children, are at risk from serious disease after the Covid pandemic derailed around 60 mass immunization campaigns in 50 countries. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Gavi vaccines alliance and the World Health Organization (WHO) released a joint statement on Monday warning that “with[Read More…]

by — 27/04/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
China’s Xi Jinping to attend Joe Biden’s climate summit

China’s Xi Jinping to attend Joe Biden’s climate summit

File Photo: China and the US have rediscovered a common interest in battling climate change. Photograph: Paul J Richards/AFP/Getty Images China’s Xi Jinping to attend Joe Biden’s climate summit is a major, welcome news that comes amid continued anti- China stance of the Biden administration. Virtual summit on April 22 Thursday will be the first meeting between the two leaders[Read More…]

by — 22/04/2021 — 1 comment — Climate Change
Portland police disperse protesters Saturday night, riot declared Friday night

Portland police disperse protesters Saturday night, riot declared Friday night

Reports by media including AP and CNN said: In Portland, Oregon, about 70 demonstrators assembled outside Portland Police Bureau’s East Precinct Saturday night. When the group pushed two dumpsters into the street at around 10:30 p.m., police declared an unlawful assembly and officers moved in. There were no arrests and no reported injuries. The police called the demonstrators a “hostile[Read More…]

by — 19/04/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Children in Afghanistan - Photo credit: cdn.pixabay.com

Reactions to U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan

Reactions to the U.S. decision to withdraw troop from Afghanistan are mixed. A few are of disappointment. Media reports said: ‘Not what we’d hoped for’: UK military chief disappointed Britain’s military chief has expressed disappointment at president Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan. General Sir Nick Carter, the Chief of the Defense Staff, said it was “not[Read More…]

by — 18/04/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
The Pandemic: death toll reaches 3 million, crisis deepening in Brazil, India, France

The Pandemic: death toll reaches 3 million, crisis deepening in Brazil, India, France

The global death toll from the coronavirus pandemic has topped 3 million people amid repeated setbacks in the worldwide vaccination campaign and a deepening crisis in countries like Brazil, India and France. World Health Organization (WHO) says pandemic is at a critical point. The number of deaths, compiled by Johns Hopkins University, is about equal to the population of metropolitan Lisbon, Portugal[Read More…]

by — 18/04/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Photo: Juvenal Balán, Granma

Raul Castro steps down, next generation of anti-imperialist leaders take responsibility

Raul Castro, leader of the Communist Party of Cuba, has announced that he is stepping down and handing leadership to a younger generation “full of passion and anti-imperialist spirit.” Fidel Castro and Raul Castro have led the Communist Party of Cuba party since 1961. Ready to defend revolution “As I live I will be ready with my foot in the[Read More…]

by — 17/04/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Mass shootings, racism, video games, Fox News, CNN, Washington DC and Americans’ opinions  

Mass shootings, racism, video games, Fox News, CNN, Washington DC and Americans’ opinions  

A new poll has found a majority of Americans is blaming mass shootings in the U.S. on easy access to guns and racism, but a significant portion also put networks like Fox News and CNN at fault. Asked “how much do you blame each of the following for mass shootings?” in the wide-ranging Politico/Morning Consult poll, 69% and 67% pointed[Read More…]

by — 15/04/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Wright shooting: 3rd day of riot: Curfew: Protesters across U.S. call for justice

Wright shooting: 3rd day of riot: Curfew: Protesters across U.S. call for justice

Communities across the U.S. marched and mourned for the third consecutive night Tuesday in memory of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was fatally shot by a police officer after a traffic stop over the weekend. Meanwhile, the cities of Brooklyn Center, Minneapolis and St. Paul imposed 10 p.m. curfews. Wright’s death on Sunday has shaken a nation already[Read More…]

by — 14/04/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Japan government will release irradiated water from Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea

Japan government will release irradiated water from Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea

Contaminated wastewater at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant will be released into the ocean “in around two years,” the Japanese government has announced, despite calls from China and South Korea urging against the move. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced the move in Tokyo, on Tuesday. He had previously called the release “unavoidable” given the amount of accumulated water over[Read More…]

by — 13/04/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Riot, curfew, protesters besiege Brooklyn Center police department in Minnesota, U.S.

Riot, curfew, protesters besiege Brooklyn Center police department in Minnesota, U.S.

Flash-bangs and teargas were used to disperse the crowd gathered outside the Brooklyn Center, Minnesota police department, in violation of the curfew declared to stop the riots over the death of Daunte Wright. An hour and 45 minutes after the 7 pm curfew went into effect, police issued a final “unlawful assembly” warning and deployed crowd control weapons. Some of[Read More…]

by — 13/04/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Worst drought in modern history may hit Western U.S.

Worst drought in modern history may hit Western U.S.

Extreme drought may be going to hit across the Western U.S. Some scientists saying the region is on the precipice of permanent drought. In 2000, the Western U.S. entered the beginning of what scientists call a megadrought — the second worst in 1,200 years — triggered by a combination of a natural dry cycle and human-caused climate change. The U.S.[Read More…]

by — 12/04/2021 — 1 comment — Climate Change
COVID-19: South Asia passes the grisly milestone of 15 million cases

COVID-19: South Asia passes the grisly milestone of 15 million cases

Coronavirus infections in the South Asia has surpassed the grim milestone of 15 million on Saturday, a Reuters tally shows. The surge is led by India’s record daily infections and vaccine shortages. South Asia — India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, and Sri Lanka — accounts for 11% of global cases and almost 6% of deaths. The region accounts for[Read More…]

by — 11/04/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Horn of Africa: A blamegame

Horn of Africa: A blamegame

Once again we see US and Europe on the basis of false information and misleading campaigns have a destructive influence and lacks understanding of the peace process in The Horn of Africa. For 80 years, the UN and the international community disregarded Eritrea’s rights. The peace agreement in 2018 between Ethiopia and Eritrea was a welcome development in a region,[Read More…]

by — 10/04/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
7th night of Belfast riots and protests: Bus set alight and petrol bombs thrown

7th night of Belfast riots and protests: Bus set alight and petrol bombs thrown

Police in Belfast faced further disruption in Belfast on Thursday (April 8) night as crowds gathered again for the seventh night. Police blasted rioters with water cannon. Police officers were called in from other parts of Northern Ireland to help to deal with the rioting. More than 50 officers have been hurt in violence in several areas since the end[Read More…]

by — 09/04/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Protests against Pakistan Prime Minister’s comment linking rape to how women dress

Protests against Pakistan Prime Minister’s comment linking rape to how women dress

Pakistan rights campaigners have accused the country’s Prime Minister Imran Khan of “baffling ignorance” after the former cricketer linked how women dress to cause a rise in rape cases. In a weekend interview on live television, Oxford-educated Imran Khan said an increase in rapes indicated the “consequences in any society where vulgarity is on the rise.” “The incidents of rape[Read More…]

by — 08/04/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Patriarchy
Riot in Swiss city, police use rubber bullet and tear gas, dozens detained

Riot in Swiss city, police use rubber bullet and tear gas, dozens detained

Police used rubber bullets against rioters as the rioters hurled bottles and Molotov cocktails in the northeastern Swiss city of St. Gallen on Saturday. More than 30 people were temporarily banned from entering the city. The riot broke out after around 1,000 young people gathered at the Roter Platz square in the city center. The agitated crowd attacked police and[Read More…]

by — 05/04/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Thousands march across UK as police clash with Kill the Bill protestors in London, dozens arrested

Thousands march across UK as police clash with Kill the Bill protestors in London, dozens arrested

Police have arrested 26 people following clashes in London as thousands of demonstrators attended numerous marches against a controversial UK government crackdown on protests. Demonstrators on Saturday marched and gave speeches while holding signs with slogans such as ‘Kill the Bill,’ referring to the controversial proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. The proposed legislation would give police more authority[Read More…]

by — 04/04/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Fauci does not buy coronavirus originated in China lab-theory

Fauci does not buy coronavirus originated in China lab-theory

Dr. Anthony Fauci, a top adviser to the U.S. President on the coronavirus pandemic, said he did not believe that the coronavirus originated in a Chinese laboratory for studying pathogens. Dr. Fauci’s opinion appears to contradict controversial remarks made earlier on March 27, 2021 by the former head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr. Robert[Read More…]

by — 29/03/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Deadly heat waves will be common in South Asia, even at 1.5 degrees of warming

Deadly heat waves will be common in South Asia, even at 1.5 degrees of warming

A new study projecting the amount of heat stress residents of the South Asia region will experience in the future finds with 2 degrees Celsius of warming, the population’s exposure to heat stress will nearly triple. Limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius will likely reduce that impact by half, but deadly heat stress will become commonplace across South Asia, according[Read More…]

by — 26/03/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Turkey quits treaty on violence against women and transgender religious school opens in Pakistan

Turkey quits treaty on violence against women and transgender religious school opens in Pakistan

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has pulled Turkey out of an international accord designed to protect women, according to an official notice. The Council of Europe accord, better known as the Istanbul Convention, pledged to prevent, prosecute and eliminate domestic violence and promote equality. Turkey signed it in 2011, but femicide has surged there regardless in recent years. No reason was[Read More…]

by — 25/03/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Patriarchy
Sanctions and Sanctions: U.S. and its allies hit China

Sanctions and Sanctions: U.S. and its allies hit China

The U.S. and its allies – Canada, Britain and the European Union – on Monday announced sanctions on several Chinese officials alleged to have links to what U.S. officials say is a “genocidal” campaign against Uyghur Muslims. The U.S.-led multi-national, coordinated sanctions drew condemnation and some immediate retaliatory sanctions from China. The moves offered a glimpse into the growing divide[Read More…]

by — 24/03/2021 — 1 comment — World
One-in-100-year flood in Australia while drought threatens Texas cattle ranches

One-in-100-year flood in Australia while drought threatens Texas cattle ranches

Australia’s east coast is being hit by record rainfall, with flood warnings issued and a natural disaster declared for parts of New South Wales (NSW), Australia’s most populous state with 8 million people. The flooding comes in stark contrast with the devastating bushfires that struck Australia in late 2019 and early 2020, when nearly 7% of NSW land was scorched.[Read More…]

by — 23/03/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
The welcome thaw in India-Pakistan relations is backed by Pakistan’s army too

The welcome thaw in India-Pakistan relations is backed by Pakistan’s army too

 “A nation at peace and a region in harmony are thus essential prerequisites for attainment of national security in the true spirit. No national leaders of today can ignore these factors,” said Army chief Gen Bajwa, marking a significant iteration of Pakistan’s latest security policy. “…, it is an almost universally acknowledged fact that the contemporary concept of national security[Read More…]

by — 22/03/2021 — Comments are Disabled — South Asia
On relation with India, Pakistan army chief is ready to bury hatchet

On relation with India, Pakistan army chief is ready to bury hatchet

Pakistan’s army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa called on Thursday for arch rivals India and Pakistan to “bury the past” and move towards cooperation. He expressed that the U.S. had a role to play in ending regional conflict. The Pak general’s statement is an overture towards New Delhi that follows an unexpected joint ceasefire announcement last month between the two[Read More…]

by — 19/03/2021 — Comments are Disabled — South Asia
White supremacist propaganda in U.S. hit an all-time high in 2020, says report

White supremacist propaganda in U.S. hit an all-time high in 2020, says report

Citing a new report from the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism, media reports from the U.S. said there has been alarming increase of white supremacist propaganda in the U.S. Incidents of white supremacist propaganda hit an all-time high in 2020, according to the report. Anti-Semitic, racist and anti-LGBTQ+ posters, flyers and graffiti were recorded 5,125 times in 2020, according to[Read More…]

by — 18/03/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
UK commits to increasing its nuclear arsenal but Boris calls on China to reduce 

UK commits to increasing its nuclear arsenal but Boris calls on China to reduce 

The UK prime minister Boris Johnson has said UK plans to increase its nuclear arsenal by 40%, but China should be brought into international efforts to reduce the world stockpile of nuclear weapons. Speaking on Tuesday, as the British government published its Integrated Review of Security, Defense, Development and Foreign Policy, the UK prime minister highlighted China as posing a[Read More…]

by — 17/03/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Anti-China slander by Western and Indian agencies on Covid-19 exposed by WHO and international team of experts

Anti-China slander by Western and Indian agencies on Covid-19 exposed by WHO and international team of experts

The slander campaign in India was meant to vitiate the atmosphere and undermine efforts for peace and friendship, and to aid the imperialists’ trade war against china, with India as a junior partner.  The National Health Commission of China on March 15 released the full transcript of a joint China-WHO press conference on the WHO-convened Global Study of Origins of[Read More…]

by — 17/03/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Des Moines reporter’s acquittal lauded as victory for press freedom

Des Moines reporter’s acquittal lauded as victory for press freedom

  Andrea Sahouri, the Iowa journalist who was arrested as she reported on racial justice protests last summer, was found not guilty in a case that drew widespread condemnation from journalism and free press organizations. Sahouri, a Des Moines Register reporter, was one of just a handful of journalists whose charges stemming from coverage of the protests in the wake[Read More…]

by — 12/03/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
EPS Scheme not consistent with human dignity

EPS Scheme not consistent with human dignity

E A S Sarma, former secretary to the government of India, drew the attention of the finance minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman regarding the plight of 40 lakh workers who are getting a meagre sum as EPF pension. In a letter dated 22-9-2020 he clarified to the union finance minister, One of the sections of the people who seem to be[Read More…]

by — 11/03/2021 — Comments are Disabled — India
$100 million: Maintaining the royal family  

$100 million: Maintaining the royal family  

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey has refocused attention on the couple’s bid for financial independence, and exactly how much is needed to maintain and protect certain members of the royal court. Among other surprising disclosures, Prince Harry revealed that shortly after announcing their departure, the couple was cut off financially and lost their security detail.[Read More…]

by — 11/03/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Three U.S. polls on the Pandemic: Deaths, and weakening of wallet 

Three U.S. polls on the Pandemic: Deaths, and weakening of wallet 

The ongoing pandemic has deeply affected countries. The U.S. is no exception. Rather, impact of the pandemic on the U.S. is deeper than many countries. Three polls show a few aspects of the impact. Fewer than 10,000 A report said: One year ago, on the eve of the eventful day that signaled the start of the COVID-19 pandemic — March[Read More…]

by — 10/03/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Reporter goes to trial over arrest during BLM protest in U.S.

Reporter goes to trial over arrest during BLM protest in U.S.

A media report from the U.S. said: The trial of journalist Andrea Sahouri began Monday with a police officer stating that he had no choice but to arrest her during last year’s racial justice protests in Des Moines, Iowa, because she did not leave the area after he deployed pepper spray. Sahouri, a Des Moines Register public safety reporter, is[Read More…]

by — 10/03/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Uncategorized
Calls to abolish UK monarchy after Harry and Meghan’s interview

Calls to abolish UK monarchy after Harry and Meghan’s interview

Following UK’s Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s CBS interview with Oprah Winfrey on Sunday night, #AbolishTheMonarchy trended on Twitter. A headline in The Telegraph said on March 9, 2021: “Prince Harry has lit a slow burn stick of dynamite that will cause the greatest devastation of all.” The interview contained revelations that left viewers stunned. One of the biggest moments[Read More…]

by — 09/03/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Stark divide on race in U.S., finds poll

Stark divide on race in U.S., finds poll

Americans’ trust in the Black Lives Matter movement has fallen and their faith in local law enforcement has risen since protests demanding social justice swept the nation last year, finds an exclusive USA TODAY/Ipsos Poll. On many issues, the survey finds a chasm in the perspective between Black people and white people. A report by USA Today said: Last June,[Read More…]

by — 08/03/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Biden response to Khashoggi investigation ‘shocking,’ says UN official

Biden response to Khashoggi investigation ‘shocking,’ says UN official

The UN official who investigated the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi sharply criticized U.S. President Biden’s response to the killing, saying his administration’s failure to sanction Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent a “dangerous” message to world leaders that they could kill dissidents and journalists with impunity. “I found it to be shocking,” Agnes Callamard, the UN special[Read More…]

by — 04/03/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Anti-Asian hate crimes rose 150% in major U.S. cities, finds study

Anti-Asian hate crimes rose 150% in major U.S. cities, finds study

Hate crimes targeting Asian-Americans rose 150% in U.S.’s largest cities last year, even as overall hate crimes decreased, according to alarming new data released Tuesday. There were 122 hate crimes targeting Asian-Americans in 16 of the U.S.’s most populous cities in 2020, according to a study of police records by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at[Read More…]

by — 04/03/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
China challenges UN high commissioner: Come to Xinjiang, but not for ‘investigation based on guilty before proven’

China challenges UN high commissioner: Come to Xinjiang, but not for ‘investigation based on guilty before proven’

China has said that the door to Xinjiang “is always open” for UN High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet, after she claimed Muslim Uighurs are suffering arbitrary detention and ill-treatment in the area. The statement was made on Tuesday by the Chinese delegation to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in response to comments by Bachelet claiming an independent investigation needs[Read More…]

by — 03/03/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Human Rights
Big companies find profit in carbon offsets market

Big companies find profit in carbon offsets market

Big companies are finding profit in carbon offsets market. “The value of the global market for carbon emissions offsets,” writes  Frank Watson (Global carbon offsets market could be worth $200 billion by 2050: Berenberg, 13 May 2020 https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/natural-gas/051320-global-carbon-offsets-market-could-be-worth-200-bil-by-2050-berenberg) “could increase to $200 billion by 2050, German bank Berenberg said in a note”. Frank Watson writes: “Although now relatively small, the[Read More…]

by — 02/03/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
‘Final Solution’ by Rakesh Sharma is free for viewing until March 31 on Vimeo

‘Final Solution’ by Rakesh Sharma is free for viewing until March 31 on Vimeo

‘Final Solution’ – an award winning, must watch documentary film by Rakesh Sharma made in 2004 is streaming on Vimeo for free until March 31. The film is about 2002 Gujarat carnage and the rise of the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi. The film maker keeps this film open for public view at Vimeo at free of charge till March[Read More…]

by — 01/03/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Arts/Literature
U.S. wasted billions on cars, buildings in Afghanistan

U.S. wasted billions on cars, buildings in Afghanistan

The U.S. wasted billions of dollars in war-torn Afghanistan on buildings and vehicles that were either abandoned or destroyed, said a report released Monday by a U.S. government watchdog. The agency said it reviewed $7.8 billion spent since 2008 on buildings and vehicles. Only $343.2 million worth of buildings and vehicles “were maintained in good condition,” said the Special Inspector[Read More…]

by — 01/03/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
U.S. airstrikes in Syria: Senator condemns attacking a sovereign nation

U.S. airstrikes in Syria: Senator condemns attacking a sovereign nation

The U.S. forces deadly airstrikes in Syria sparked complaints from some of U.S. President Joe Biden’s Democratic allies that he overreached, while key Republicans applauded the move. The reactions came after the Feb. 25 airstrikes targeted facilities belonging to an Iranian-backed Iraqi armed group, reportedly killing one fighter. The strike could be a test of whether Congress, which fought to[Read More…]

by — 28/02/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Imperialism
U.S. bombs Syria at Biden’s order, hits ‘Iranian-backed militia facilities’

U.S. bombs Syria at Biden’s order, hits ‘Iranian-backed militia facilities’

The U.S. launched airstrikes in Syria on Thursday, targeting facilities near the Iraqi border used by Iranian-backed militia groups. The Pentagon said the strikes were retaliation for a Feb. 15 rocket attack in northern Iraq that killed one civilian contractor and wounded a U.S. service member and other coalition troops. The airstrike was the first military action undertaken by the[Read More…]

by — 26/02/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
The Pandemic: Half a million lives lost in U.S., more than the two World Wars and Vietnam War combined

The Pandemic: Half a million lives lost in U.S., more than the two World Wars and Vietnam War combined

Over half a million people have died of coronavirus in the U.S. Grasping the enormity — half a million people gone — is difficult to visualize. More people have died in the U.S. due to COVID-19 than any other country in the world. With 4% of the world’s population, the U.S. has 20% of all COVID deaths and one of[Read More…]

by — 23/02/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
That Blackwater: Its founder accused of helping USA evade U.N. Libya sanctions

That Blackwater: Its founder accused of helping USA evade U.N. Libya sanctions

Media reports said: Erik Prince, the private security executive and supporter of former U.S. President Donald Trump, “at the very least” helped evade an arms embargo on Libya, according to excerpts from a UN report. Independent UN sanctions monitors accused Prince of proposing a private military operation – known as ‘Project Opus’ – to Libya’s eastern-based commander General Khalifa Haftar[Read More…]

by — 22/02/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
America is back, Biden tells allies, but Macron and Merkel push back

America is back, Biden tells allies, but Macron and Merkel push back

The U.S. President Joe Biden has declared that America is back. He was addressing a session of the Munich Security Conference from the White House Friday. Biden said: And I’m a man of my word — America is back. I speak to you today as president of the United States at the very start of my administration, and I’m sending[Read More…]

by — 21/02/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Devastated by ice storm, Texans are now hunting food and safe water

Devastated by ice storm, Texans are now hunting food and safe water

Media reports from U.S. said: The slow-moving winter disaster pummeling Texas that began with snow, ice and widespread blackouts is now moving into a new phase: A dire lack of food and fresh water. Millions do not have safe water at home, and residents looking for groceries or bottled water said they arrived to stores with bare shelves and long[Read More…]

by — 20/02/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
‘A humanitarian crisis’: Cold and snow put millions in danger in Texas: 38 dead

‘A humanitarian crisis’: Cold and snow put millions in danger in Texas: 38 dead

Texas’s freeze entered a sixth day on Thursday. At least 31 people have died as of Wednesday afternoon as a result of the severe weather in Texas. But some media reports said, days of glacial weather have left at least 38 people dead in the U.S. The snow made many roads impassable, disrupted coronavirus vaccine distribution and blanketed nearly three-quarters[Read More…]

by — 19/02/2021 — 1 comment — Climate Change
Amazon’s conflict with Indian retailers

Amazon’s conflict with Indian retailers

Amazon is in conflict with Indian retailers. A leading group of Indian retailers on Wednesday urged the government to ban the local operations of Amazon.com Inc, after Reuters reported the U.S. e-commerce giant has for years given preferential treatment to a small group of sellers on its India platform and used them to circumvent the country’s strict foreign investment regulations.[Read More…]

by — 18/02/2021 — Comments are Disabled — India
If The Former Chief Justice of India Doesn’t Trust Judiciary, Who Will?

If The Former Chief Justice of India Doesn’t Trust Judiciary, Who Will?

Judiciary ramshackled, going to court is useless: Ex-CJI Ranjan Gogoi That was the title of a report in newindianexpress.com, published 14th February 2021. “Who goes to the court? You go to the court and regret,” Ranjan Gogoi said, adding that it is those who can afford to take chances, such as the big corporates, who approach the courts. Expressing concern over[Read More…]

by — 16/02/2021 — Comments are Disabled — India
UK economy’s collapse in 2020 was worst since 1709

UK economy’s collapse in 2020 was worst since 1709

The coronavirus pandemic’s economic collapse in the UK is severe, worst in three centuries. The economy contracted by 9.9 percent in 2020, initial estimates from the Office for National Statistics showed on February 12, 2021. A study of historical data by the Bank of England shows that recession to be the worst since 1709, the year known as the Great[Read More…]

by — 13/02/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Grain Scam in Punjab, by farmers… a  message being circulated in social media. Is it true?

Grain Scam in Punjab, by farmers… a  message being circulated in social media. Is it true?

FCI storage yards with wheat bought at MSP, scene across Punjab and Haryana. Water  is sprinkled on wheat bags to let the grain rot, and is thrown out as waste. Sold to distilleries by “ 5-star farmers and their agents” now agitating on Delhi border. Rs 6000 to  7000 cr per year involved. Going on for 45 years. So the[Read More…]

by — 12/02/2021 — Comments are Disabled — India
Bhima Koregaon Case: Evidence planted in accused Rona Wilson’s computer

Bhima Koregaon Case: Evidence planted in accused Rona Wilson’s computer

Activist Rona Wilson’s computer was compromised for over 22 months before the Pune Police raided his home in New Delhi and arrested him as co-accused in Bhima Koregaon violence, claimed the Massachusetts-based digital forensics firm Arsenal Digital. The firm in its report said that the 10 letters used first by Pune Police and later the National Investigation Agency (NIA) as[Read More…]

by — 11/02/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Human Rights
Raid On NewsClick: An Attempt To Muzzle The Voices of Dissent

Raid On NewsClick: An Attempt To Muzzle The Voices of Dissent

NewsClick, a progressive website based out of Delhi has been raided by the Enforcement Directorate. The raid comes at a time when NewsClick has been bravely covering the farmers’ agitation and other issues of the marginalised when most of the mainstream media are keeping silent or toeing the line of the government. The raid on NewsClick is a continuation of[Read More…]

by — 10/02/2021 — Comments are Disabled — India
Source: Bloomberg

The U.S. and China are already fighting for 6G dominance

A Bloomberg report said: “Most of the world is yet to experience the benefits of a 5G network, but the geopolitical race for the next big thing in telecommunications technology is already heating up. “For companies and governments, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The first to develop and patent 6G will be the biggest winners in what some call the[Read More…]

by — 09/02/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Two U.S. carriers groups conduct exercise in South China Sea amid tensions with China

Two U.S. carriers groups conduct exercise in South China Sea amid tensions with China

Media reports said: Two U.S. carrier strike groups have conducted joint exercises in the South China Sea. This new muscle flexing comes days after the U.S. buzzed China-controlled islets in the disputed waters, prompting anger from China. The two groups, led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Nimitz aircraft carriers, trained in the South China Sea on Tuesday, the[Read More…]

by — 09/02/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
The delegates voted and approved the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress. (Photo: VNA)

13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam and its significance

The results of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), with Nguyen Phu Trong re-elected as General Secretary of the 13th Party Central Committee, have made headlines around Asia, according to Vietnam News Agency (VNA). It began on Jan 25 and concluded on February 1 after eight days of working. The congress fulfilled its agenda and[Read More…]

by — 09/02/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Did Climate Change Cause The Uttarakhand Tragedy?

Did Climate Change Cause The Uttarakhand Tragedy?

The rescue operations for the tragic glacier burst which killed 11 and triggered massive flooding in Dhauliganga and Alaknanda Rivers in Uttarakhand causing grave damage to houses and the nearby Rishiganga power project is still underway. Reportedly, over 203 people went missing after the tragedy. As per the latest reports, the rescue teams have been conducting non-stop operations and have[Read More…]

by — 08/02/2021 — 2 comments — Climate Change
Global food prices soar to 6-year high, says FAO

Global food prices soar to 6-year high, says FAO

World food prices rose in January for the eighth consecutive month, led by cereals, vegetable oils and sugar, reports the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. A FAO report said that its food price index marked a 4.3 percent increase from December, reaching its highest level since July 2014. FAO’s Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes[Read More…]

by — 08/02/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
The Pandemic: Global cases top 100 million

The Pandemic: Global cases top 100 million

Global COVID-19 cases topped 100 million Tuesday as virus mutations continue to create new concerns, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University. Although the U.S. makes up just over 4 per cent of the world’s population, the country remains the leader in recorded cases of the COVID-19, also identified as coronavirus, with more than 25 million infections. India ranks[Read More…]

by — 27/01/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
Earth’s ice melting at record rate, finds study

Earth’s ice melting at record rate, finds study

The world’s ice is melting so fast that sea level rise predictions cannot keep up. The ice melting is faster today than in the mid-1990s, new research suggests, as climate crisis nudges global temperatures ever higher. In the 1990s, the Earth’s ice was melting at a rate of about 760 billion tons per year. That has surged 60 percent to[Read More…]

by — 26/01/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Farmers Breach Red Fort; One Farmer Dead

Farmers Breach Red Fort; One Farmer Dead

India’s historic farmers’ tractor parade breached police barriers and briefly took control of the historic Red Fort. The agitating farmers climbed on a pole and foisted a flag sacred to Sikh religion. There were violent clashes between farmers and the police. One farmer died in the commotion in ITO. Police used tear gas on groups of farmers and resorted to[Read More…]

by — 26/01/2021 — Comments are Disabled — India
Wealth Of Indian Billionaires Increased 35% During Covid Pandemic

Wealth Of Indian Billionaires Increased 35% During Covid Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown in India made the rich richer said a report by Oxfam. The report – titled The Inequality Virus – said the wealth of the country’s billionaires increased by an estimated 35 per cent during the lockdown, while 84 per cent of households suffered varying degrees of income loss, and 1.7 lakh people lost[Read More…]

by — 25/01/2021 — 1 comment — India
Taiwan Tension: U.S. carrier group enters South China Sea

Taiwan Tension: U.S. carrier group enters South China Sea

Tensions are rising in the South China Sea. A Taipei, January 24, 2021 datelined Reuters report said: A U.S. aircraft carrier group led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt has entered the South China Sea to promote “freedom of the seas”, the U.S. military said on Sunday, at a time when tensions between China and Taiwan have raised concern in Washington.[Read More…]

by — 24/01/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
American trust in the mainstream media hits an all-time low

American trust in the mainstream media hits an all-time low

New data from Edelman shows that American trust in media is at all-time low. While 56% believe that journalists and reporters are purposely trying to mislead, 58% think news organizations are more interested in ideology than facts, and only 18% of Republicans trust the media versus 57% of Democrats. As a whole, 46% of Americans of all political stripes say they[Read More…]

by — 22/01/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
The pandemic: Global death toll tops 2M

The pandemic: Global death toll tops 2M

The global death toll from COVID-19, identified also as coronavirus, pandemic topped 2 million on January 15, 2021. The number of dead, compiled by Johns Hopkins University, U.S., is about equal to the population of Brussels, Mecca, Minsk or Vienna. It is roughly equivalent to the population of the Cleveland metropolitan area in the U.S., or the entire U.S. state[Read More…]

by — 16/01/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World
British Judge Rejects US Attempt to Extradite Julian Assange

British Judge Rejects US Attempt to Extradite Julian Assange

A British judge on Monday rejected the United States’ request to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to face espionage charges, saying he was likely to kill himself if held under harsh U.S. prison conditions. District Judge Vanessa Baraitser rejected allegations that Assange is being prosecuted for political reasons or would not receive a fair trial in the United States. But[Read More…]

by — 04/01/2021 — Comments are Disabled — Human Rights
Kerala and Farmers: Modi’s Claim Refuted

Kerala and Farmers: Modi’s Claim Refuted

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claim that the left parties did not implement APMC Act is firmly being refuted by Kerala government and farmer’s union. Prime Minister Narendra Modi while announcing PM-KISAN scheme questioned the opposition parties who have extended their support to the protesting farmers in Delhi but ignored the non-implementation of APMCs in states like Kerala. “The groups who[Read More…]

by — 28/12/2020 — Comments are Disabled — India
Climate crisis: Lakes to shrink

Climate crisis: Lakes to shrink

Although sea levels are rising due to the climate crisis and threatening near-coastal infrastructures, higher temperatures in other areas are having exactly the opposite effect. The water levels are falling and causing massive problems. The consequences are equally serious. But the declining water levels are receiving less attention according to Matthias Prange, Thomas Wilke of the Justus Liebig University in[Read More…]

by — 25/12/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Coral bleaching: after (left) and before (right). The Ocean Agency/WL Catlin Seaview

World could lose coral reefs by end of century, warns UN environment report

Every one of the world’s coral reefs could bleach by the end of the century, unless there are drastic reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has warned. Coral reefs are incredibly important and sustain a wide variety of marine life. They also protect coastlines from erosions from waves and storms, sink carbon and nitrogen and help[Read More…]

by — 24/12/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Courtesy: The Kathmandu Post

Nepal Communist Party splits

The ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) suffered a vertical split on December 23, 2020, with the rival factions of the party led by the two chairmen claiming their faction to be the authentic NCP in separate central committee meetings held in Kathmandu, the capital city. The faction led by Co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal removed KP Sharma Oli from the post[Read More…]

by — 23/12/2020 — Comments are Disabled — South Asia
Courtesy: The Kathmandu Post

Is Nepal Communist Party heading towards split? 

As K P Sharma Oli, the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) chair and prime minister, in a bid to achieve a majority in the party Central Committee announced a 1,199-member general convention organizing committee a question looms over Nepal – is the Nepal Communist Party is heading towards a split? At a meeting of the Central Committee with the members close[Read More…]

by — 22/12/2020 — Comments are Disabled — South Asia
Japan approves record defense budget for fiscal 2021 amid China threats

Japan approves record defense budget for fiscal 2021 amid China threats

The Japan government approved on December 21, 2020 a record defense budget for fiscal 2021 totaling ¥5.34 trillion ($51.7 billion), as it seeks to introduce new standoff missiles capable of attacking enemy vessels from outside their firing range amid growing threats from China. The draft budget is up 0.5% from fiscal 2020, including outlays linked to hosting the U.S.’ military[Read More…]

by — 21/12/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
House dissolved in Nepal, mid-term polls announced

House dissolved in Nepal, mid-term polls announced

Media reports from Nepal said: In a dramatic turn of events, Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on December 20, 2020 decided to dissolve the House of Representatives (HoR) and call mid-term polls to be held in two phases. Oli, who has been mired in an intra-party feud with the rival faction of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP), recommended[Read More…]

by — 21/12/2020 — Comments are Disabled — South Asia
The Adoration of the Magi, 1450 by Giovanni di Paolo depicts the Star of Bethlehem - Alamy

Has the Star of Bethlehem returned? Christmas Star for first time in 800 years on December 21

A phenomenon not seen for nearly 800 years will light up the sky next week. Two of the largest planets – Jupiter and Saturn – in the solar system will come together in “a great conjunction” right in time for Christmas, the U.S. space agency NASA reported. It is also the same day as the winter solstice. Jupiter and Saturn[Read More…]

by — 20/12/2020 — 1 comment — World
Oceans without oxygen

Oceans without oxygen

With no dissolved oxygen to sustain animals or plants, ocean anoxic zones are areas where only microbes suited to the environment can live. These strange ecosystems are expanding, thanks to climate change – a development that is of concern for fisheries and anyone who relies on oxygen-rich oceans. Escaping predators, digestion and other animal activities — including those of humans[Read More…]

by — 18/12/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
250,000 including children and women have been abused in state and faith-based care in New Zealand

250,000 including children and women have been abused in state and faith-based care in New Zealand

It has been estimated that up to a quarter of a million children, young people and vulnerable adults were abused in state and faith-based care between 1950 and 2019 in New Zealand. The Royal Commission into Abuse in Care has released the findings. Of 655,000 in care during the period, it is estimated up to 40 percent were abused. An[Read More…]

by — 17/12/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Cancer, birth defect: Iraq to sue U.S. over sovereignty violation and use of depleted uranium weapons

Cancer, birth defect: Iraq to sue U.S. over sovereignty violation and use of depleted uranium weapons

An advisor to the Iraqi parliament’s foreign affairs committee said: Iraq government is planning to lodge an international lawsuit against the U.S. for violating the country’s sovereignty and using internationally-banned munitions in civilian areas. Hatif al-Rikabi told Arabic-language al-Maalomah news agency in an interview that Iraq is going to file the case at Swedish and German courts over appalling crimes that the U.S. has perpetrated[Read More…]

by — 16/12/2020 — 1 comment — World
Farmers’ Agitation: A Conspiracy Going Around Delhi, As Modi Says Or …?  

Farmers’ Agitation: A Conspiracy Going Around Delhi, As Modi Says Or …?  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Dec 15 Tuesday said that a conspiracy is going around Delhi. The PM was speaking at the inauguration of mega energy projects in Kutch, in his home state Gujarat. The PM’s statement came even as the farmers’ agitation across the country entered its 20th day. Five rounds of talks between the government and the farmers[Read More…]

by — 16/12/2020 — Comments are Disabled — India
Secret Amazon Reports Expose the Company’s Surveillance of Labor and Environmental Groups

Secret Amazon Reports Expose the Company’s Surveillance of Labor and Environmental Groups

Dozens of leaked documents from Amazon’s Global Security Operations Center reveal the company’s reliance on Pinkerton operatives to spy on warehouse workers and the extensive monitoring of labor unions, environmental activists, and other social movements. A report by Lauren Kaori Gurley on 23.11.20 in Vice (https://www.vice.com/en/article/5dp3yn/amazon-leaked-reports-expose-spying-warehouse-workers-labor-union-environmental-groups-social-movements) said: “A trove of more than two dozen internal Amazon reports reveal in stark[Read More…]

by — 15/12/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Americans’ trust in U.S. government’s competence remains low

Americans’ trust in U.S. government’s competence remains low

Americans’ trust in the federal government in handling major problems has fallen nearly to all-time lows, finds Gallup. Based on an annual poll conducted between August 31 and September 31, 2020, Gallup found: About 48% of Americans say they have a “great deal” or a “fair amount” of confidence in the government to handle international problems and 41% on its[Read More…]

by — 14/12/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
War profit: Danish pension funds financing war in Yemen, says Oxfam IBIS

War profit: Danish pension funds financing war in Yemen, says Oxfam IBIS

Denmark’s 16 pension funds have together invested almost 3 billion Danish kroner ($500 million) in foreign arms manufacturers supplying weapons to countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), finds a new research. Those weapons were most likely used in the war in Yemen, as Saudi Arabia and the UAE are heavily involved in the conflict there, said[Read More…]

by — 13/12/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
The world is heading for 3 degrees of warming this century, warns UN report

The world is heading for 3 degrees of warming this century, warns UN report

The United Nations Environment Program’s (UNEP) emissions gap report – Emissions Gap Report 2020 – released on December 9 warns: Despite a brief dip in carbon dioxide emissions caused by the pandemic, the world is still heading for a temperature rise of 3.2°C this century. The report published at the end of every year measures national commitments to reduce emissions[Read More…]

by — 11/12/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
RSS affiliate backs protesting farmers, says new Acts only favour companies

RSS affiliate backs protesting farmers, says new Acts only favour companies

In fact “these people ( the bureaucrats ) have even made the Prime Minister give wrong statements about the Acts,” says leader of  BKS.  It shows how the State functions and ruling politicians have to toe the line and sell it to the public. It bulldozes any dissent, even if it is from its own camp.   Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh[Read More…]

by — 08/12/2020 — Comments are Disabled — India
Historic trade pact: Japan and South Korea set to be the biggest winners in the Asian oil and chemicals markets

Historic trade pact: Japan and South Korea set to be the biggest winners in the Asian oil and chemicals markets

South Korea and Japan set to be the biggest winners in the Asian oil and chemicals markets as the world’s largest regional free-trade agreement paves the way for a gradual reduction in tariffs. Some analysts claim that China stands to gain most income from the pact. The China-backed agreement is seen as an alternative to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a[Read More…]

by — 08/12/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
2021 going to be catastrophic, U.N. faces worst crises in its history

2021 going to be catastrophic, U.N. faces worst crises in its history

The year coming within days, 2021, is shaping up to be a humanitarian catastrophe and rich countries must not trample poor countries in a “stampede for vaccines” to combat the coronavirus pandemic, top U.N. officials told the 193-member U.N. General Assembly on Friday. World Food Programme (WFP) chief David Beasley and World Health Organization (WHO) head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke[Read More…]

by — 06/12/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Denmark to end oil and gas extraction in North Sea

Denmark to end oil and gas extraction in North Sea

Denmark has decided to end all oil and gas activities in the North Sea by 2050 and has cancelled its latest licensing round, saying the country is “now putting an end to the fossil fuel era.” “We are now putting a final end to the fossil era,” said Denmark’s climate minister Dan Joergensen, a Social Democrat. Greenpeace called it “a[Read More…]

by — 05/12/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Asbestos in 15% of the talc-based cosmetic products, finds study

Asbestos in 15% of the talc-based cosmetic products, finds study

About 15 percent of talc-based cosmetic products contain asbestos, finds a new study. The study, published on November 24, 2020 in the Environmental Health Insights journal, was commissioned by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and conducted by the Scientific Analytical Institute (SAI). In their research, the EWG identified more than 2,000 personal care products sold in the last three years[Read More…]

by — 02/12/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
French government’s u-turn: Controversial bill curbing filming of police dropped, new version to be written

French government’s u-turn: Controversial bill curbing filming of police dropped, new version to be written

The speaker of French President Emmanuel Macron’s ruling party has said the government is dropping part of the controversial bill curbing the right to film on-duty police, which drew huge public anger. The government leader said that the bill will be re-drafted. Christophe Castaner, president of La Republique en Marche in the National Assembly, told the press on Monday that[Read More…]

by — 01/12/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Paris protest against police violence: Thousands clash with police

Paris protest against police violence: Thousands clash with police

Thousands of people rallied against the controversial bill in more than 70 French cities on Saturday, with the organizers claiming over half a million participants and authorities estimating the number at around 150,000. The daytime rallies went off peacefully, but by early evening clashes erupted in multiple cities, including Marseilles, Lyon, Brest, Nice, Rennes, Lille, Bordeaux and in other cities.[Read More…]

by — 29/11/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
250 Million Workers And Farmers Strike Nationwide In India

250 Million Workers And Farmers Strike Nationwide In India

India saw one of the biggest nationwide strikes by workers, joined by protesting farmers today. Several states saw a complete shutdown. Over 250 million workers across sectors participated in the strike, called by 10 central trade unions and hundreds of worker associations and federations. Kerala, Puducherry, Odisha, Assam and Telangana witnessed a complete shutdown while normal life was partially affected[Read More…]

by — 26/11/2020 — Comments are Disabled — India
Kerala Government Puts On Hold The Controversial Police Act

Kerala Government Puts On Hold The Controversial Police Act

Following public protest against the new Police Act which put curbs on free speech, the left ruled Kerala government has decided to put on hold the implementation of the act. It is not clear whether the government is going to repeal the act. In a statement, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said “the Government of Kerala will not go ahead with[Read More…]

by — 23/11/2020 — Comments are Disabled — India
Kerala Brings In Draconian Law Which Curbs Press Freedom

Kerala Brings In Draconian Law Which Curbs Press Freedom

In the Left ruled Kerala state of India, a very stringent amendment in the Kerala Police Act has been implemented from Saturday to curb the offensive and defamatory social media posts. The offenders will face five years in jail, Rs.10,000 fine, or both. The controversial Section 118A was added to Kerala Police Act through an ordinance two months ago and[Read More…]

by — 22/11/2020 — Comments are Disabled — India
Judiciary in controversy: A Backgrounder to developments in AP

Judiciary in controversy: A Backgrounder to developments in AP

  The Hindu Nov 17 reported: “Supreme Court Justice U.U. Lalit who was to hear three petitions seeking action against Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, has recused himself and has asked the Chief Justice to assign the cases to another Bench. Justice Lalit, who was heading the three-judge Bench hearing the petitions, gave the reason that he[Read More…]

by — 17/11/2020 — Comments are Disabled — India
Climate change and food demand could shrink species’ habitats by almost a quarter by 2100

Climate change and food demand could shrink species’ habitats by almost a quarter by 2100

Mammals, birds and amphibians worldwide have lost on average 18% of their natural habitat range as a result of changes in land use and climate change, finds a new study. The scientists estimate that species have lost an average of 18% of their natural habitat range sizes thus far, and may lose up to 23% by 2100. The study (Robert[Read More…]

by — 09/11/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Fearing election unrest, businesses in U.S. cities board up and governors ready National Guard

Fearing election unrest, businesses in U.S. cities board up and governors ready National Guard

Ahead of the polls opening on Tuesday, businesses in cities from Denver to Detroit to Washington, D.C., were boarding up their windows with plywood as they readied for the possibility of civil unrest. Some governors were readying the National Guard, said a report by The New York Times. The report said: “Everyone is starting to panic,” Fernando Casas, a construction[Read More…]

by — 03/11/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
More mega-droughts are coming

More mega-droughts are coming

Mega-droughts, droughts that last two decades or longer, are tipped to increase, finds a new research. The finding came after an analysis of geological records from the Eemian Period – 129,000 to 116,000 years ago – which offered a proxy of what we could expect in a hotter, drier world. The research (Hamish McGowan, Micheline Campbell, John Nikolaus Callow, Andrew[Read More…]

by — 02/11/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Soil and carbon sequestration

Soil and carbon sequestration

Soil has the capacity to bind large quantities of carbon in the long term. An international team of researchers, including from the University of Bonn, is now advocating effective use of this potential. Experts estimate that this could reduce the increase of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by a third. At the same time, agricultural yields in[Read More…]

by — 30/10/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
La Niña weather system is back, serious problems ahead

La Niña weather system is back, serious problems ahead

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), La Niña, linked to cooler sea temperatures, is back in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, after nearly a decade’s absence. This is expected to result in sea surface temperatures between two and three degrees Celsius cooler than average, said Dr. Maxx Dilley, Deputy Director in charge of Climate Services Department at[Read More…]

by — 30/10/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Curfew in Philadelphia following two nights of protests, looting, 172 arrests

Curfew in Philadelphia following two nights of protests, looting, 172 arrests

After two nights of protests and looting following the fatal police shooting of Walter Wallace Jr. in West Philadelphia, a curfew has been imposed in the city. The curfew went into effect at 9 p.m. and will last until 6 a.m. Thursday. Meanwhile, Mayor Jim Kenney says the National Guard is deploying and the first troops are expected to arrive[Read More…]

by — 29/10/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Riot, looting continues for 2nd night in Philadelphia following fatal police shooting, troops mobilized

Riot, looting continues for 2nd night in Philadelphia following fatal police shooting, troops mobilized

Media reports from Philadelphia said: Looting and demonstrations continued for a second consecutive night Tuesday in Philadelphia following the fatal police shooting of Walter Wallace Jr. in West Philadelphia. Police have made several arrests. Several hundred troops from the Pennsylvania National Guard have been mobilized in Philadelphia following a night of violent unrest over a fatal police shooting, as city[Read More…]

by — 28/10/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
WHO warns, World at critical juncture as Covid pandemic resurges in Europe

WHO warns, World at critical juncture as Covid pandemic resurges in Europe

The WHO Director-General Tedros Adhahnom Ghebreyesus has warned: The northern hemisphere is at a critical juncture in the Covid pandemic, and some countries are on a dangerous track. “Too many countries are seeing an exponential increase in cases,” putting hospital capacities at risk, he said. He urged leaders to take quick action to contain the virus’s spread. Europe is again[Read More…]

by — 24/10/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Coronavirus Pandemic: With new wave of infections, U.S. cases reach record high

Coronavirus Pandemic: With new wave of infections, U.S. cases reach record high

The U.S. Coronavirus (officially, Covid-19) cases have hit a record daily high as more than 83,000 new cases were reported in the U.S. on Friday. At the same time, scientists have warned that the U.S. approach to fight the Coronavirus pandemic  and the inconsistent use of masks to prevent virus spread could lead to the cumulative loss of more than[Read More…]

by — 24/10/2020 — 1 comment — World
Nation-wide strike in Colombia: Trade unions, indigenous people, women, students join hands

Nation-wide strike in Colombia: Trade unions, indigenous people, women, students join hands

Amidst the increase in the numbers of massacres and murders of social leaders and former members of the then Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (FARC-EP) a nation-wide strike has gripped Colombia since Wednesday. The strike has hit the country’s main cities. Supported by peasant organizations, women, Afro-descendant and LGBTI communities and student groups, the mobilizations will be peaceful[Read More…]

by — 22/10/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Kashmir Times Office Sealed In Srinagar

Kashmir Times Office Sealed In Srinagar

Jammu and Kashmir Estates Department today sealed the office of Kashmir Times in Srinagar that was allotted to it in a government building in Press Enclave that houses several other newspaper offices in similar buildings. The office was sealed late this afternoon without serving any cancellation or eviction notice to Kashmir Times or following any due process of law. Nothing[Read More…]

by — 20/10/2020 — Comments are Disabled — India
Socialist Luis Arce Wins The Bolivia Election

Socialist Luis Arce Wins The Bolivia Election

A year after former Bolivian president Evo Morales was ousted in a military coup that installed a far-right regime, Morales ally Luis Arce declared victory after exit polls showed the socialist candidate with a large advantage over his two main competitors. “Democracy has won,” Arce, who served as Morales’ finance minister, said in an address to the nation after one[Read More…]

by — 19/10/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
The pandemic has benefited billionaires

The pandemic has benefited billionaires

Roughly 3 out of 4 American billionaires have seen a rise in their net worths. Elon Musk alone has tripled his net worth during the pandemic. Michael Hobbes, Senior Enterprise Reporter, The Huffington Post, wrote in The Huffington Post: “Other than Netflix, Andrew Cuomo and the virus itself, no one has benefited from the COVID-19 pandemic more than American billionaires.[Read More…]

by — 19/10/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
COVID19: Dr Fauci Issues A Stern Warning

COVID19: Dr Fauci Issues A Stern Warning

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and an expert in infectious diseases for the last four decades, told CNBC’s Shepard Smith Monday evening that it was more critical than ever to do these five things: wear a mask, social distance, avoid crowded spaces, do things outdoors where possible, and wash your[Read More…]

by — 15/10/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Unite against Washington’s ‘old-fashioned cold war mentality’, Beijing urges Asian nations

Unite against Washington’s ‘old-fashioned cold war mentality’, Beijing urges Asian nations

China’s top diplomat has urged neighboring states to guard against Washington’s geopolitical ambitions in Asia and called for regional cooperation to thwart foreign provocations in the South China Sea. Media reports said: Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister, said during a joint news conference with his Malaysian counterpart that members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should work together[Read More…]

by — 14/10/2020 — 1 comment — World
Presidential Election U.S. and the money

Presidential Election U.S. and the money

Fox News founder Rupert Murdoch’s son and daughter-in-law are two of the biggest backers of presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s campaign, federal filings show. James Murdoch and his wife Kathryn Murdoch each contributed $615,000 to the Biden Victory Fund in June, according to Federal Election Commission filings. The Biden Victory Fund splits donations between Biden’s campaign, the Democratic National Committee and[Read More…]

by — 14/10/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
“Herd Immunity” is unethical, says WHO

“Herd Immunity” is unethical, says WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned against the idea of allowing Covid-19 to simply spread through society, calling this “herd immunity” approach to fighting the pandemic “unethical.” “Never in the history of public health has herd immunity been used as a strategy for responding an outbreak, let alone a pandemic,” said WHO chief Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus said during a[Read More…]

by — 13/10/2020 — 1 comment — World
Demonstrators protesting white colonialism on a ‘Day of Rage’ march in downtown Portland, Oct. 11, 2020, pulled down this statue of President Theodore Roosevelt.

Portland protest takes down statues of former presidents, police declare a riot

A demonstration in Portland, Oregon, that included people breaking windows and taking down statues of former Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln has been declared a riot by police. Media reports from Portland including reports by major international news agencies said: The protests were part of a “Day of Rage” declared over the celebration of Columbus Day on Monday. Organizers[Read More…]

by — 13/10/2020 — 1 comment — World
IMF, World Bank, G20 countries to create Central Bank Digital Currency rules

IMF, World Bank, G20 countries to create Central Bank Digital Currency rules

International financial authorities and 20 of the world’s largest economies are establishing official standards for regulating and issuing sovereign digital currencies. The Group of Twenty (G20), an organization of finance ministers and central bank governors representing the European Union and 19 countries across every continent, said in a report today that it is working with the International Monetary Fund (IMF),[Read More…]

by — 13/10/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Hundreds of wildfires ravage the Middle East: 3 dead and thousands flee

Hundreds of wildfires ravage the Middle East: 3 dead and thousands flee

Flames from forest fire in Ras el-Harf village, in the Baabda district, Lebanon: An aerial picture. Hundreds of massive wildfires ravaged parts of the Middle East over the weekend, forcing thousands to flee their homes. The wildfires triggered by a heat wave hitting the region have killed three people, and detonated landmines along the Lebanon-Israel border. The areas hit by the[Read More…]

by — 12/10/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Majority of Britons do not trust the government, finds survey

Majority of Britons do not trust the government, finds survey

The majority of Britons do not trust the government, with confidence among the lowest levels ever recorded, a poll has revealed. The British Social Attitudes survey found that just 15 per cent of people said they have faith in Boris Johnson‘s government ‘most of the time’ or ‘always’. More than double, 34 per cent, instead said that they ‘almost never’ trust the[Read More…]

by — 12/10/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
DR Congo sex abuse claims shake UN agencies and NGO

DR Congo sex abuse claims shake UN agencies and NGO

Media reports said: The aid circle has pledged to combat the scourge of sexual abuse within its ranks following shock revelations of alleged exploitation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In a report published in early-October, more than 50 women levelled accusations against aid workers from the World Health Organization (WHO), other UN agencies and major non-governmental organizations (NGO) during[Read More…]

by — 09/10/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Trump orders total declassification of all Russiagate and Clinton email probe documents

Trump orders total declassification of all Russiagate and Clinton email probe documents

  Media reports from the U.S. said: President Donald Trump says he has authorized the release of “any and all” documents related to the Russiagate conspiracy theory and the Hillary Clinton email scandal, noting the material would be completely free of redactions. “I have fully authorized the total Declassification of any and all documents pertaining to the single greatest political[Read More…]

by — 07/10/2020 — 1 comment — World
Hathras Reporting: Journalist Siddique Kappan And Others Charged With UAPA And Sedition

Hathras Reporting: Journalist Siddique Kappan And Others Charged With UAPA And Sedition

Journalist Siddique Kappan who is working with the popular Malayalam website Azhimukham.com and three others who were arrested by the UP police on Monday in Mathura while on their way to Hathras have been booked under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and sedition. On Tuesday, they were remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody by a local court[Read More…]

by — 07/10/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Uncategorized
Covid-19 pandemic has proved that free market policies have failed, says Pope  

Covid-19 pandemic has proved that free market policies have failed, says Pope  

Pope Francis has presented his blueprint for a post-COVID-19 world, covering a vast number of issues from fraternity and income inequality to immigration and social injustice. The Pope said the Covid-19 pandemic proved that free-market policies have failed to produce the societal benefits promised by their proponents. Pope Francis began writing the document early this year, with the aim of[Read More…]

by — 06/10/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Pakistan’s ex-PM Sharif accuses army of political interference

Pakistan’s ex-PM Sharif accuses army of political interference

Pakistan’s ailing former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday accused the country’s powerful military of political interference, saying in a televised speech from exile in London that the military had rigged the 2018 vote that brought the country’s current prime minister Imran Khan to power. An AP report by Munir Ahmed said: The 70-year-old Sharif has had a long uneasy[Read More…]

by — 02/10/2020 — Comments are Disabled — South Asia
More than 1 million – Covid-19 death toll worldwide

More than 1 million – Covid-19 death toll worldwide

The coronavirus has claimed more than 1 million lives around the world, the latest dark ‘milestone’ for the worldwide pandemic first detected some 10 months ago, which continues to spread across several hotspots. Infecting more than 33 million since first emerging in the Chinese city of Wuhan last December, the global Covid-19 death toll surpassed the 1 million mark on[Read More…]

by — 29/09/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Barricades, fires and loot amid showdown with police in Seattle, 10 arrested

Barricades, fires and loot amid showdown with police in Seattle, 10 arrested

Protesters wreaked havoc in downtown Seattle, erecting barricades and setting them on fire to block police from moving in. Violence erupted in the heart of the former ‘autonomous zone’ created by Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters. At least 10 were arrested after a BLM protest in Seattle turned violent on Saturday night, and saw activists storming a boarded store and[Read More…]

by — 28/09/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
With growing threats, Sikhs and Hindus leave Afghanistan

With growing threats, Sikhs and Hindus leave Afghanistan

An AP report from Kabul said: Afghanistan’s dwindling community of Sikhs and Hindus is shrinking to its lowest levels. With growing threats from the local Islamic State affiliate, many are choosing to leave the country of their birth to escape the insecurity and a once-thriving community of as many as 250,000 members now counts fewer than 700. The community’s numbers[Read More…]

by — 28/09/2020 — Comments are Disabled — South Asia
Armenia and Azerbaijan clash over Nagorno-Karabakh, fatalities reported

Armenia and Azerbaijan clash over Nagorno-Karabakh, fatalities reported

Media reports from Yerevan and Baku said: Armenia declared martial law and mobilized its male population on Sunday after clashes with Azerbaijan over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region. Both sides reported fatalities. Authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh, a mainly ethnic Armenian region inside Azerbaijan which declared independence in 1991, also announced martial law and mobilized the male population after clashes, which the two[Read More…]

by — 27/09/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Farmers Protest Across India Against Anti-Farmer Laws

Farmers Protest Across India Against Anti-Farmer Laws

Protests were held across the country today after the nationwide ‘Bharat Bandh’ call by farmer organisations against the Farm Bills. The Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020, have been passed by both Houses and await[Read More…]

by — 25/09/2020 — Comments are Disabled — India
Reform monarchy, demands biggest protest in years in Thailand

Reform monarchy, demands biggest protest in years in Thailand

Tens of thousands of people recently massed close to Thailand’s royal palace demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha, a former army chief who led a coup in 2014. The protests took place on the anniversary of a 2006 coup that ousted ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra. A major rally calling for PM Chan-O-Cha to step down gathered outside the[Read More…]

by — 25/09/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Breonna Taylor protests erupt across the U.S. and 2 police officers shot

Breonna Taylor protests erupt across the U.S. and 2 police officers shot

Protesters took to the streets in cities across the U.S. after Kentucky grand jury indicted a former Louisville police detective involved in the March 13 shooting death of 26-year-old Breonna Taylor. Louisville police said two officers have been shot and a suspect is in custody. Protesters took to the streets from Texas to Rhode Island Wednesday night as demonstrations honoring[Read More…]

by — 24/09/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Arctic sea ice shrinks to its second-lowest annual minimum extent ever

Arctic sea ice shrinks to its second-lowest annual minimum extent ever

Arctic sea ice reached a minimum extent of 3.74 million square kilometers on September 15, likely the annual low, and the second lowest minimum on record. The orange line represents average extent of sea ice from 1981 to 2010 on that day. (NSIDC) Arctic sea ice extent fell to the second-lowest annual minimum on record last week, a status that[Read More…]

by — 23/09/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Protests re-erupts in Portland

Protests re-erupts in Portland

Protesters attack businesses, burn flags and force motorists to pledge loyalty to BLM  Several hundred people smashed up storefronts, torched American flags and harassed motorists in Portland, Oregon, following a brief lull in nearly nightly riots due to wildfires tearing through the state. Around 200 demonstrators marched through the city on Saturday night, with some individuals smashing windows and applying[Read More…]

by — 21/09/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Paramilitaries continue to terrorize Colombia’s rights defenders: says report

Paramilitaries continue to terrorize Colombia’s rights defenders: says report

Paramilitary groups continued to pose by far the biggest threat to Colombia’s community leaders and human rights defenders last year, says a newly released report. In its annual report, Somos Defensores (SD), a human rights organization, registered a drop in assassinations of social leaders from 155 in 2018 to 124 in 2019, but an increase in death threats that went[Read More…]

by — 18/09/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Human Rights
Climate crisis: An emerging new Arctic

Climate crisis: An emerging new Arctic

A new Arctic is emerging. The regions landscape is changing rapidly. Temperatures are skyrocketing, sea ice is dwindling and many experts believe the far north is quickly transforming into something unrecognizable. This week, new research confirms that a new Arctic climate system is emerging. A new Arctic will be warmer, rainier and substantially less frozen. Animals that used to be common may[Read More…]

by — 16/09/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Antarctica: Cracks in the ice

Antarctica: Cracks in the ice

Satellite images show that two important glaciers in the Antarctic are sustaining rapid damage at their most vulnerable points, leading to the breaking up of vital ice shelves with major consequences for global sea level rise. In recent years, the Pine Island Glacier and the Thwaites Glacier on West Antarctica has been undergoing rapid changes, with potentially major consequences for[Read More…]

by — 16/09/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
India and China agree on de-escalation plan, say border standoff ‘not in the interest of either side’

India and China agree on de-escalation plan, say border standoff ‘not in the interest of either side’

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on the sidelines of a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Foreign Ministers in Moscow, Russia, on September 10, 2020. (Photo: Xinhua) India and China have agreed to ratchet down tensions that have been building along the disputed Chinese-Indian border, leading[Read More…]

by — 11/09/2020 — 1 comment — World
FILE - In this Feb. 28, 2017, file photo, President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington. as Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis. listen. Trump will deliver his first State of the Union address on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018. (Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool Image via AP, File) ORG XMIT: WX101

Most U.S. citizens believe their government, legislators and courts are corrupt and unaccountable to the public, finds poll

Most U.S. citizens believe their government, legislators and courts are corrupt and unaccountable to the public, according to a new poll. Strikingly, both Democrats and Republicans share this opinion. Seventy-three percent of the U.S. citizens say that elected officials do not face “serious consequences” for misconduct, according to a new Pew Research Center poll. Pew Research Center, the Washington, DC-based[Read More…]

by — 09/09/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor and Jyoti Jagtap of Kabir Kala Manch Arrested In Bhima Koregaon case

Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor and Jyoti Jagtap of Kabir Kala Manch Arrested In Bhima Koregaon case

Sagar Gorkhe and Ramesh Gaichor of Kabir Kala Manch, have been arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with Elgar Parishad – Bhima Koregaon case. Later today, NIA arrested Kabir Kala Manch activist Jyoti Jagtap in Bhima Koregaon case. With the arrest of Jyoti, the number of persons arrested in this case has risen to 15. Sagar Gorkhe[Read More…]

by — 08/09/2020 — Comments are Disabled — India
Plastic in every bite of commercial seafood, finds research

Plastic in every bite of commercial seafood, finds research

Many of us – the readers of Countercurrents – are eating plastic although we do not buy the plastic for eating. There are incidents of recalling of several food items, because there were traces of plastic in those foods items. Almost 60,000 pounds of Pilgrim’s Pride chicken nuggets were recalled back in June because they may contain plastic. Now, scientists have found[Read More…]

by — 07/09/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Environmental Protection
Protest marches across Canada call ‘Defund the Police’, John Macdonald statue toppled

Protest marches across Canada call ‘Defund the Police’, John Macdonald statue toppled

Peaceful protests were held in cities across Canada on Saturday as protesters urged governments to slash police funding and do more to tackle deep-rooted racism in this country. Rallies to defund the police were held in Calgary, Halifax, Fredericton, Toronto, Montreal and London, Ont., many of which were organized by the Coalition for Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC)[Read More…]

by — 30/08/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Thousands march in Washington D.C. with the rallying cry Get Your Knee off Our Necks

Thousands march in Washington D.C. with the rallying cry Get Your Knee off Our Necks

Thousands of protestors seeking criminal justice reform gathered at the National Mall in Washington D.C., the capital city of the U.S., on Friday under the rallying cry “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks,” a reference to the manner in which George Floyd was killed while in police custody in May and reminiscent of the 1963 March on Washington. Capping a[Read More…]

by — 29/08/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Street violence in Portland as armed far-right returns “prepared to fight”

Street violence in Portland as armed far-right returns “prepared to fight”

Over the last three months in Portland, mass protests against police violence and racism gradually gave way to nightly often violent standoffs between a core of pro-Black Lives Matter (BLM) and anti-fascist protesters and law enforcement. The incidents are now part of a fact of life in the United States. In the past week the city has fallen back into[Read More…]

by — 29/08/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Belarus is calming down after days of protest and EU plans to impose sanction

Belarus is calming down after days of protest and EU plans to impose sanction

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has stepped up efforts to reassert his control after 10 days of street protests and strikes triggered by disputed elections. Lukashenko says he has given orders to end the unrest in the capital Minsk. The move signaled an escalation just as European Union (EU) leaders agreed to impose sanctions at a virtual summit. The President of[Read More…]

by — 21/08/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Pandemic-pain in Kuwait and Oman: Salary withheld and wine served

Pandemic-pain in Kuwait and Oman: Salary withheld and wine served

Kuwait has not enough cash to cover state salaries beyond October. And, Dubai again has loosened laws governing alcohol sales and possession of liquor. These developments are due to the coronavirus pandemic and the fall in oil price. A Bloomberg report – “Kuwait Can’t Pay Salaries Beyond October, Minister Tells Parliament” – on August 19, 2020 said: Kuwait has 2[Read More…]

by — 20/08/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
The momentum of protest in Belarus getting lost

The momentum of protest in Belarus getting lost

Momentum for factory strikes is winding down. Only a few days ago Belarus was boiling with opposition led protests and strike while the Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko’s claims the opposition’s program has failed. At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned against foreign interference in Belarus while the European Union has expressed concern with the situation in the[Read More…]

by — 19/08/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Greenland’s melting ice sheet has passed the point of no return

Greenland’s melting ice sheet has passed the point of no return

Greenland’s ice sheet, — the world’s second-largest ice body, would continue to lose ice even if global temperatures stop rising, and it may have passed a point of no return, setting it on an irreversible path to complete disappearance, according to scientists at Ohio State University. Snowfall that normally replenishes Greenland’s glaciers each year can no longer keep up with[Read More…]

by — 18/08/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
The U.S. coronavirus death toll of 170,000 is a ‘success story,’ says Jared Kushner

The U.S. coronavirus death toll of 170,000 is a ‘success story,’ says Jared Kushner

Jared Kushner, the U.S. president Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, once again gave a bullish assessment of the U.S.s’ coronavirus response on television, despite the nation leading the world in cases and deaths. The president’s son-in-law and senior adviser doubled down on comments from April, where he called the U.S. administration’s efforts a “great success story” and that the[Read More…]

by — 18/08/2020 — 1 comment — World
Death Valley hits 130°F, possibly the highest heat on Earth in over a century

Death Valley hits 130°F, possibly the highest heat on Earth in over a century

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in Death Valley National Park. Temperatures in Death Valley in the U.S. skyrocketed to a blistering 130°F (54.4-degree Celsius) on Sunday. Possibly, it is the highest mercury reading on Earth since 1913. If the National Weather Service’s recording is correct, it would also be among the top-three highest temperatures to have ever been measured in Death[Read More…]

by — 17/08/2020 — 1 comment — Uncategorized
Clashes across U.S. cities

Clashes across U.S. cities

Far-right demonstrators, counter-protesters and police clashed in a number of states in the U.S. The series of clashes between far-right militia, pro-Confederacy groups, and anti-fascist (Antifa) counter-protesters erupted across the U.S. on Saturday. Mostly peaceful protests against racial injustice have been ongoing for weeks following the death of George Floyd on Memorial Day. Clashes between opposing groups have also occurred.[Read More…]

by — 17/08/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Climate crisis: Two million Californians went dark

Climate crisis: Two million Californians went dark

Two million Californians experienced rolling blackouts Friday night after officials declared a Stage 3 energy emergency due to a statewide heat wave. The last time California was in a Stage 3 emergency was in 2001. At that time, the state was in the middle of a very different type of energy crisis – and the governor lost his job over[Read More…]

by — 16/08/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
A People’s Manifesto for Ecological Democracy

A People’s Manifesto for Ecological Democracy

Our planet is not a lump of inanimate matter circling the sun every year, providing humans free lodging, boarding and endless resources to exploit recklessly. She is a living, breathing, sentient Being, to be treated with love, care and deep respect. Revered in all ancient cultures around the world as Pachamama, Gaia, Bhumi or Mother Earth – She gives us generously but her respect needs to be earned too.

by — 15/08/2020 — 2 comments — India, Editor's Picks
U.S. President Donald Trump departs at the end of a news conference in New York, U.S. September 25, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC1297B30D30

A president is called “a cheat, a liar, a fraud, a bully, a racist, a predator, a con man”

Michael Cohen, U.S. President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, has released a foreword to his new book in which he calls the president “a fraud, a bully, a racist, a predator, a con man,” and accuses him of cheating in the 2016 presidential election. Cohen also makes reference to “golden showers in a sex club in Vegas,” without specifically stating[Read More…]

by — 14/08/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Tension in the eastern Mediterranean as Erdogan threatens  

Tension in the eastern Mediterranean as Erdogan threatens  

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened reprisals if anyone attacks the ship surveying disputed waters in the Mediterranean for oil and gas, after two French jets flew nearby during an exercise with the Greek fleet. “We said that if you attack our Oruc Reis you will pay a high price, and they got their first answer today,” Erdogan said[Read More…]

by — 14/08/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Record numbers of U.S. citizens are giving up their U.S. citizenship

Record numbers of U.S. citizens are giving up their U.S. citizenship

Record numbers of U.S. citizens are renouncing their citizenship according to numbers reported by a New York accountancy firm. Bambridge Accountants reports that 5,816 people gave up U.S. citizenship in the first half of 2020 — a 1,210 per cent increase on the previous six months in which only 444 cases were recorded. The first two quarters of 2020 also rank as having[Read More…]

by — 13/08/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Lebanon’s government steps down following the Beirut blast and people’s protest

Lebanon’s government steps down following the Beirut blast and people’s protest

Lebanon’s government stepped down on Monday night, less than a week after a massive explosion in Beirut killed more than 170 people and wounded more than 6000, sparking days of violent protests. Prime Minister Hassan Diab addressed the nation, announcing his resignation and that of his government in the wake of the blast, which he called a “disaster beyond measure.”[Read More…]

by — 12/08/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Israel bombs targets in southern Syria amid tensions

Israel bombs targets in southern Syria amid tensions

Citing the Israeli military media reports from Jerusalem said: Israeli fighter jets and attack helicopters struck military targets in southern Syria belonging to the Syrian army Monday night, hours after thwarting an infiltration attempt from Syria by suspected militants trying to plant explosives. In a rare statement acknowledging strikes in neighboring Syria, the Israeli army said the targets included “observation[Read More…]

by — 04/08/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
DU Professor Apoorvanand Questioned By Delhi Police, Phone Seized

DU Professor Apoorvanand Questioned By Delhi Police, Phone Seized

Delhi University professor Apoorvanand was questioned on Monday by Delhi police in connection with Delhi riots. Apoorvanand said his phone was seized for investigation and he spent five hours with the police. Apoorvanand, who teaches Hindi at Delhi University, urged the police to conduct a thorough, just and fair investigation into the violence. This is the full text of Apoorvanand’s[Read More…]

by — 04/08/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Human Rights
Huge rise in Amazon wildfires alarms scientists and environmental groups

Huge rise in Amazon wildfires alarms scientists and environmental groups

Scientists and environmental groups have expressed alarm after new data revealed there were 28 percent more fires in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest this July compared with the same time last year. Satellite images released by INPE, Brazil’s space research agency, on Saturday revealed 6,803 fires in the Amazon last month. There were 5,318 in July 2019. Citing official data, a Reuters[Read More…]

by — 03/08/2020 — 1 comment — Environmental Protection
Now, lifeline has disappeared in the U.S. but millions rely on emergency pandemic benefits for food, medicine, and rent,  

Now, lifeline has disappeared in the U.S. but millions rely on emergency pandemic benefits for food, medicine, and rent,  

An NBC News report by Ben Popken said on July 31, 2020: “A $600 per week lifeline is about to run out of rope, threatening to leave millions of American families at the end of theirs. “The pandemic unemployment assistance payments, which were approved in March as part of the government’s fiscal stimulus package, known as the CARES Act, are[Read More…]

by — 03/08/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
U.S. jobless claims top 1 million again in latest week as the pandemic keeps on biting workers

U.S. jobless claims top 1 million again in latest week as the pandemic keeps on biting workers

In the U.S., the number of people who filed for unemployment benefits rose for the second consecutive week last week as coronavirus cases surged around the country. The number of people collecting jobless benefits also increased to 17 million, up from 16.2 million the week prior. More than a million people filed for unemployment benefits in the latest week, showed[Read More…]

by — 31/07/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
U.S. dollar’s grip on global markets might be over, warns Goldman

U.S. dollar’s grip on global markets might be over, warns Goldman

Goldman Sachs has issued a bold warning Tuesday that the dollar is in danger of losing its status as the world’s reserve currency. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. has put a spotlight on the suddenly growing concern over inflation in the U.S. With the U.S. Congress closing in on another round of fiscal stimulus to shore up the pandemic-ravaged economy, and[Read More…]

by — 30/07/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Virus-linked hunger tied to 10,000 child deaths each month

Virus-linked hunger tied to 10,000 child deaths each month

All around the world, the coronavirus and its restrictions are pushing already hungry communities over the edge, cutting off meager farms from markets and isolating villages from food and medical aid. Virus-linked hunger is leading to the deaths of 10,000 more children a month over the first year of the pandemic, according to an urgent call to action from the[Read More…]

by — 29/07/2020 — 2 comments — World
Coronavirus is going to be “one big wave”, warns WHO

Coronavirus is going to be “one big wave”, warns WHO

A senior World Health Organization (WHO) official has said that coronavirus pandemic is likely to be “one big wave” as they warned people to remain vigilant despite lockdowns being eased. Margaret Harris, the WHO spokesperson, said the idea of a “second wave” is flawed since infection rates do not seem to be affected by the seasons. Instead, Harris said, people[Read More…]

by — 29/07/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
NOAA revealed Thursday that July 2019 was the hottest month on record since the U.S. government began recording temperature date in the lat 19th century. (Photo: Lukas Schulze/Getty Images)

Scientists finally see Earth’s climate destiny more clearly

Human-caused carbon emissions islikely to trigger irreversible damage to the planet, according to a comprehensive international study released Wednesday. Researchers studying one of the most important and vexing topics in climate science — how sensitive the Earth’s climate is to a doubling of the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere — found that warming is extremely unlikely to be[Read More…]

by — 23/07/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Libyan youths wave Libyan flag from the top of a buiding after the muslim Friday prayer at Martyrs Square, seeing in background in Tripoli, Libya, Friday Oct. 21, 2011. The death Thursday of Gadhafi, two months after he was driven from power and into hiding, decisively buries the nearly 42-year regime that had turned the oil-rich country into an international pariah and his own personal fiefdom. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

Libya’s war becomes a global scramble for power

Libya is becoming a crucible for would-be regional powers. The intractable civil war that has carved apart the oil-rich North African country is in reality a multisided chess match between a variety of outside actors, from Turkey to the United Arab Emirates, France and Egypt. The battle involves thousands of Syrian militiamen and Sudanese mercenaries. Countries are deploying drones, fighter[Read More…]

by — 21/07/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
River Nile dam: Sudan blasts unilateral move as Ethiopia begins filling dam

River Nile dam: Sudan blasts unilateral move as Ethiopia begins filling dam

Sudan says River Nile water levels have dropped as a reservoir behind Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance dam has filled up, hitting out at “any unilateral actions taken by any party.” Egypt has also demanded “quick official clarification” from Ethiopia. Sudan and Egypt are downstream, and fear the large dam will greatly reduce their access to water. Ethiopia sees the hydroelectric project[Read More…]

by — 17/07/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Floods: Third of Bangladesh underwater

Floods: Third of Bangladesh underwater

From some of the heaviest rains in a decade that has created monsoon flood, a third of Bangladesh is already underwater, and at least 1.5 million people are already affected, marooned or have left their homes for higher ground along with their cattle and other belongings with villages and roads flooded. Almost four million people have been hit by this[Read More…]

by — 15/07/2020 — Comments are Disabled — South Asia
Coronavirus pandemic may get worse and worse and worse, warns WHO

Coronavirus pandemic may get worse and worse and worse, warns WHO

The coronavirus pandemic is set to get “worse and worse” if countries do not stick to strict healthcare guidelines, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned. The disease has already killed more than half-a-million globally. Speaking on Monday during a press briefing from the WHO headquarters in Geneva via videolink, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus gave an alarming prognosis on[Read More…]

by — 14/07/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Almost 10 million children may never to return school after the pandemic

Almost 10 million children may never to return school after the pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has caused an “unprecedented education emergency” with up to 9.7 million children affected by school closures at risk of never going back to class, warned Save the Children Monday. The British charity cited UNESCO data showing that in April, 1.6 billion young people were shut out of school and university due to measures to contain COVID-19 –[Read More…]

by — 14/07/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Japan is furious at the U.S. after coronavirus outbreak at Marine bases in Okinawa

Japan is furious at the U.S. after coronavirus outbreak at Marine bases in Okinawa

  Japanese authorities have demanded answers from the U.S. after a large scale COVID-19 outbreak among U.S. Marines stationed in Japan’s southern prefecture of Okinawa. The U.S. military officials told the two bases have since been put in lockdown. In recent days, 61 U.S. Marines have been infected with the virus, spread across two bases in the archipelago — which[Read More…]

by — 13/07/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Floods, landslides kill more than 40 in Nepal, many missing, thousands displaced

Floods, landslides kill more than 40 in Nepal, many missing, thousands displaced

  Torrential rainfall for the past three days has triggered floods and landslides in different parts of Nepal, claiming more than 40 lives and displacing thousands of families in western Nepal. Narayani and other major rivers have swollen due to the continuous downpour. Meteorological Department on Friday had forecast that the monsoon rains would last for another three days. Twenty-seven[Read More…]

by — 12/07/2020 — Comments are Disabled — South Asia
About half of Oklahoma is Native American land, rules U.S. Supreme Court

About half of Oklahoma is Native American land, rules U.S. Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that about half of the land in Oklahoma is within a Native American reservation. The court ruling will have major consequences for both past and future criminal and civil cases in the U.S. The U.S. court’s ruling hinged on the question of whether the Creek reservation continued to exist after Oklahoma, one of the[Read More…]

by — 10/07/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Who got U.S. Paycheck Protection loans? They include Hedge funds and Kanye West

Who got U.S. Paycheck Protection loans? They include Hedge funds and Kanye West

COVID-19 pandemic is making the poor poorer and the rich richer. The following is such a story: An AP report said: “The U.S. government’s small business lending program has benefited millions of companies, with the goal of minimizing the number of layoffs Americans have suffered in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Yet the recipients include many you probably would[Read More…]

by — 08/07/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Emergency declared and National Guard deployed in Atlanta amid Black Lives Matter protests

Emergency declared and National Guard deployed in Atlanta amid Black Lives Matter protests

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has ordered National Guard troops to deploy in Atlanta, after rioters ransacked the state police headquarters. Shootings in the city have doubled in the wake of protests against police brutality. Some 1,000 soldiers will be deployed to protect the state Capitol, the governor’s mansion, and the Department of Public Safety building that was vandalized over the[Read More…]

by — 07/07/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Columbus statues toppled in U.S.

Columbus statues toppled in U.S.

Protesters pulled down a statue of Christopher Columbus in Baltimore, U.S. They threw the statue into the city’s Inner Harbor. Statues of Columbus have also been toppled in cities including Miami; Columbus, Ohio; Richmond, Virginia; St Paul, Minnesota; and Boston, where one was decapitated. In Baltimore, Demonstrators used ropes to topple the monument on Saturday night near the Little Italy[Read More…]

by — 06/07/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Activists and members of different tribes block the road to the Mount Rushmore National Monument as they protest in Keystone, South Dakota on July 3, 2020.

Native Americans blocked road to Mount Rushmore hours before Trump’s fiery speech as protesters refuse to celebrate July 4

A group of mainly Native American protesters blocked the road leading up to Mount Rushmore for three hours before President Donald Trump gave a speech at the national monument Friday night. When they refused to disband, the protesters faced off with the South Dakota National Guard, which shot close-range shells at their feet and sprayed some protesters with pepper spray,[Read More…]

by — 05/07/2020 — 1 comment — World
Large majority of Americans say U.S is a mess, finds new poll

Large majority of Americans say U.S is a mess, finds new poll

A new Yahoo News/YouGov poll shows that no matter how polarized they might be politically, Americans finally seem to agree on something: that everything about America is getting worse. In his 1989 farewell address, President Ronald Reagan famously described the United States as a “shining city on a hill” — a beacon of hope and a model for the rest[Read More…]

by — 03/07/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
U.S. faces another deadly health problem as a massive dust cloud from Africa covers Florida, Gulf of Mexico

U.S. faces another deadly health problem as a massive dust cloud from Africa covers Florida, Gulf of Mexico

Two large blobs of dust blown off of Africa’s Sahara Desert – which some experts say could be the biggest and most intense Saharan plume in 50 years – are on their way to North America, driven by the same high-pressure system that pushes hurricanes across the same route. The largest is already over the Gulf of Mexico and parts[Read More…]

by — 26/06/2020 — 3 comments — Environmental Protection
WHO welcomes Saudi decision to limit Hajj 2020

WHO welcomes Saudi decision to limit Hajj 2020

On June 24, 2020, an Arab News report from Riyadh said: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday welcomed Saudi Arabia’s decision to greatly limit the number of Hajj pilgrims this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Kingdom said just 1,000 people, who are already living in Saudi Arabia, would be able to perform the pilgrimage. Last year almost[Read More…]

by — 25/06/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
epa06747281 Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), attends a press conference at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, 18 May 2018. The WHO Director-General answered questions ahead of the World Health Assembly and following the meeting of an International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. EPA-EFE/VALENTIN FLAURAUD

Politicization of Covid-19 has exacerbated global health crisis, says WHO chief

Using the coronavirus to score political points has only made the global health crisis worse, claimed the World Health Organization’s (WHO) director-general. Some observers have interpreted the WHO chief’s claim as a broadside against U.S. President Donald Trump. The politicization of the pandemic has “exacerbated” the effects of the disease, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during an online conference on Monday,[Read More…]

by — 23/06/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Marupakkam To Hold One Day Online Film Festival Against Super Emergency

Marupakkam To Hold One Day Online Film Festival Against Super Emergency

To observe a day of protest against the Super Emergency on 25 June 2020 https://marupakkamonlinefilmscreening.blogspot.com will conduct a one-day online film festival. They will be screening 1) “Ammi” – Dir: Sunil Kumar 90 min; Hindi with Eng subtitles; 2018 This is one woman’s two-year fight for justice. Battered by the police, having been told by the myriad government agencies who[Read More…]

by — 22/06/2020 — Comments are Disabled — India
epa06747281 Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), attends a press conference at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, 18 May 2018. The WHO Director-General answered questions ahead of the World Health Assembly and following the meeting of an International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. EPA-EFE/VALENTIN FLAURAUD

There are green shoots of hope says WHO chief

The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 on June 17, 2020 informed: The world has now recorded more than 8 million cases of COVID-19. In the first two months, 85,000 cases were reported. But in the past two months 6 million cases have been reported. There have been more[Read More…]

by — 19/06/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Trump saw Venezuela as ‘part of the U.S.’, and thought of invasion, but backtracked because of Putin, claims Bolton

Trump saw Venezuela as ‘part of the U.S.’, and thought of invasion, but backtracked because of Putin, claims Bolton

U.S. President Donald Trump thought it would be “cool” to invade Venezuela but was persuaded not to by “Soviet-style propaganda” from Moscow, claims Trump’s former U.S. national security adviser John Bolton in book excerpts leaked to the press. Trump said invading Venezuela would be “cool” and described the Latin American country as “really part of the United States,” according to[Read More…]

by — 18/06/2020 — 2 comments — Imperialism
11 U.S. billionaires’ wealth increased most during the coronavirus pandemic

11 U.S. billionaires’ wealth increased most during the coronavirus pandemic

Over 44 million U.S. citizens lost jobs as authorities introduced lockdown measures aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus, officially COVID-19, disease. The U.S. is finding a decline in the jobless rate. Lines in front of Food Banks are increasing. The U.S. Federal Reserve forecast on employment and the overall economic situation, which is said to be the most[Read More…]

by — 17/06/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
India – China Border Clashes: Three Indian Soldiers Killed

India – China Border Clashes: Three Indian Soldiers Killed

Three Indian soldiers were killed during a “violent face-off” with Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh. The incident occurred during a “deescalation process” underway in the Galwan Valley in the disputed Aksai Chin-Ladakh area, where a large troop build up has reportedly been taking place for weeks now on both sides of the border, before[Read More…]

by — 16/06/2020 — 1 comment — World
Turkish jets strike Kurdish PKK positions close to refugee camps in Iraq

Turkish jets strike Kurdish PKK positions close to refugee camps in Iraq

Jets from Turkey carried out cross-border airstrikes on Monday targeting the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the Turkish Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq, announced Turkish authorities. A source in the area told Kurdistan 24 the Turkish fighter jets launched the attack at midnight, targeting several locations in the Shingal (Sinjar) district, and several locations close to the Makhmour refugee camp, which[Read More…]

by — 16/06/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Sand’s end? New models will help manage impact of sea-level rise

Sand’s end? New models will help manage impact of sea-level rise

The shape of carbonate sands. (a) 3D scans of the 18 Heron particles using a Hirox RH2000 microscope equipped with MXB2016Z. (b) Estimation of the projected area of the particles by considering the particles as different geometric shapes (squares, circles, rectangles, or ellipses). Source: Scientific Reports The method of accounting sand is important for understanding the way reefs, atolls and[Read More…]

by — 15/06/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Bengal doctors lead Cyclone Amphan relief efforts

Bengal doctors lead Cyclone Amphan relief efforts

When Super Cyclone Amphan hit  West Bengal  on  May 20 this year, it devastated large parts of the state, including the capital city Kolkata, killing dozens, destroying thousands of homes and depriving lakhs of people of their livelihoods.  Coming on top of the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic the cyclone created a double disaster for West Bengal. However, the state is now[Read More…]

by — 08/06/2020 — Comments are Disabled — India
Persistent and Unabated Efforts by US to Grip and Destabilize Nepal as Part of Indo-Pacific Strategy

Persistent and Unabated Efforts by US to Grip and Destabilize Nepal as Part of Indo-Pacific Strategy

This is Part-5 of a series of articles on a crisis in India-Nepal relations. Part-4 was titled India-Nepal Border Dispute : The International Ramifications. It mainly dealt with attempts made in vain to topple a communist regime, the NCP-Oli-led Nepal govt, and the international context and import of the still unfolding controversy. This one, Part-5, focuses on US hegemonic role[Read More…]

by — 02/06/2020 — Comments are Disabled — South Asia
Welcoming Reader’s Participation In Preparing A “People’s Manifesto for India’s Future”

Welcoming Reader’s Participation In Preparing A “People’s Manifesto for India’s Future”

Today,  the Republic of India faces its gravest moment since it was born seventy years ago. What has hit the second most populous nation in the world – just in the last few months itself – is nothing short of a crisis of Biblical proportions. An untreatable viral epidemic, a debilitating lockdown, a collapsed economy, hunger stalking every corner of[Read More…]

by — 02/06/2020 — Comments are Disabled — India
India-Nepal  Border Dispute : The International Ramifications

India-Nepal  Border Dispute : The International Ramifications

This is Part-4 of a series of articles on a crisis in India-Nepal relations that led to mutual allegations of a cartographic war, and smacked of being a part of  cold war against China. It is a still unfolding controversy, being reported and analysed exclusively for the readers of   Countercurrent.org. Part-4 now being published, deals with the international context and[Read More…]

by — 31/05/2020 — Comments are Disabled — South Asia
Minneapolis police station set on fire on the 3rd day of Floyd murder demonstration in U.S.

Minneapolis police station set on fire on the 3rd day of Floyd murder demonstration in U.S.

On the 3rd day – Thursday – of protest on the murder of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man, demonstrators broke into a Minneapolis police precinct station after the department abandoned it, setting it ablaze and igniting fireworks as three days of violent protests spread to cities across the U.S. Gov. Tim Walz late Wednesday called it an “extremely dangerous[Read More…]

by — 29/05/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Photos of mass graves in Brazil show the stark toll of the coronavirus

Photos of mass graves in Brazil show the stark toll of the coronavirus

The Parque Taruma cemetery during the coronavirus outbreak in Manaus, Brazil. Brazil now has the second-highest number of reported coronavirus cases, surpassing Russia. Blue, turquoise, and white crosses mark the dead in mass graves in Manaus, Brazil, a visual reminder of the toll the novel coronavirus has had on the country. The University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and[Read More…]

by — 29/05/2020 — 1 comment — World
Protests against police violence spread across U.S

Protests against police violence spread across U.S

In the second day of demonstration, protests against police violence have spread across the U.S. in response to the death of George Floyd, who died in Minneapolis police custody May 25. Thousands of people are decrying the killing by police. Among many places, protests spread in Los Angeles, Memphis, Minnesota, Houston, Chicago. In Minneapolis, protesters turned to violent confrontation as[Read More…]

by — 28/05/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
U.S. military is making plans for complete Afghan withdrawal before the next election

U.S. military is making plans for complete Afghan withdrawal before the next election

U.S. Defense Department officials are reportedly planning to brief President Donald Trump on several options to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan, that include an option to pull them out before the 2020 U.S. presidential election in November. Trump has expressed a desire to end the U.S.’s wars throughout the course of his presidency. In 2019, he abruptly ordered the[Read More…]

by — 27/05/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
India-Nepal Embittered Relations : Much beyond a  Border Dispute

India-Nepal Embittered Relations : Much beyond a  Border Dispute

(This is Part-2 of a two-part Report; this one deals with various dimensions of the issue. Part-1 was published on May24, with the title, India-Nepal Border Issue Raked Up, Relations Strained Once Again.)  Even as Covid-19 health crisis, and its cascading effect on the economic crisis — both are aggravating in India — are upsetting Modi Government’s claims and calculations[Read More…]

by — 26/05/2020 — Comments are Disabled — South Asia
India-Nepal  Border Issue Raked Up, Relations Strained Once Again

India-Nepal  Border Issue Raked Up, Relations Strained Once Again

(This is Part-1 of a two-part article) “ We remain committed to resolving the border issue,” said Anurag Srivastava, India’s Official Spokesperson. “If the coronavirus was an obstacle for negotiations between friendly nations, then we were surprised that it wasn’t an obstacle for this decision (inauguration of the link road). ..This wasn’t the time to create unnecessary controversy which can[Read More…]

by — 24/05/2020 — Comments are Disabled — South Asia
Coronavirus pandemic will contract India’s economy in 2020-21, warns central bank

Coronavirus pandemic will contract India’s economy in 2020-21, warns central bank

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has slashed its growth forecast for this financial year and warned of inflation uncertainties as India’s economy suffers due to the Covid-19, pandemic. While the country’s GDP growth is set to “remain in the negative territory with some pick up in second half” of the 2020-21 fiscal year, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das did not[Read More…]

by — 22/05/2020 — 1 comment — India
Historic World Health Assembly ends with global commitment to COVID-19 response

Historic World Health Assembly ends with global commitment to COVID-19 response

The above  is the title of news release by WHO.  The two-day meeting of the 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA) was held  in Geneva on May 18-19, discussed Covid-19 and how the world is coping with that. Even as the media in India is engaged 24×7 on Covid-19,  this historic session was given poor coverage, and many of those that[Read More…]

by — 21/05/2020 — 1 comment — World
Super cyclone Amphan wreaks havoc in India and Bangladesh with death toll over 20

Super cyclone Amphan wreaks havoc in India and Bangladesh with death toll over 20

Super cyclone Amphan has wrecked havoc in the Indian state of West Bengal, especially the state capital Kolkata, and the southwestern part of the neighboring country Bangladesh after the Amphan made landfall in West Bengal. The death toll, yet to be counted finally, in both the countries is over 20. The Amphan became the strongest storm ever recorded in the Bay of[Read More…]

by — 21/05/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Coronavirus pandemic may throw 60 million people into extreme poverty, warns World Bank

Coronavirus pandemic may throw 60 million people into extreme poverty, warns World Bank

The world’s progress in eliminating poverty is set to suffer a major setback due to the coronavirus pandemic, forcing more people to survive on less than $1.90 per day, the World Bank has said in a recent statement (Press release no.: 2020/193/EXC). “The pandemic and shutdown of advanced economies could push as many as 60 million people into extreme poverty[Read More…]

by — 21/05/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
U.S. is leading the global spending on nuclear weapons, says ICAN report

U.S. is leading the global spending on nuclear weapons, says ICAN report

The world’s nuclear powers are increasingly streaming money into their nuclear arsenals, and the U.S. is leading the trend, says a new report. The U.S. has also exited a major arms control treaty and deployed a new tactical weapon. The report – Enough is Enough: 2019 Global Nuclear Weapons Spending (May 2020) – by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear[Read More…]

by — 14/05/2020 — 1 comment — World
Photo: @Embacubaeeuu

Cuba asks U.S for answers to the attack on its embassy in Washington DC

Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla has accused the U.S. government of criminal negligence because the attack on Cuba’s embassy in Washington DC could have been avoided. He has asked that the attacker’s links with anti-Cuban, Florida-based groups be investigated. “Twelve days after the attack, the State Department is complicit in silence and does not condemn the incident,” Rodriguez said, recalling[Read More…]

by — 13/05/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Trump responsible for deaths in U.S. and globally because of Covid-19 response, says Chomsky

Trump responsible for deaths in U.S. and globally because of Covid-19 response, says Chomsky

U.S. President Donald Trump is culpable for thousands of deaths in the U.S. and beyond due to his Covid-19 pandemic response, from making states deal with the crisis individually to cutting the World Health Organization (WHO) funding, Professor Noam Chomsky has said. The radical intellectual has said: Donald Trump has done it to boost his electoral prospects and line the[Read More…]

by — 12/05/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Humans are not herds: WHO thrashes brutal arithmetic of herd immunity to beat coronavirus pandemic

Humans are not herds: WHO thrashes brutal arithmetic of herd immunity to beat coronavirus pandemic

In the absence of a vaccine, the increasingly discussed idea of beating the coronavirus pandemic through achieving so-called herd immunity could be a disastrous miscalculation, a senior World Health Organization (WHO) official has warned. “This is a really dangerous, dangerous calculation,” Michael Ryan, head of the WHO’s health emergencies program, said at a briefing on Monday. “Humans are not herds,”[Read More…]

by — 12/05/2020 — 1 comment — World
Three Press Photographers From Kashmir Win Pulitzer Prize

Three Press Photographers From Kashmir Win Pulitzer Prize

Three Indian photojournalists based in Jammu & Kashmir won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for feature photography for their coverage of the region during the clampdown that followed the Union government’s decision last August to divest the region of its special status and reorganise it into two Union Territories. Associated Press photographers Dar Yasin, Mukhtar Khan, and Channi Anand have been[Read More…]

by — 11/05/2020 — Comments are Disabled — India
Crisis bites Saudi Arabia: VAT tripled and state allowances cut

Crisis bites Saudi Arabia: VAT tripled and state allowances cut

Saudi Arabia announced a slew of austerity measures to cope with the fiscal impact of the coronavirus pandemic and oil price rout, tripling its value-added tax (VAT) and cutting allowances for government workers. The steps taken to shore up revenue and rationalize spending are valued at about 100 billion riyals ($26.6 billion) in total, according to the official Saudi Press[Read More…]

by — 11/05/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Protesting Afghans demand food aid, gunfire kills 6

Protesting Afghans demand food aid, gunfire kills 6

A shootout erupted on Saturday at a protest in western Afghanistan by residents demanding economic assistance, leading to the deaths of at least six people including a local reporter and two police officers, officials said. The reporter has been identified as local volunteer radio presenter Ahmadkhan Nawid, according to the Afghanistan Journalists’ Centre. The protesters were demanding relief after weeks[Read More…]

by — 11/05/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
EU economy will contract 7.5% this year in worst economic shock since Great Depression

EU economy will contract 7.5% this year in worst economic shock since Great Depression

The coronavirus pandemic will plunge most of Europe into its worst recession since the 1930s, according to a grim forecast released by the European Commission (EC). Brussels has had to abandon any hope of growth for both the EU and euro area in 2020, as the economies are set to contract by 7.5 and 7.75 percent respectively, according to this[Read More…]

by — 07/05/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Import Of Chinese Test Kits Canceled By ICMR : The Story Behind

Import Of Chinese Test Kits Canceled By ICMR : The Story Behind

This is yet another news story underplayed by Big Media, and being reported by us. A Delhi HC judgment showed that ICMR agreed to pay 2.5 times the price for Corona rapid test kits, imported from China, to help private traders to loot the public exchequer. Public interest must outweigh private gain, the Court observed. And Justice Najmi Waziri slashed[Read More…]

by — 06/05/2020 — Comments are Disabled — India
New Delhi, May 04 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the 'Non-Aligned Movement' Summit via video conferencing, in New Delhi on Monday. (ANI Photo)

Non-Aligned Movement Virtual Summit

The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Virtual Summit “United against COVID-19” was held on Monday, May 4, via videoconference. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev chaired the NAM summit. The meeting took place in the format of the Contact Group, which includes regional representatives. The Republic of Azerbaijan convoked the meeting as president of the Movement for the period 2019-2022, given the need for[Read More…]

by — 06/05/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
NOAA revealed Thursday that July 2019 was the hottest month on record since the U.S. government began recording temperature date in the lat 19th century. (Photo: Lukas Schulze/Getty Images)

Up to 3 billion will live in extreme heat by 2070, study warns

If global warming continues unchecked, the heat that is coming later this century in some parts of the world will bring “nearly unlivable” conditions for up to 3 billion people, a study released Monday said. Climate change could push 1.5 billion people to migrate to escape unlivable heat in the next 50 years even if global targets are reached, says the[Read More…]

by — 05/05/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Swiss environmentalists demand green recovery after the coronavirus pandemic

Swiss environmentalists demand green recovery after the coronavirus pandemic

Environmental activists delivered a petition to a special session of the Swiss parliament on Monday demanding that a government aid package should promote a “green recovery” from the coronavirus crisis. More than 22,000 people signed the petition demanding that support for companies in sectors with large greenhouse gas emissions like aviation be tied to reducing their environmental impact. Campaigners said[Read More…]

by — 05/05/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Invasion foiled in Venezuela

Invasion foiled in Venezuela

Venezuelan authorities have foiled a raid by “foreign mercenaries” trying to reach the anti-imperialist country. The first aim of the failed mercenary incursion into Venezuela was assassinating the country’s President Nicolas Maduro. The mercenaries tried to reach the Latin American country by sea to launch terrorist attacks and assassinate government officials. Venezuela’s Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said in a televised[Read More…]

by — 05/05/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Global coronavirus cases pass 3.5 million

Global coronavirus cases pass 3.5 million

Global coronavirus, officially COVID-19, cases has passed 3.5 million while deaths have topped 247,000. The U.S. has the most coronavirus deaths in the world at more 67,600, a number that rose 1,450 over the 24 hours to Sunday evening. Deliberately concealed outbreaks, low testing rates and the severe strain the disease has placed on health care systems mean the true[Read More…]

by — 04/05/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Over Rs 68,600-crore loans of wilful defaulters written off, says RBI

Over Rs 68,600-crore loans of wilful defaulters written off, says RBI

That is the title of a Report by business-standard.com, April 29, 2020. While the country is drowned in reports about Covid-19, this news did not so much attract the attention of people. We celebrate the World Press Freedom Day with a report on this issue. The Indian media, known for its sensationalism did not somehow highlight it, nor gave it[Read More…]

by — 03/05/2020 — 2 comments — India
Fake News Targeting Muslims Exposed by Police, But Still Aired, And That Even By Mainstream Media

Fake News Targeting Muslims Exposed by Police, But Still Aired, And That Even By Mainstream Media

  Attacks on Doctors and Media: A Few Case Studies was a Report published on April 27. This one is a sequel to that, and can be deemed as Part-2 of a two part report.The focus now is on Islamophobia, promoted by media, and abetted by State agencies. Tablighi Jamaat members spat on doctors, defecated in hospital wards, misbehaved with[Read More…]

by — 01/05/2020 — Comments are Disabled — India
ODNI , the clearinghouse for the web of U.S. spy agencies, debunks conspiracy theory on COVID-19

ODNI , the clearinghouse for the web of U.S. spy agencies, debunks conspiracy theory on COVID-19

USA Intelligence Community Statement on Origins of COVID-19 News Release, For Immediate Release ODNI News Release No. 11-20,  April 30, 2020 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)  today issued the following Intelligence Community (IC) statement: “The entire Intelligence Community has been consistently providing critical support to U.S. policymakers and those responding to the COVID-19 virus,[Read More…]

by — 01/05/2020 — 1 comment — World
COVID-19 Infection Crosses 3 Million

COVID-19 Infection Crosses 3 Million

The number of global cases of coronavirus infection reached 3.22 Million while the global number of deaths reached 227,420. U.S. coronavirus deaths pass 60,000 The Covid-19 death toll in the U.S. has passed 60,000 on Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University. The deaths are now above the figure predicted by the latest model used by Dr Anthony Fauci, U.S. President[Read More…]

by — 30/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
How Trump orders sacrifice workers’ lives, under a Defence Act

How Trump orders sacrifice workers’ lives, under a Defence Act

President Donald Trump has ordered meat processing plants to stay open to protect the nation’s food supply amid the coronavirus pandemic                                —  BBC Report dated April 29. An estimated 3,300 US meatpacking workers have been diagnosed with coronavirus and 20 have died. BBC reported:  He invoked a Korean War-era law from the 1950s to mandate that the plants continue to[Read More…]

by — 30/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
World should have ‘listened carefully’ to WHO coronavirus advice back in January, says director-general

World should have ‘listened carefully’ to WHO coronavirus advice back in January, says director-general

As more than three million cases of Covid-19 have been recorded worldwide, more than 210,000 people have died, and both the World Health Organization (WHO) and world leaders face criticism for mishandling the coronavirus, officially Covid-19, pandemic, the WHO director-general claimed: Countries that ignored the WHO’s advice at the end of January have been less successful in tackling the Covid-19[Read More…]

by — 28/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
COVID-19: Attacks On Doctors And Media : A Few Case Studies

COVID-19: Attacks On Doctors And Media : A Few Case Studies

The Ordinance on punishing “miscreants” who attack healthcare personnel was issued on April 22. Whether it would really put an end to attacks etc is to be seen in practice. A few case studies of attacks on doctors and their media coverage will be useful in this connection. Hence this news analysis. Adarsh Pratap Singh, President of AIIMS Healthcare Professional[Read More…]

by — 27/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — India
COVID-19: World death toll surpasses 206,000

COVID-19: World death toll surpasses 206,000

More than 206,000 people have died from the coronavirus pandemic, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. More than Over 2.9 million people worldwide have tested positive. In the U.S., more than 54,000 people have died, while there have been over 950,000 confirmed cases. U.S. President Trump’s economic adviser said the U.S. jobless rates from the coronavirus crisis would be[Read More…]

by — 27/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Syrian air defenses down several Israeli missiles over Damascus

Syrian air defenses down several Israeli missiles over Damascus

Syrian missile defenses responded to an attack by Israeli warplanes, intercepting several missiles over Damascus launched from Lebanese airspace, Syria’s SANA news agency reported. A video found online purportedly showed the Syrian missile shield being activated to shoot down missiles, reportedly fired by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from Lebanese airspace. There have been unconfirmed reports that at least three[Read More…]

by — 27/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
COVID-19 : World death toll passes 190,000

COVID-19 : World death toll passes 190,000

On Friday, according to AFP, the number of people who have lost their lives to the COVID-19, passed 190,000 and continues to rise. There is some cause for hope that the tide may be about to turn as testing capabilities grow worldwide and human trials for a vaccine get underway. The AFP reports that a total of 190,089 people passed[Read More…]

by — 24/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Ordinance to tackle offences against doctors signed by the President – But will it resolve the problem by itself?

Ordinance to tackle offences against doctors signed by the President – But will it resolve the problem by itself?

This is Part-2 of a report. “ The Union Cabinet in its meeting held on 22nd April 2020 has approved promulgation of an Ordinance to amend the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 to protect healthcare service personnel and property including their living/working premises against violence during epidemics. The President has given his assent for promulgation of the Ordinance. The Ordinance provides for making[Read More…]

by — 24/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — India
Shoot down and destroy all Iranian gunboats that “harass our ships at sea”, Trump instructs US Navy

Shoot down and destroy all Iranian gunboats that “harass our ships at sea”, Trump instructs US Navy

U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. Navy to “shoot down and destroy” Iranian gunboats, should they harass American vessels at sea. His declaration comes after a confrontation in the Persian Gulf. “I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea,” the U.S. president[Read More…]

by — 23/04/2020 — 1 comment — Imperialism
Doctors Withdraw Symbolic Protest

Doctors Withdraw Symbolic Protest

Ordinance to treat offences against doctors as non bailable and cognizable issued   This is Part-1 of a two part report. Indian Medical Association (IMA) withdrew its protest,slated for today, April 22, after their meeting with the Home Minister and the Health Minister. Safety and dignity of our doctors at their work place is non-negotiable, Union Home Minister Amit Shah[Read More…]

by — 22/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — India
World on brink of a hunger pandemic, says UN food agency chief

World on brink of a hunger pandemic, says UN food agency chief

As the world is dealing with the coronavirus, officially COVID-19, pandemic, the head of the UN food agency warned Tuesday that, the world is also “on the brink of a hunger pandemic” that could lead to “multiple famines of biblical proportions” within a few months if immediate action isn’t taken. World Food Program (WFP) Executive Director David Beasley told the[Read More…]

by — 22/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
U.S. oil market crashes, hundreds of U.S. oil companies could go bankrupt

U.S. oil market crashes, hundreds of U.S. oil companies could go bankrupt

U.S. oil market has crashed. The price of U.S. oil turned negative for the first time in history. The U.S. oil industry is facing a doomsday scenario. Hundreds of U.S. oil companies could go bankrupt. Many U.S. oil companies took on too much debt during the good times. Some of them will not be able to survive this historic downturn.[Read More…]

by — 21/04/2020 — 1 comment — World
Coronavirus Pandemic: The church-debate

Coronavirus Pandemic: The church-debate

The coronavirus pandemic has created debates on many issues including church and similar institutions. A number of letters in Los Angeles Times is a show of that debate, which indicates the impact the pandemic is making on many parts of life. The “Letters to the Editor: Churches don’t have a 1st Amendment right to ruin public health” in Los Angeles[Read More…]

by — 21/04/2020 — 1 comment — World
Demand dries down, U.S. oil prices drop to 21-year low

Demand dries down, U.S. oil prices drop to 21-year low

As demand dries down and storage runs out, the price of U.S. oil has fallen to a level not seen since 1999. Crude prices in U.S.’ oil capital are getting dangerously close to zero. The oil market has come under intense pressure during the coronavirus pandemic with a huge slump in demand. The price of a barrel of West Texas[Read More…]

by — 20/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Coronavirus Pandemic: Lockdown in U.S. creates controversy, armed gang joins protesters

Coronavirus Pandemic: Lockdown in U.S. creates controversy, armed gang joins protesters

Lockdown to counter coronavirus, officially Covid-19, in the U.S. has created political controversy in the country. Political leaders are exchanging tirades, threatening measures considered beyond constitution, and groups of people protesting while armed militiamen are joining the anti-lockdown protest. Cuomo extends New York lockdown in coordination with other states New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has extended his state’s social-distancing measures[Read More…]

by — 17/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Coronavirus Pandemic: More than 2 million cases worldwide

Coronavirus Pandemic: More than 2 million cases worldwide

Worldwide, more than two million people have contracted coronavirus, officially Covid-19, Wednesday since the lethal outbreak began last December, passing another dark milestone, and the worst hit country is the U.S. Globally, more than 132,000 people have died. And in this situation, the U.S. is continuing its war against the World Health organization (WHO) and China. According to data from[Read More…]

by — 16/04/2020 — 1 comment — World
U.S. assault on WHO

U.S. assault on WHO

The United States is unleashing a war against the World Health organization (WHO) as U.S. cuts funding to probe its ‘China ties’. However, the UN Chief has said: “Now is not the time!” The UN chief says WHO is “critical” in global war against Covid-19. As the pandemic rages on in some 185 countries, the U.S. has escalated a rhetorical[Read More…]

by — 16/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Covid-19 in India: Social media pandemic, equally virulent and fast

Covid-19 in India: Social media pandemic, equally virulent and fast

This is Part-2 of a Report. Part-1 appeared with the title: 200 Million Indian Muslims Vilified, now in the name of Covid-19. “Coronavirus may die…but the virus of communal disharmony will be hard to kill when this is over.” — Khalid Rasheed, Chairman of Islamic Center of India The anti-Muslim tirade has become the new normal so much so that it[Read More…]

by — 15/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Coronavirus Pandemic: England and Wales see spike in deaths, Critics Say UK is Underreporting Deaths

Coronavirus Pandemic: England and Wales see spike in deaths, Critics Say UK is Underreporting Deaths

  Covid-19 death toll in England and Wales have shot up dramatically, with one in every five now linked to the coronavirus, while the UK government has been accused of underreporting fatalities among the elderly in care homes. New data published on Tuesday by the UK’s Office of National Statistics (ONS), which detail all deaths in hospitals and out in the[Read More…]

by — 15/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Governments are using coronavirus to build “The Architecture of Oppression”, Warns Edward Snowden

Governments are using coronavirus to build “The Architecture of Oppression”, Warns Edward Snowden

Edward Snowden, the whistleblower who leaked information on U.S. National Security Agency, has warned that governments may use the coronavirus to curtail freedoms. Snowden, in an exclusive interview with Vice, said that governments may take advantage of the pandemic to impose authoritarian rules on populations. Snowden said, “As authoritarianism spreads, as emergency laws proliferate, as we sacrifice our rights, we[Read More…]

by — 15/04/2020 — 1 comment — World
200 Million Indian Muslims Vilified, now in the name of Covid-19

200 Million Indian Muslims Vilified, now in the name of Covid-19

(This is part-1 of a two part report) Let us begin with the latest news : “We cannot curb the freedom of press,” a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde said, on April 13 Monday. Very much   welcome, but for the context. The very next day, April 14, BR Ambedkar’s birth anniversary, in compliance of[Read More…]

by — 14/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — India
Countries including India extend lockdown, worldwide death toll crosses 119,000

Countries including India extend lockdown, worldwide death toll crosses 119,000

The worldwide death toll from the coronavirus, officially COVID-19, passed 119,000 on Monday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. More than 2 million people have tested positive for the virus. Germany saw its new coronavirus cases fall for the fifth consecutive day. The U.S. has had more than 23,000 deaths and 682,000 COVID-19 cases, leading the world in both[Read More…]

by — 14/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Satellite data from NASA shows the ozone layer above the Arctic in March 2019 compared to March 2020, when the hole formed. Source: NASA Ozone Watch

Largest Arctic ozone hole ever recorded over the North Pole

A vast ozone hole, probably the biggest on record in the north, has opened in the skies above the Arctic, on the other side of the planet from the infamous hole that forms each year above the Antarctica, better-known Antarctic ozone hole. It rivals the Antarctic ozone hole. Scientists from the European Space Agency said this week that this rare[Read More…]

by — 13/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Environmental Protection
Coronavirus Pandemic: A perfect storm for South Asia, says World Bank

Coronavirus Pandemic: A perfect storm for South Asia, says World Bank

South Asia is on course for its worst economic performance in 40 years, with decades of progress in the battle against poverty at risk, because of coronavirus, the World Bank (WB) said Sunday. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Pakistan and other countries in the region, which have 1.8 billion people and some of the planet’s most densely populated cities, have[Read More…]

by — 13/04/2020 — 1 comment — World
One Humanity and the Remaking of Global Peace, Security and Conflict Resolution

One Humanity and the Remaking of Global Peace, Security and Conflict Resolution

by Mahboob A. Khawaja, Lambert Academic Publishing Germany: 12/2019:  537 Pages Mahboob A. Khawaja, PhD in interdisciplinary Social Science (Syracuse University, New York, USA), an academia and international scholar believes in One Global Humanity living peacefully on One Earth and shares new ideas and vision for change and critical thinking action to transform the obsolete global systems of thinking and[Read More…]

by — 13/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Book Review
The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is on fire and radiation levels are spiking

The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is on fire and radiation levels are spiking

Part of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone where the infamous power plant explosion occurred in 1986 is on fire, and radiation in the area is spiking- reported Live Science. The report said, The fire covers about 50 acres (20 hectares) near the abandoned village of Vladimirovka in Ukraine’s Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, according to CNN. In a Facebook post, Yegor Firsov, head of Ukraine’s ecological[Read More…]

by — 11/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Coronavirus Pandemic: Rice and wheat prices surge may threaten global food security

Coronavirus Pandemic: Rice and wheat prices surge may threaten global food security

Increased panic buying of food due to coronavirus lockdowns has led to price spikes for the world’s two staple grains – rice and wheat. Reuters data showed, rice prices are now the highest since late April 2013. Importers have rushed to stockpile the goods, while exporters have curbed shipments. The price of rice has hit seven-year highs, while wheat futures[Read More…]

by — 10/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
The pandemic will unleash worst recession since Great Depression, says IMF chief

The pandemic will unleash worst recession since Great Depression, says IMF chief

The coronavirus pandemic sweeping the world will turn global economic growth “sharply negative” in 2020, triggering the worst fallout since the 1930s Great Depression, with only a partial recovery seen in 2021, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said. Georgieva painted a far bleaker picture of the social and economic impact of the new coronavirus than even[Read More…]

by — 10/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
COVID-19: Cases top 1.5 million worldwide as the number in U.S. nears third of the total

COVID-19: Cases top 1.5 million worldwide as the number in U.S. nears third of the total

Confirmed cases of coronavirus, officially Covid-19, ticked to just over one and a half million worldwide on Wednesday, with the death toll now standing at over 87,000. Out of the worldwide cases, more than 319,000 patients are considered fully recovered. Worldwide cases of the coronavirus now stand at 1,500,830, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Fatalities from the[Read More…]

by — 09/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
COVID-19: ILO predicts 195 million job losses, 400 million in India will fall deeper into poverty

COVID-19: ILO predicts 195 million job losses, 400 million in India will fall deeper into poverty

The coronavirus pandemic can wipe out 6.7 per cent of working hours globally in the second quarter of 2020, which is equivalent to 195 million full-time workers. This number far exceeds the effects of the 2008-09 financial crisis, the International Labour Organization (ILO) warned on Tuesday. According to the ILO report “ILO Monitor 2nd edition: COVID-19 and the world of[Read More…]

by — 09/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
"The transfer is from public institutions, in which voters have some say, insofar as democracy is functioning, to private tyrannies -- the corporations that dominate the economy -- in which voters have no say at all." (Photo: Andrew Rusk/flickr/cc)

Noam Chomsky: ‘Coronavirus pandemic could have been prevented’

Chomsky slams US’s handling of virus as he warns nuclear war, global warming threats will remain after pandemic is over. While the coronavirus can have “terrifying consequences, there will be recovery”, said Chomsky, but regarding the other threats, “there won’t be recovery, it’s finished” :  threat of nuclear war … and the other of course is the growing threat of[Read More…]

by — 09/04/2020 — 1 comment — World
Coronavirus pandemic: An Africa picture

Coronavirus pandemic: An Africa picture

Total confirmed coronavirus, officially COVID-19, cases in Africa was 10,427 while the number of recovered patients was 1,074, and the number of confirmed deaths was 519. The virus has spread to dozens of countries within weeks. Governments and health authorities across the continent are striving to limit widespread coronavirus infections. With few doctors and fewer ventilators, countries in Africa fear[Read More…]

by — 08/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
US hegemonism threatens India which succumbs to Trump, the bully

US hegemonism threatens India which succumbs to Trump, the bully

Hydroxychloroquine: India agrees to release drug after Trump retaliation threat The above is the title of a report by BBC.com this morning (April 7).  India has agreed to lift an export ban on a drug US President Donald Trump has called a “game-changer” in the fight against coronavirus, despite reservations from medical experts. The decision came after Mr Trump warned[Read More…]

by — 07/04/2020 — 1 comment — World
For the first time, China reports zero new coronavirus death

For the first time, China reports zero new coronavirus death

China reports zero new fatalities from coronavirus, officially Covid-19, China’s National Health Commission said in a statement. This is the first such no case for China since the country was wracked with the coronavirus outbreak in December. Italy, which has the world’s highest Covid-19 mortality rate, has started to see its cases subside. Italy has reported its falling daily cases[Read More…]

by — 07/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Coronavirus Pandemic: Cases cross 1.2 million worldwide

Coronavirus Pandemic: Cases cross 1.2 million worldwide

There are over 1.2 million cases of the coronavirus worldwide, according to tracking from Johns Hopkins University. The number of global fatalities has passed 66,000 while the U.S. leads the world with more than 300,000 reported cases. U.S. President Trump warned Saturday that “it’s going to be really some very bad numbers” in the U.S., where the death toll reached[Read More…]

by — 06/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Covid-19 Reveals The Ugly Face Of  US Hegemonism and imperialism

Covid-19 Reveals The Ugly Face Of  US Hegemonism and imperialism

 People thought Covid-19 has united the whole world, erasing borders and frictions. Indeed people – medical personnel, scientists, journalists and administrators across countries joined hands in educating and mobilizing people to face the calamity. But US acted erratically, promoted anti-China tirade and calumny, called it Chinese virus or Wuhan virus, despite WHO’s explicit appeal not call it that way. China[Read More…]

by — 06/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
A potential coronavirus vaccine might have been discovered

A potential coronavirus vaccine might have been discovered

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC, the school’s medical center, are working on a possible vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Scientists announced news of the potential vaccine, which has now been tested successfully on mice, on Thursday. Several research groups around the world are racing to create a vaccine, including a temporary[Read More…]

by — 05/04/2020 — 3 comments — World
Coronavirus Pandemic: More than $4 trillion from global economy will be wiped out

Coronavirus Pandemic: More than $4 trillion from global economy will be wiped out

The coronavirus pandemic will hit the global economy in a much bigger way than previously expected, warned the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has warned in its annual economic report –  Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2020. According to the gloomiest scenario presented by the bank, the impact of the “worst pandemic in a century” will be $4.1 trillion, or 4.8 percent[Read More…]

by — 04/04/2020 — 1 comment — World
74 journalism professors sign letter calling Fox News’ coronavirus coverage a ‘danger to public health’

74 journalism professors sign letter calling Fox News’ coronavirus coverage a ‘danger to public health’

74 journalism professors and journalists signed an open letter addressed to Fox News’ Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch on Thursday, criticizing the network they oversee for its coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. The letter stated, in part, “The Viewers of Fox News, including the president of the United States, have been regularly subjected to misinformation relayed by the network — false statements[Read More…]

by — 04/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Coronavirus Pandemic: Over 1 million cases worldwide, 50,000 dead

Coronavirus Pandemic: Over 1 million cases worldwide, 50,000 dead

The coronavirus pandemic has passed its landmark moment, as over one million people worldwide have tested positive for the disease, according to figures from multiple sources including news agency AFP and the John Hopkins University. More than 51,485 people have died worldwide from the virus. Now, the U.S. is the most-affected country, surpassing China. In Europe, Italy, Spain, Germany and[Read More…]

by — 03/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
U.S. sanctions abort delivery of Covid-19 aid from Alibaba chief to Cuba

U.S. sanctions abort delivery of Covid-19 aid from Alibaba chief to Cuba

Cuba has slammed the U.S.’ “criminal blockade” of the country after the embargo stood in the way of the delivery of Covid-19 test kits and ventilators donated by Chinese e-commerce tycoon Jack Ma. “The criminal blockade of the imperial government violates the human rights of the Cuban people,” tweeted Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermúdez on Wednesday. Cuba’s envoy to Beijing,[Read More…]

by — 03/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Coronavirus Pandemic: More than 66 million U.S. jobs are at high risk of layoffs

Coronavirus Pandemic: More than 66 million U.S. jobs are at high risk of layoffs

As the coronavirus wreaks havoc on the U.S. economy, more than 66 million jobs across sales, production, and food preparation services are at “high risk” of layoffs, finds Charles Gascon, a St. Louis Federal Reserve regional economist. Using 2018 occupational data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) detailing 808 occupations, Charles Gascon found that 66.8 million people —[Read More…]

by — 02/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Coronavirus Pandemic: U.S. National Park staff revolts, says shut them down

Coronavirus Pandemic: U.S. National Park staff revolts, says shut them down

Frustrated by what he considered inadequate answers about why some staff could telework while others had to show up to work, Lyndon B. Johnson Historic Park maintenance worker Trevor Wright took matters into his own hands — with an all-staff email. “No one has ever died because they were not able to see LBJ’s ranch or ancestral settlement on any[Read More…]

by — 02/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Markaz Nizamuddin: Communalisation of Coronavirus

Markaz Nizamuddin: Communalisation of Coronavirus

Authorities playing blame game over corona in Nizamuddin, Delhi, under scanner, Markaz Nizamuddin issues clarification At least 10 people, including 9 Indians, who attended the Markaz meet have died of coronavirus, with over 400 hospitalised with Covid-19 symptoms. Thousands of people had  attended the Muslim religious  meet at Delhi, and left. 1548 people were evacuated from Delhi, Times of India reported. Many[Read More…]

by — 01/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — India
California tenants are on rent strikes as Covid-19 relief falls short

California tenants are on rent strikes as Covid-19 relief falls short

Tenants across California are organizing rent strikes for the month of April. The strikers’ argument: They will not be able to pay their landlords for the foreseeable future and that the minimal protections now in place fail to provide relief for vulnerable renters. As Covid-19 shelter-in-place orders have led to a surge in unemployment and slowed down the state’s economy,[Read More…]

by — 01/04/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Corona : China and India support each other

Corona : China and India support each other

Anti-China poison is spreading through (anti-) social media, with a role of  pro-US lobbies, based on false info. See below realities: A report in THE PRINT, edited by Shekhar Gupta, dated 11th February, 2020 said : India is all set to dispatch emergency supplies of medical protective equipment such as masks, gloves, face shields, head and boot covers to coronavirus-hit[Read More…]

by — 31/03/2020 — 1 comment — India
People wearing protective face masks walk on a street in Beijing, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020. South Korea and China both reported a rise in new virus cases on Sunday, as the South Korean prime minister warned that the fast-spreading outbreak linked to a local church and a hospital in the country's southeast had entered a "more grave stage." (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

WHO warns: Coronavirus pandemic in Asia is far from over

In view of some Asian countries slowing down the spread of the coronavirus, officially Covid-19, pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) experts have warned: No country should let its guard down. “Let me be clear. The epidemic is far from over in Asia and the Pacific,” said Takeshi Kasai, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific. Takeshi Kasai was talking[Read More…]

by — 31/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Coronavirus Pandemic: Goldman Sachs on possible future changes

Coronavirus Pandemic: Goldman Sachs on possible future changes

The coronavirus pandemic is influencing the entire human world. The pandemic’s impact and the changes it will bring are searched. After the crisis is over, there will be many changes. The longer the pandemic lasts, the more people may embrace new aspects of lifestyle. The global oil industry has been hit hard. Oil prices have crushed. Long-term viability of many[Read More…]

by — 31/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Coronavirus Pandemic:  Deaths Surge

Coronavirus Pandemic:  Deaths Surge

According to Johns Hopkins University on Sunday, there are more than 721,000 coronavirus cases and 33,900 deaths worldwide. The U.S. now leads the world with more than 120,000 confirmed cases while the U.S. coronavirus deaths surge past 2,000. Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday that the U.S. could experience more than 100,000 deaths and millions of infections. Italy Coronavirus deaths in[Read More…]

by — 30/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Exodus of migrants in thousands , on foot, amidst lockdown and social distancing

Exodus of migrants in thousands , on foot, amidst lockdown and social distancing

They did not see the thousands of migrant labourers streaming out of Delhi because none of them got the promised food packet. They were hungry, many confessed, and had no drinking water either to last the long journey home. There was outrage and helplessness voiced by civil society. There was also anger at the indifference and incompetence of the Government.[Read More…]

by — 29/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — India
Coronavirus Pandemic: Global cases cross 500,000 with more than 24,000 deaths

Coronavirus Pandemic: Global cases cross 500,000 with more than 24,000 deaths

Coronavirus cases surpassed 530,000 worldwide, with more than 24,000 deaths while the U.S. now leads the world with more than 85,500 confirmed coronavirus, officially COVID-19, cases, overtaking China and Italy. There have been more than 1,288 deaths in the U.S. At least 122,000 people around the world have recovered. Among the recovered in Italy was an 86-year-old woman who was released[Read More…]

by — 27/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
WHO Director General Requests Global Humanitarian Response In The Face Of COVID-19

WHO Director General Requests Global Humanitarian Response In The Face Of COVID-19

The World Health Organization Director General said on March 25, 2020: Now is the time for solidarity in the face of this threat to all of humanity. He said the coronavirus, officially COVID-19, pandemic has accelerated over the last two weeks and while coronavirus is a threat to people everywhere, what is most worrying is the danger the virus poses[Read More…]

by — 26/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Coronavirus Pandemic: Countries start hoarding food

Coronavirus Pandemic: Countries start hoarding food

Countries have started hoarding food, threatening global trade while Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest man, is seeking money from public for his staff’s relief fund. The richest man has faced backlash. A Bloomberg report said on March 25, 2020: Some governments are moving to secure domestic food supplies during the conoravirus pandemic. Kazakhstan, one of the world’s biggest shippers of[Read More…]

by — 25/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Hubei, China’s first locked-down province to reopen on March 25

Hubei, China’s first locked-down province to reopen on March 25

The War Against Coronavirus is being successfully waged in countries. Thousands of scientists in countries are working round-the-clock while drugs are being tested at different levels including clinical test by Chinese and Russian scientists. China is lifting travel restrictions on Hubei Province on Wednesday, as China’s fight against coronavirus, officially designated Covid-19, and is yielding positive results. Even constraints on[Read More…]

by — 24/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Coronavirus pandemic: 37 million U.S. jobs could be lost but gun sales spur

Coronavirus pandemic: 37 million U.S. jobs could be lost but gun sales spur

U.S. Private Sector Job Quality Index estimates that some 37 million domestic jobs are vulnerable to layoffs. Hardest hit would be limited- and full-service restaurants, with some 9 million jobs at risk of layoffs in the near term. Fields such as education have some 3.2 million jobs at risk, while general stores have 2.8 million, according to the report. The[Read More…]

by — 23/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
COVID-19 Pandemic Slows Down In China

COVID-19 Pandemic Slows Down In China

China is slowing down the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. A Beijing datelined AFP said a few days ago: China reported on Tuesday just one new domestic coronavirus infection but found 20 more cases imported from abroad, with more regions imposing quarantines on foreign arrivals in a bid to stem the disease being brought in from overseas. The single case[Read More…]

by — 22/03/2020 — 1 comment — World
Coronavirus pandemic: countries massively increase surveillance of phone

Coronavirus pandemic: countries massively increase surveillance of phone

As coronavirus sweeps across the globe, governments are stepping up surveillance of their citizens. Some countries are collecting anonymized data to study movement of people more generally, while others are providing detailed information about individuals’ movements. Governments across the world are galvanizing every surveillance tool at their disposal to help stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. Countries have been[Read More…]

by — 22/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Coronavirus: Africa finds extremely rapid evolution of pandemic, says UN

Coronavirus: Africa finds extremely rapid evolution of pandemic, says UN

More African countries have closed their borders as the coronavirus’ local spread threatened to turn the continent of 1.3 billion people into an alarming new front for the pandemic. Africa is seeing an “extremely rapid evolution,” the World Health Organization’s (WHO) regional chief, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, told reporters. Thirty-six of Africa’s 54 countries now have cases, with the total over[Read More…]

by — 22/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Coronavirus pandemic: Global corporate losses may reach $12 trillion    

Coronavirus pandemic: Global corporate losses may reach $12 trillion    

The economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic will be unprecedented, according to Ray Dalio, the head of one of the world’s largest hedge funds. Ray Dalio says global corporate losses from the pandemic will amount to $12 trillion. Dalio told CNBC: “What is happening has not happened in our lifetime before … What we have is a crisis. There will[Read More…]

by — 20/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Coronavirus pandemic: U.S. doctors demand immediate release of prisoners and detainees

Coronavirus pandemic: U.S. doctors demand immediate release of prisoners and detainees

Doctors and medical workers across the U.S. raise the alarm about the coronavirus’s risk to prison populations. Thousands of medics have signed an open letter calling upon the immigration authorities to release individuals and families from detention. The letter, which at the time of writing had been signed by more than 3,000 people, is addressed to the director of the[Read More…]

by — 20/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Coronavirus pandemic hits U.S. and Europe: Biggest factory closing since World War II

Coronavirus pandemic hits U.S. and Europe: Biggest factory closing since World War II

The running coronavirus pandemic is hitting the U.S. and Europe. At first, it was service industries including hotels, restaurants and tourism. Now, the manufacturing sector is taking the hit. There are shutdowns of heavy industry, unprecedented since the World War II. A Bloomberg report said: Automakers in the U.S. and Europe are idling plants. China, Japan and South Korea have[Read More…]

by — 20/03/2020 — 1 comment — World
For the 1st time since outbreak, China reports NO NEW LOCAL coronavirus case  

For the 1st time since outbreak, China reports NO NEW LOCAL coronavirus case  

Mainland China has had no new local coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours – the first time since the outbreak began in December. However, China is still struggling to contain imported cases of the disease. Notably, the purported epicenter of the epidemic – Wuhan, in Hubei province – recorded no new locally transmitted infections. The same was true across[Read More…]

by — 19/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Coronavirus pandemic: China and Cuba send medical teams, equipments and medicine to countries

Coronavirus pandemic: China and Cuba send medical teams, equipments and medicine to countries

China and Cuba have stepped in with practical measures at international level amidst the near-collapse health care situation in a number of capitalist countries in the face of coronavirus pandemic. China sending million masks & gloves to France China is shipping one million surgical masks and gloves to France as the EU member struggles to contain the coronavirus, with Europe[Read More…]

by — 19/03/2020 — 1 comment — World
Coronavirus pandemic: Reports from U.S., India, Pakistan, Afghanistan

Coronavirus pandemic: Reports from U.S., India, Pakistan, Afghanistan

US struggles to fill requests for protective gear A Salem, Oregon, March 18, 2020 datelined Associated Press report by Andrew Selsky said: The U.S. government is rushing protective equipment to states, packing dozens of flights and hundreds of trucks with supplies for medical workers who will be on the front lines of the coronavirus fight. But the pandemic has exposed[Read More…]

by — 19/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Telangana Assembly passes resolution against CAA, NPR, and NRC

Telangana Assembly passes resolution against CAA, NPR, and NRC

The Telangana State (TS) Legislative Assembly, by way of a resolution passed on March 16, Monday, has opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Population Register (NPR), and National Register of Citizens (NRC), asserting these formed part of concerted attempts to tinker with the inclusive and non-religious nature of citizenship. The resolution urged the Central government to amend Citizenship (Amendment)[Read More…]

by — 18/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — India
Taliban fought IS with ‘limited’ US military support, reveals U.S. general

Taliban fought IS with ‘limited’ US military support, reveals U.S. general

Since signing of the U.S-Taliban deal, some revealing reports are coming out. A Washington, March 11, 2020 datelined AFP report, “Taliban fought IS with ‘limited’ U.S. military support, U.S. general reveals”, said: “The Taliban has shown that it can fight and defeat Islamic State group jihadists in Afghanistan, a top U.S. general said Tuesday, revealing for the first time that[Read More…]

by — 16/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Baghdad’s Tahrir Square protest waning, but the movement is going on

Baghdad’s Tahrir Square protest waning, but the movement is going on

The biggest democratic movement in modern Iraq is waning, but the movement is going on. Activists of the Tahrir Square in Baghdad are struggling to keep alive the movement. Security forces have killed nearly 700 protesters and wounded about 30,000 since the protests began in October. Media reports including a report by the news agency AP said: “At the once bustling[Read More…]

by — 16/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
U.S. airstrike against Iran-backed militia sites in Iraq

U.S. airstrike against Iran-backed militia sites in Iraq

The U.S. carried out airstrikes on Thursday against Iran-backed militia sites in Iraq, according to the U.S. Defense Department. The strikes have been made one day after the U.S. assessed an Iranian-backed group was responsible for a rocket attack on a base where coalition forces are located, killing two American service members and one British service member. A U.S. defense[Read More…]

by — 13/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Iran goes to IMF for fund to fight coronavirus

Iran goes to IMF for fund to fight coronavirus

Iran has asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for emergency funding to help it fight the coronavirus outbreak that has hit the country hard, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Thursday. The escalating coronavirus outbreak in the Islamic Republic, the worst affected country in the Middle East, has killed 429 people and infected 10,075. It has damaged the country’s[Read More…]

by — 13/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
COVID-19: WHO, IFRC, UNICEF guidelines

COVID-19: WHO, IFRC, UNICEF guidelines

The International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) have issued new guidance to help protect children and schools from transmission of the COVID-19 virus. The guidance provides critical considerations and practical checklists to keep schools safe. It also advises national and local authorities on how to adapt and implement emergency plans for educational[Read More…]

by — 12/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
World Health Organization declares Covid-19 a pandemic

World Health Organization declares Covid-19 a pandemic

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that the spread of Covid-19 around the world has reached the stage where it can be described as a pandemic. “Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering[Read More…]

by — 12/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Coronavirus: No Need for Fear– Stay Calm

Coronavirus: No Need for Fear– Stay Calm

Fear is spreading centering coronavirus. In the UK, supermarkets have rationed food and other items because of panic buying. Cities in the U.S. have found shop shelves empty, as there was panic buying. News agencies including Reuters have already posted news and photos on those developments in the U.S. and UK. But to be fearless is the first task to[Read More…]

by — 10/03/2020 — 1 comment — World
Oil slump + coronavirus-fears: Global economy into turmoil: Dow closes with 7.8% drop, largest since 2008

Oil slump + coronavirus-fears: Global economy into turmoil: Dow closes with 7.8% drop, largest since 2008

Stock markets are bearing the burden of oil slump and coronavirus fear. Stock markets across the world tumbled on Monday, and the fall in global oil prices after the OPEC+ deal collapsed. European markets fell by as much as 11.17 per cent during the course of the day’s trading. Last week the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said[Read More…]

by — 10/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
International Women’s Day: Clashes, strike while conservatives attack marching women

International Women’s Day: Clashes, strike while conservatives attack marching women

Women around the world observed the International Women’s Day – March 8 – with marches and strike. Police in countries obstructed the marches and clashed with the marching women. In countries, goons and conservatives attacked women marching in celebration of the day. With its origins in the labor and socialist movements of the 20th century, the day now recognized by[Read More…]

by — 09/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Two Leading Malayalam News Channels Banned From Airing For 48 Hours For Reporting The Delhi Riots

Two Leading Malayalam News Channels Banned From Airing For 48 Hours For Reporting The Delhi Riots

Two leading Malayalam news channels, Asianet News and Media One and are banned from airing for 48 hours from 7.30 PM this night on account of their reporting on Delhi riots. The Ministry of information and broadcasting claimed that these two channels violated the model code of conduct in airing the news. Both orders were signed by Amit Katoch. Ironically[Read More…]

by — 06/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — India
Coronavirus: Countries are not grasping reality of threat, warns WHO chief as 300 million students sent home worldwide

Coronavirus: Countries are not grasping reality of threat, warns WHO chief as 300 million students sent home worldwide

World Health Organization (WHO) officials have warned that some countries are not taking the coronavirus crisis seriously enough, as outbreaks surged across Europe and in the U.S. where medical workers sounded warnings over a “disturbing” lack of hospital preparedness. The epidemic has wreaked havoc on international business, tourism, sports events and schools, with almost 300 million students sent home worldwide.[Read More…]

by — 06/03/2020 — 1 comment — World
Tropical forests are now carbon source, not carbon sinks

Tropical forests are now carbon source, not carbon sinks

The world’s tropical forests are no longer carbon sinks because of human activity, and these forests now emit more carbon than these are able to absorb from the atmosphere as a result of the dual effects of deforestation and land degradation, finds a new study. The study tracking 300,000 trees over a period of 30 years finds: The ability of[Read More…]

by — 05/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
‘Do wear masks but don’t think you’re safe’: Top Soviet virologist & WHO expert explains Covid-2019 & debunks popular myths

‘Do wear masks but don’t think you’re safe’: Top Soviet virologist & WHO expert explains Covid-2019 & debunks popular myths

As coronavirus fears spread, a world-renowned virologist has explained when Covid-2019 will fade away and, whether medical masks are of any use. Around the world, public anxiety grows, with people embarking on panic buying and even fighting for medical masks. But for initiated professionals, the Covid-2019 is just one of many epidemics that come and go without inflicting devastating losses[Read More…]

by — 03/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
U.S. public health departments scramble against coronavirus, decimated by funding cuts

U.S. public health departments scramble against coronavirus, decimated by funding cuts

The U.S. state and local public health offices are scrambling to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. They are doing so against a backdrop of years-long budget cuts, leaving them without the trained employees or updated equipment to adequately address the virus’ growing threat, former public health officials say. A USA Today report said: “In the last 15 years, public health, the country’s[Read More…]

by — 03/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
People wearing protective face masks walk on a street in Beijing, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020. South Korea and China both reported a rise in new virus cases on Sunday, as the South Korean prime minister warned that the fast-spreading outbreak linked to a local church and a hospital in the country's southeast had entered a "more grave stage." (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

China’s coronavirus crisis wanes while epidemic takes hold in U.S. and spreads to 80 countries

The spread of COVID-19, popularly known as Coronavirus, is taking strange turns. The coronavirus crisis in China is improving while it is spreading in other countries including the U.S. The worldwide death toll, up to March 2, 2020, topped 3,000, and the number of cases tops nearly 90,000 in about 80 countries. However, world health officials sought to reassure the[Read More…]

by — 03/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
No evidence of fraud in Bolivian election that saw Evo Morales ousted in military coup, finds MIT study

No evidence of fraud in Bolivian election that saw Evo Morales ousted in military coup, finds MIT study

  A new MIT study has found no evidence of fraud in Bolivia’s 2019 election, despite allegations of serious irregularities by the Organization of American States (OAS), which led to the ousting of Evo Morales in a military coup. John Curiel and Jack R. Williams examined the OAS’s report and published their findings in the Washington Post on February 27,[Read More…]

by — 02/03/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Delhi Riots: Muslim Youth Forced To Sing National Anthem In Viral Video Dies

Delhi Riots: Muslim Youth Forced To Sing National Anthem In Viral Video Dies

A Muslim youth, Faizan who was seen lying injured on the street with a few others as policemen made them sing the national anthem in a video that went viral, died three days after the assault. His family told News18, Faizan was declared dead at the GTB Hospital on the morning of February 26. Nothing is Shocking anymore ;( pic.twitter.com/1aAX6C007Z[Read More…]

by — 29/02/2020 — 1 comment — India
33 Turkish soldiers confirmed killed in Idlib airstrike

33 Turkish soldiers confirmed killed in Idlib airstrike

At least 33 Turkish soldiers have been killed and an unspecified number of soldiers were injured in an airstrike in Syria’s Idlib province. Turkish officials blamed the strike to the Syrian military. Casualties from the strike were being treated at hospitals in the border town of Reyhanli. Turkish officials have called the NATO secretary-general and the U.S. national security adviser[Read More…]

by — 28/02/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Defend democracy, Lula calls on citizens

Defend democracy, Lula calls on citizens

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, former President of Brazil, called on the Congress and citizens of Brazil to defend democracy against the calls for a coup by ultra-right-wing ruler Jair Bolsonaro and retired general Augusto Heleno. Bolsonaro has recently sent a message via WhatsApp to his close circle of allies in which he calls for “action” against Congress. Bolsonaro follows[Read More…]

by — 27/02/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Human rights under assault worldwide: warns UN chief

Human rights under assault worldwide: warns UN chief

“Human rights are under assault,” said Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, as he opened on Monday the UN Human Rights Council’s main annual session in Geneva. “People are being left behind. Fears are growing,” he said, pointing to swelling divisions and political polarization in many countries. A perverse political arithmetic “A perverse political arithmetic has taken hold: divide people to[Read More…]

by — 25/02/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
By 2030, 2·3 billion people are projected to live in fragile or conflict­ affected contexts

By 2030, 2·3 billion people are projected to live in fragile or conflict­ affected contexts

A World Health Organization (WHO)-United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)-The Lancet Commission report said: Rising inequalities and environmental crises threaten political stability and risk international conflict over access to resources. By 2030, 2·3 billion people are projected to live in fragile or conflict ­affected contexts. The commission’s report – A future for the world’s children? (www.thelancet.com, published online on February 18, 2020[Read More…]

by — 24/02/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Winter 2019-20 was so far the warmest on record in the contiguous U.S.

Winter 2019-20 was so far the warmest on record in the contiguous U.S.

  January Average Temperature Departures The first two months of meteorological winter (December 2019 – January 2020) were the warmest on record for the contiguous U.S. in data going back to 1895. January 2020 the fifth warmest January on record in all 48 contiguous states. The states saw above- to much-above-average temperatures last month. This was the ninth consecutive January[Read More…]

by — 21/02/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
River in flood-ravaged UK town reaches highest level in 200 years following Storm Dennis

River in flood-ravaged UK town reaches highest level in 200 years following Storm Dennis

The River Wye in Hereford has reached its highest level in at least 200 years in the wake of Storm Dennis lashing the area with torrential rain. The River Taff in Pontypridd reached its highest level in more than 40 years and the River Usk reached the highest level since 1979. Britain will be lashed by more heavy rain this[Read More…]

by — 20/02/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Mississippi Pearl River’s third-highest crest on record causes flooding in Jackson

Mississippi Pearl River’s third-highest crest on record causes flooding in Jackson

The Pearl River in Jackson, Mississippi, reached its third-highest crest on record as flooding impacted homes and businesses. Hundreds of residents have fled Jackson ahead of potentially historic flooding of the Pearl River. Hundreds of homes have been damaged by the flood. The number may increase to at least 1,000 said Malary White with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. After[Read More…]

by — 18/02/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
CCTV Footage Exposes Police Brutality in Jamia Millia Islamia University

CCTV Footage Exposes Police Brutality in Jamia Millia Islamia University

Two months after the  police brutality at Jamia Millia Islamia, a new video has emerged showing paramilitary and police personnel beating up students in the library on December 15. The 48-second video, which appears to be CCTV footage, shows some seven to eight paramilitary and police personnel entering the Old Reading Hall and beating up students with batons. The paramilitary[Read More…]

by — 17/02/2020 — Comments are Disabled — India
Debate centering army in Pakistan politics

Debate centering army in Pakistan politics

Old debate centering army in Pakistan politics has reemerged following remarks by the country’s Prime Minister Imran Khan. A report in Pakistan’s leading daily The Dawn said: “Opposition parties have taken exception to the reported remarks of Prime Minister Imran Khan that the army knows who is corrupt in the country, terming the statement ‘irresponsible’.” The report by Amir Wasim[Read More…]

by — 17/02/2020 — Comments are Disabled — South Asia
January 2020 was the warmest January on record for the Earth

January 2020 was the warmest January on record for the Earth

Last January was the hottest January on record over the world’s land and ocean surfaces, with average temperatures exceeding anything in the 141 years of data held by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The record temperatures in January follow an exceptionally warm 2019, which has been ranked as the second hottest year for the planet’s surface since[Read More…]

by — 14/02/2020 — 1 comment — Climate Change
U.S. troops clash with villagers in Syria, teenager killed

U.S. troops clash with villagers in Syria, teenager killed

Media reports said: A Syrian was killed and another was wounded when villagers attacked U.S. troops and tried to block their way as their convoy drove through an army checkpoint in northeastern Syria. The incident prompted a rare clash. Another report said: A Syrian teenager was killed while another man was injured during the altercation between U.S. troops and locals.[Read More…]

by — 13/02/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
The Philippines scrap security agreement with U.S.

The Philippines scrap security agreement with U.S.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has terminated the 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the U.S. The Philippines announced its decision Tuesday – a move the U.S. embassy in the Philippines called a “serious step” – touching off a six-month countdown to the end of the deal. Duterte’s disdain for the Philippines’ close ties with the U.S. is well-known, He sees[Read More…]

by — 13/02/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Intelligence coup of the century: Spying, profit also

Intelligence coup of the century: Spying, profit also

Confidential documents published Tuesday by The Washington Post and German and Swiss broadcasters ZDF and SRF show: The CIA, the world-famous U.S. intelligence agency, secretly bought a Swiss company that sold encrypted devices and rigged them to spy on clients. The company, Crypto AG, sold gadgets and software to spies, diplomats, military officials, and private companies for decades. The company[Read More…]

by — 12/02/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Antarctic continent suffers from record temperature of 18.3°C

Antarctic continent suffers from record temperature of 18.3°C

Aerial view of melting glaciers on King George Island, Antarctica. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has confirmed that the Antarctic likely saw a new temperature record of more than 18°C on Thursday. Speaking to journalists in Geneva, spokesperson Clare Nullis from the WMO, said that the record reading taken in the north of the continent, would be[Read More…]

by — 11/02/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Police Brutally Beat Up Jamia Millia Islamia Students Again

Police Brutally Beat Up Jamia Millia Islamia Students Again

Police brutally beat up Jamia Millia Islamia students today. The police resorted to a lathi-charge on the protesters near Holy Family hospital which is within walking distance of Jamia Millia Islamia university. The students were holding an anti-CAA march from Jamia Millia Islamia to Parliament. The police had earlier denied permission to the protesters for the march. Height of brutality[Read More…]

by — 10/02/2020 — 1 comment — India
The flu has killed 10,000 Americans this season

The flu has killed 10,000 Americans this season

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 19 million Americans have been infected with the flu so far this season, and 180,000 of them have been hospitalized because of the illness. The flu virus has already killed an estimated 10,000 people across the U.S., including 68 children, according to the CDC. Fourteen influenza-associated pediatric deaths[Read More…]

by — 07/02/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Latin America is free to make own policy choices, says Lavrov on US threats and the humiliating Monroe Doctrine

Latin America is free to make own policy choices, says Lavrov on US threats and the humiliating Monroe Doctrine

With Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s current Latin America tour significant change is happening in the region. Sergey Lavrov has hit back at threats from Washington over Moscow’s support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, insisting Caracas and its neighbors deserve the option not to be U.S. vassal states. Lavrov was in Mexico on an official tour. Prior to the Mexico[Read More…]

by — 07/02/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Pakistan and Somalia declare national emergency over locust as hordes near India border

Pakistan and Somalia declare national emergency over locust as hordes near India border

Following infestation of swarms of desert locusts in the eastern part of Pakistan the country’s Prime Minister Imran Khan declared national emergency on Saturday to protect crops and help farmers. The Pakistan government said it was the worst locust infestation in more than two decades. “We are facing the worst locust infestation in more than two decades and have decided[Read More…]

by — 04/02/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Countries with confirmed coronavirus cases. Photo: ABC News. The photo is used here in public interest.

China plans to ban the trade in wild animals, believed to be behind the coronavirus as racism spreads worldwide

China said it would ban illegal wildlife markets and trade in light of the Wuhan coronavirus or 2019-nCoV, which has killed at least 426 people and infected more than 20,000. Beyond China, at least 169 cases have been confirmed in 25 countries. It is widely believed that the Wuhan coronavirus likely started in a wet market, where live and dead[Read More…]

by — 04/02/2020 — 2 comments — World
Seattle City Council Passes Resolution Against CAA, NRC

Seattle City Council Passes Resolution Against CAA, NRC

The Seattle City Council, one of the most powerful city councils in the U.S., on Monday unanimously passed a resolution condemning India’s recently-enacted Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Reaffirming Seattle as a welcoming city and expressing solidarity with the city’s South Asian community regardless of religion and caste, the resolution “resolves that the Seattle[Read More…]

by — 04/02/2020 — Comments are Disabled — World
Scientists sign open letter to Australian Government urging action on climate crisis

Scientists sign open letter to Australian Government urging action on climate crisis

  More than 270 scientists have signed an open letter to Australia’s leaders calling on them to abandon partisan politics and take action on climate change. They are calling for urgent action to reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions The scientists warn the impacts of climate change are coming faster, stronger and more regularly The letter comes as the Australian Parliament[Read More…]

by — 03/02/2020 — Comments are Disabled — Climate Change
Female flogging squad engaged in Indonesia’s Aceh

Female flogging sq