Daily Archives: March 6, 2020

2020-03-06: News Headlines

RT (2020-03-06). 120 migrants rescued by Turkish coastguard off western coast — report. rt.com Turkey's coastguard rescued around 120 migrants trying to reach a Greek island on three dinghies early on Friday after they said their passage was blocked by Greek coastguard vessels, Reuters reported. | Migrants shouted as coastguard vessels approached them off the coast of western Turkey's Izmir province. | The migrants included people from Syria, Afghanistan, Iran and various African countries. | Last week, Ankara said it would no longer stop hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers on its territory from trying to reach Europe. | Several migrants on two of the rescued dinghies claimed their boats' motors wer…

RT (2020-03-06). Erdogan vows to keep migrants flowing as THOUSANDS keep trying to storm Greek border (VIDEOS). rt.com Turkey's border will remain open for migrants seeking to reach the EU, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says. Thousands of illegal migrants have amassed at the border with Greece, facing off with police and trying to break through. | Ankara will not try to stop the refugees flowing to Europe, Erdogan told reporters Friday, as he was flying home from Moscow, where he had agreed a ceasefire document on Syria's Idlib with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. | Are the borders open or closed? We don't have time to discuss it anymore. It is done. | The situation at the Greek-Turkish border remains very tense [m…

The Canary (2020-03-06). Refugees attacked with water canons and tear gas on the Greek-Turkish border. thecanary.co Refugees faced more attacks on the Greek-Turkish border as people attempted to enter Greece, while the European Union's foreign ministers held an emergency meeting to discuss the situation on the border and in Syria, where Turkish troops are fighting.Greek authorities used tear gas and a water cannon to repulse an attempt by refugees to push through the border from Turkey in the morning, while Turkish authorities fired volleys of tear gas onto the Greek side of the frontier.Thousands of refugees have been trying to get into Greece through the country's eastern land and sea borders over the past week, after Turkey…

Staff (2020-03-06). Virus Hits 100,000 Cases as Its Economic Impact Snowballs. truthdig.com BANGKOK — Crossing more borders, the new coronavirus hit a milestone Friday, infecting more than 100,000 people worldwide as it wove itself deeper into the daily lives of millions, infecting the powerful, the unprotected poor and vast masses in between. | The virus, which has killed more than 3,400 people, edged into

The Canary (2020-03-06). Police raided innocent family's home because they got the time zone wrong. thecanary.co Police raided the home of an innocent family after recording the wrong time zone during a child abuse probe, according to a watchdog.The "serious error" occurred when officers confused Greenwich Mean Time with British Summer Time, as they tried to track who was uploading and sharing indecent images on public WiFi, a report from the Investigatory Powers Commissioner (IPC) said.The mix-up put the information in the investigation out by one hour and led to the warrant mistakenly being carried out at the address.The body, set up in 2017 to scrutinise spying powers used by police, intelligence agencies and other publi…

Daniel Warner (2020-03-06). Will COVID-19 Finally Bring Down Trump's Virtual Presidency? counterpunch.org The "pussy grab video" didn't do it. The Stormy Daniels's revelations didn't do it. The Mueller investigation didn't do it. The impeachment trial didn't do it. The cruel handling of children and the desperate at the border didn't do it. The unrevealed tax returns didn't do it. Will Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus epidemic

sputniknews (2020-03-06). Erdogan to Visit Brussels on 9 March Amid Migration Crisis With EU. sputniknews.com ANKARA (Sputnik) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will pay a visit to Brussels, which houses the European Unions' headquarters, on 9 March, his administration said soon after Ankara decided to open its borders with the EU for migrants.

sputniknews (2020-03-06). Serbian Armed Forces Ready to Close Border to Migrants – Defence Minister. sputniknews.com BELGRADE (Sputnik) – The Serbian military is ready to defend the country's border from the influx of migrants if the leadership issues such an order, Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin said on Friday in the wake of Turkey's move to open its frontier with the European Union to migrants amid a fresh escalation in Syria's Idlib province.

sputniknews (2020-03-06). Greece Prevented More Than 2,800 Illegal Border Crossings Over Past 24 Hours – Source. sputniknews.com ATHENS (Sputnik) – Greek police and military have prevented almost 3,000 migrants from illegally crossing the border from Turkey, a source in the government told reporters on Friday, adding that eight illegal migrants had been arrested.

yenisafak (2020-03-06). Over 142,000 asylum seekers leave Turkey for Europe. yenisafak.com More than 142,000 asylum seekers have left Turkey for Greece, the country's interior minister said Friday."As of 12.10 p.m. local time, 142,175 migrants have left the territory of Turkey from Edirne and Evros to Greece," said Suleyman Soylu in a tweet.Last week, Turkish officials announced they would no longer try to stop asylum seekers from reaching Europe.Since then, thousands of asylum seekers have flocked to Edirne, along the borders with Greece and Bulgaria, to make their way into Europe.The decision was made after 34 Turkish soldiers were martyred by Assad regime forces in Idlib, northwestern Syria last wee…

yenisafak (2020-03-06). Greeks | attack descendants of Syrians who protected their ancestors during | WWII. yenisafak.com As the Syrian civil war continues to rage, it has become quite clear that Europe, where refugee hostility has been on the rise, has quickly forgotten its not-so-distant past.During World War II, hundreds of thousands of Europeans who fled Nazi occupation and Soviet oppression, have sought protection in Middle Eastern countries.There's an abundance of records about migrant ancestors of Greeks who were hosted by Syria during WWII.However, the whole world today is bearing witness to Greece's barbaric attacks against asylum seekers on its borders.Over 12,000 Greek migrants were hosted in camps located in the city of…

yenisafak (2020-03-06). US, Europe unsafe if Syrian regime not stopped: Expert. yenisafak.com American and European interests will soon be threatened if the atrocities by Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria are not stopped, said an American expert on Friday."A new wave of refugees will destabilize European democracies. The United States has interests all over the region that will be threatened by the rising chaos," said political analyst Josh Robin, at his column for the Washington Post."The strategic argument is clear-cut. What happens in Syria doesn't stay in Syria."Idlib, just across Turkey's southern border with Syria, falls within a de-escalation zone laid out in a deal between Turkey and Russia in late…

yenisafak (2020-03-06). French lawmaker hospitalized due to coronavirus. yenisafak.com A conservative member of France's National Assembly was hospitalized on Friday after contracting the novel coronavirus, with the outbreak escalating in the country. Jean-Luc Reitzer is currently in intensive care in a hospital in Mulhouse, a city near the Swiss and German border which has seen a cluster of cases of COVID-19. His office confirmed Friday that he is now in "stable condition," according to the Politico EU news portal.The official number of cases in France has risen to 423, with 23 in serious condition. The death toll stands at seven, with one death

Alan Macleod (2020-03-06). "People Are Being Hunted Down" — ICE Launches Rights-Busting Onslaught Against Sanctuary Cities. mintpressnews.com Rights are routinely being violated as hundreds of ICE agents storm New York City and other sanctuary cities in a fresh attempt to round up undocumented immigrants.

Naureen Shah (2020-03-05). Trump is Sending Special Forces-style Agents into Pro-Immigrant Cities. aclu.org As part of its governments that choose not to collaborate with Immigration and Customs | Enforcement (ICE), Trump administration officials have confirmed plans for two new tactics in their anti-immigrant | agenda. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will deploy Border Patrol's | special forces-style unit, known as BORTAC, and other Customs and Border | Protection (CBP) agents — dressed in plainclothes [m…

teleSUR (2020-03-05). Greece Blocks 35,000 Migrants in a Week, Will Deport Hundreds. telesurenglish.net Greece has repulsed nearly 35,000 migrants trying to cross onto its territory since Turkey opened its border nearly a week ago, government sources said on Thursday, as it prepares to deport hundreds of others who made it through. | RELATED: | Ankara announced on Feb. 28 that it would let migrants cross its borders into Europe, going against a commitment to hold them on its territory under a 2016 deal with the European Uni…

teleSUR (2020-03-05). Turkey Deploys 1,000 Well-Armed Police to Halt Migrants' Return. telesurenglish.net Turkey's Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu Thursday announced that his country will send a thousand special forces police to the border with Greece to prevent migrants from trying to return to Turkish territory. | RELATED: ‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã | "Greece has tried to return 4,900 people to Turkey… A thousand special f…

Jonas Ecke (2020-03-05). Yet Another Betrayal of Humanitarianism: EU Policies at the Greece-Turkey Border. commondreams.org A child looks on as migrants take shelter inside a abandoned building as they gather in city center waiting to resume their efforts to enter Europe in Edirne, northwestern Turkey on March 5, 2020. The EU has scrambled to respond to the surge of migrants at the Greek border, where authorities say some 24,000 were stopped from entering between February 29 – March 2, 2020. (Photo: OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/greecechild.jpg

Staff (2020-03-05). Headlines for March 5, 2020. democracynow.org Coronavirus Cases Near 100,000 Worldwide as U.S. Death Toll Reaches 11, President Trump Contradicts WHO's Warning over Coronavirus Death Rate, Billionaire Mike Bloomberg Ends Presidential Bid, Endorses Joe Biden, Bernie Bashes Biden's Billionaire Backers as Healthcare Stocks Surge Post-Super Tuesday, International Criminal Court to Investigate Taliban, Afghan and U.S. Troops for War Crimes, 15 Civilians Killed in Latest Syrian Airstrikes in Idlib, Turkey Accuses Greece of Killing Migrant as Greek Riot Police Fire Tear Gas at Border, EU Ministers Support Greek Crackdown on Asylum Seekers Despite Protests, Federal…

news.un (2020-03-05). 'Unanimous' ICC gives go-ahead to probe Afghanistan alleged war crimes. news.un.org Prosecutors have been given the green light to investigate alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan – and beyond its borders — linked to Afghan, Taliban and US troops, the International Criminal Court said on Thursday.

teleSUR (2020-03-05). Putin and Erdogan Meet in an Attempt to End Idlib Crisis. telesurenglish.net Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan are meeting this Thursday in Moscow to take measures to stop the military escalation and its consequent migration crisis in the Syrian province of Idlib. | RELATED: | "This meeting is crucial. I am confident that the decisions we take will ease the situation in Idlib," the Turkish president said at the start of the meeting, according to local media. | Both presi…

Staff (2020-03-05). Farmworkers Step Up Pressure on Wendy's Shareholders to Protect Workers' Rights. truthout.org For years, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers has waged a campaign to convince Wendy's to join the Fair Food Program, an internationally renowned human rights partnership that protects farmworkers from abuse and ensures better wages. Many big retail food companies, from Walmart and McDonald's to Chipotle and Burger King, have joined the Fair Food Program — but not Wendy's. | The main power behind Wendy's is Trian Partners, a powerful hedge fund run by billionaire Nelson Peltz. Trian is…

splcenter (2020-03-03). Deportation is a death sentence, and our government's hands are bloody. splcenter.org Deadly violence is inescapable for hundreds of returned Salvadoran migrants. This small, Central American country is the murder capital of the world.

Staff (2020-03-03). Headlines for March 3, 2020. democracynow.org Super Tuesday Kicks Off as Moderate Dems Coalesce in Support of Joe Biden, 6 Dead in Washington from Coronavirus, as Criticism Mounts over CDC Handling of Outbreak, U.S. to Start Troop Withdrawal as Taliban Vows to Resume Attacks and Afghan Gov't Rejects Prisoner Swap, Migrant Child Drowns Off Greek Coast, Refugees Attacked as Asylum Crisis Deepens, Iraqi Power Vacuum as Caretaker PM and Designated Successor Both Walk Away from Post, Benjamin Netanyahu Holds Lead Over Rival Benny Gantz But Falls Short of Outright Majority, Report: 80,000+ Uyghur Muslims Forced into Factory Labor for Nike, Apple, Revolutionary Nic…

Staff (2020-03-02). Meet the 26-Year-Old Immigration Lawyer Challenging "Trump's Favorite Democrat" in Texas Primary. democracynow.org A wave of young progressives are campaigning in races across the U.S., following in the footsteps of Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who unseated a 10-term incumbent Democrat in New York City two years ago. A key candidate to watch is 26-year-old Jessica Cisneros, who is running in a South Texas Democratic primary to replace Rep. Henry Cuellar, one of the most conservative Democrats in Congress. The 64-year-old centrist is backed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Cisneros has branded him "Trump's favorite Democrat" because he voted with Donald Trump nearly…

Staff (2020-03-02). Headlines for March 2, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Sees First 2 Coronavirus Deaths in Washington as Cases Worldwide Mount, U.S. and Taliban Sign Deal Aimed at Ending 18-Year War, Joe Biden Claims Decisive South Carolina Victory, Buttigieg & Steyer Drop Out Ahead of Super Tuesday, North Korea Fires Projectiles as It Carries Out Military Drill, Study Reveals No Fraud in 2019 Bolivian Election That Ousted Evo Morales, Voters in Israel Go to Polls for 3rd Time in Under a Year, Greece Attacks Refugees After Turkey Loosens Restrictions on Border, Assange Extradition Hearings Suspended Until May, Wet'suwet'en Chiefs in Talks with Canadian Ministers as Fight Against…

Staff (2020-02-28). No Way Out: Report Finds Central American Asylum Seekers Trapped in Mexico in Dangerous Conditions. democracynow.org A new report by Médecins Sans Frontières — or Doctors Without Borders USA — shows how migration policies imposed by the United States and Mexico have trapped thousands of Central American migrants in dangerous conditions. Called "No Way Out," it is based on nearly 500 interviews with Central American migrants and asylum seekers, most of whom say they were victims of extreme violence prior to leaving their home country or along the migration route through Mexico. Because of the so-called Migrant Protection Protocols, which serve to deter immigration, asylum seekers are often forced to remain in Mexico,…

Staff (2020-02-28). Doctors Without Borders: Cheap Coronavirus Diagnostic Kits Needed in War-Torn Areas & Refugee Camps. democracynow.org Across the U.S., officials report a severe shortage of test kits for coronavirus. New York officials say they're preparing their own kits, after kits distributed by the Centers for Disease Control failed validation tests. Meanwhile, new cases of coronavirus continue to spring up worldwide, with Nigeria reporting its first case and one of Iran's vice presidents testing positive. We discuss how MSF USA, or Doctors Without Borders USA, is responding to coronavirus, with the organization's executive director, Avril BenoàÆt.

Hannah Gais (2020-02-28). Knowingly or Unknowingly, CIS Newsletters Promote the Work of White Nationalist Kevin DeAnna. splcenter.org Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), has attempted to distance his organization from the far-right actors he has cited over the years to promote CIS's anti-immigrant agenda.

Staff (2020-02-28). Headlines for February 28, 2020. democracynow.org California Monitoring 8,400 People for Coronavirus as Fears of Pandemic Grow, Syrian Airstrike Kills 33 Turkish Soldiers in Idlib, Escalating Tensions, New Justice Department Task Force Seeks to Strip Naturalized Immigrants of Citizenship, Joe Biden's Campaign Walks Back False Claims of Arrest in 1970s South Africa, Democratic Superdelegates Overwhelmingly Oppose Bernie Sanders Campaign, Mike Bloomberg Refuses to Apologize for Spying on Muslims, As NYC Mayor, Mike Bloomberg Called for Cuts to Social Security "Ponzi Scheme", ProPublica: Mike Bloomberg Advised Billionaire Sackler Family on Opioid Crisis, Emails Sho…

Staff (2020-02-27). "Dead Bodies Everywhere": Hindu Nationalist Violence Rocks Delhi as Trump Visits Modi in India. democracynow.org In India, the death toll from anti-Muslim violence in Delhi has risen to at least 34, with police accused of turning a blind eye to assaults on Muslims committed by Hindu nationalist mobs. The violence began Sunday, when groups of Hindus attacked peaceful sit-ins of Muslims protesting against Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new citizenship law, which widely restricts Muslim immigration to India. Modi said nothing as the violence continued for days, instead hosting President Donald Trump on a two-day state visit in which Trump heaped praise on the Indian prime minister. We speak with Neha Dixit, i…

Staff (2020-02-27). How the Climate Crisis Is Making the Spread of Infectious Diseases Like Coronavirus More Common. democracynow.org Sonia Shah is an investigative science journalist and author of "Pandemic: Tracking Contagions, from Cholera to Ebola and Beyond." Her new book is titled "The Next Great Migration: The Beauty and Terror of Life on the Move" and will be published in June. She says the climate crisis is making outbreaks of infectious diseases more common, with the destruction of natural animal habitats and the changes in migration bringing humans and animals into ever-closer contact and making new pathogens more likely. Her latest article, published in The Nation, is titled "Think Exotic Animals Are to Blame for the Coronavirus? Th…

Staff (2020-02-27). Headlines for February 27, 2020. democracynow.org Fears of Coronavirus Pandemic Grow as U.S. Cites First "Community Spread" of Pathogen, Trump Blames "Caronavirus" Fears on Democrats and Fake News Reporting, Trump Taps VP Mike Pence, Who's Blamed for Indiana HIV Outbreak, to Lead Coronavirus Response, Gunman Kills 5 at Molson Coors Brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Physicians Group Calls U.S. Migrant Family Separations "Torture", U.S. Drops Charge Against Scott Warren, Who Aided Migrants Crossing Desert, House Approves Emmett Till Act to Make Lynching a Federal Hate Crime, Feds Arrest Five Neo-Nazis for Threatening Journalists and Activists, ABC Suspends David Wr…

Eva Lopez (2020-02-27). Defending Immigrants' Rights and Reproductive Freedom in the U.S. Supreme Court. aclu.org The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a number of cases this term that will have a crucial impact on civil rights and civil liberties — from LGBTQ equality to reproductive freedom and immigrants' rights. Earlier in the term, the ACLU had two cases asking whether workers can be fired for being LGBTQ. On March 2, we will be arguing a case on immigrants' rights, and we have filed or will file friend-of-the-court briefs in major cases involving reproductive freedom, contraceptive access, and religious freedom. | We sat down with David | Cole, the ACLU's national legal director, to discuss what's in store for the…

Leila Rafei (2020-02-26). Family Separation, Two Years After Ms. L. aclu.org When the ACLU filed

Anjali Salvador (2020-02-26). Stopping the Anti-Abortion Ordinances of East Texas. aclu.org Waskom. | Naples. Joaquin. Tenaha. Rusk. Gary. Wells. These names might sound unfamiliar | now, but you'll be hearing more about them soon enough. | They | are seven cities in East Texas that, within the last several months, each | passed so-called "sanctuary city for the unborn" ordinances — moves that are | blatantly unconstitutional. | Waskom, Texas was the

splcenter (2020-02-11). Desperate asylum seekers 'starving for justice' in immigrant prison hunger strikes across Louisiana. splcenter.org Guards shackled Sai Mahad to a chair, placed a mask over his mouth and snaked a long tube through one of his nostrils.