Daily Archives: May 4, 2020

2020-05-04: News Headlines

Ramzy Baroud, Romana Rubeo (2020-05-04). Portugal Leads the Way: How European Countries Fared in Their Treatment of Refugees. counterpunch.org As soon as the COVID-19 pandemic began spreading its tentacles throughout China and eventually to the rest of the world, the World Health Organization (WHO), along with other international groups, sounded the alarm that refugees and migrants are particularly vulnerable to the deadly disease. "We strongly emphasize the need for inclusive national public health measures

RT (2020-05-04). Drone LOST in Latvian airspace: Main airport shut down as army rushes to search. rt.com The Baltic nation of Latvia has deployed army aircraft to search for a drone that was lost during a test flight. The incident has forced at least one airliner to be quickly rerouted from the country's main airport. | The airspace over Riga International Airport has been closed due to a lost drone. The airport's spokesperson, Laura Karnite, told local media that the measure has already caused disruption of air traffic, as a Riga-bound flight from the Chinese city of Urumqi was forced to change course and land in Tallinn, Estonia, which borders Latvia. | Latvian drone-maker UAV Factory lost all communication wit…

RT (2020-05-04). Germany's actual Covid-19 cases could be TEN TIMES higher than officially confirmed number — study. rt.com The number of Covid-19 infections across Germany could be 10 times higher than official numbers show, researchers have concluded after conducting a study in one of the country's hardest-hit towns. | Researchers from the University of Bonn say that while the official count is around 160,000 cases nationwide, in reality about 1.8 million people in the country could be infected — with many people being asymptomatic and others having symptoms so mild that they were not reported. | The team analysed swabs from 919 people living in Heinsberg, a district on the Dutch border which recorded one of the highest deat…

WSWS (2020-05-04). This week in history: May 4-10. wsws.org 25 years ago: 104 killed in South African mine disasterOn May 10, 1994, 104 miners were killed in the Vaal Reefs gold mine in Orkney, one of South Africa's largest gold mines. The elevator bringing the miners to the surface of the mile-deep mine was crushed by an underground train which had fallen down the shaft. The two-story elevator at Vaal Reefs was compressed into one by the force of the collision. The majority of the miners killed were immigrants from Mozambique, Lesotho and Botswana.

Women's and Feminist Collectives of Uruguay (2020-05-04). Uruguay: May First Feminist Manifesto. zcomm.org The exit from this crisis must be feminist, migrant, plurinational, anti-patriarchal, anti-racist, anti-prison, anti-capitalist, anti-extractivist and anti-fascist…

en.mehrnews (2020-05-04). Meighan Wetland in Markazi province. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 04 (MNA) — Located in Arak, Markazi Province, Meighan Wetland is the habitat of some of the rare migratory birds in Iran and is considered as one of the marvelous natural attractions for birdwatching. Desert nature has created a fabulous view of this place.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-04). Meet Iran's highest waterfall; Laton. en.mehrnews.com ASTARA, May 04 (MNA) — With a height of 105 meters, Laton waterfall is the tallest of its kind in Iran. The waterfall lies 15 kilometers south of the border town of Astara; and 6 kilometers from the Kootah-Koomeh village in Lavandil town, Gilan province.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-04). KRG's Sartak-Pishta border crossing reopens with Iran amid pandemic. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 04, (MNA) — The Sartak-Pishta border crossing between Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Islamic Republic of Iran was reopened on Mon. after more than two-month hiatus due to the outbreak of the COVID-19.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-04). Pakistan reopens Pishin border to facilitate imports from Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 04, (MNA) — Pakistani officials have announced the reopening of Pishin border crossing, a gateway to neighboring Iran, to resume imports of goods amid the coronavirus pandemic.

RT (2020-05-03). 'As long as coronavirus doesn't go on vacation': German interior minister warns against 'reckless' reopening of borders. rt.com Germany's interior minister said that early decisions to reopen borders could backfire in terms of the spread of Covid-19. The leader of Austria had earlier floated the idea of inviting German tourists to return. | "As long as the virus does not go on vacation, we also have to restrict our travel plans. As understandable as the desires of people and the tourism industry are, the disease protection has its own timetable," Horst Seehofer told Bild am Sonntag. | No one wants to restrict citizens' freedom of movement longer than is absolutely necessary. But the reckless opening [of borders], which later backfires…

Graton Day Labor Center and others (2020-05-03). Sacramento: May Day Car Caravan for Immigrant & Worker Rights. indybay.org Car Caravan: Southside Park, Sacramento…

graham (2020-05-03). U.K. Plc issued more profit warnings in Q1 than all of 2008. truepublica.org.uk By TruePublica: With news that the UK economy could shrink by an eye-watering 20 per cent if the COVID-19 outbreak is not contained by the year-end and that the likelihood of recovery back to 2019 (itself bordering on recession) levels will take at least three years, businesses are facing the type of battering that the …

teleSUR (2020-05-03). Venezuelan Assembly Vows to Defend Country After Border Attack. telesurenglish.net The President of the Constituent Assembly, Diosdado Cabello, slammed on Sunday the latest attempt by armed terrorists to infiltrate Venezuela's border by means of a naval invasion from Colombia. | Cabello said that the incident is still under investigation by the Venezuelan authorities, but he vowed, on behalf of the Constituent Assemby, to confront these terrorists that seek to harm the South American nation. | "We must summarize that these are not the only ones who came in the operation. It is under investigation. There was a confrontation, shots fired. We don't know if there are people who died at sea, or r…

en.mehrnews (2020-05-03). Incident occurred to Afghan nationals took place in Afghanistan not Iran: Mousavi. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 03 (MNA) — Rejecting allegations accusing Iran for the death of Afghan nationals who sought to enter Iran illegally, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Sunday that the incident has occurred in Afghanistan territory, not the Iranian border.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-03). Over 2 ton of illicit drugs seized in Iran's Mirjaveh. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 03 (MNA) — The police force of the Sistan and Baluchestan province, southeastern Iran, have seized a big haul of different drugs in the southeastern borders.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-03). Police confiscates above 2.3 tons of illicit drugs in SE Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 03 (MNA) — Iran's Border Guard Commander Brigadier General Ghasem Rezaie informed on Sunday that Anti-narcotics police forces have seized 2.306 tons of illicit drugs at Iran-Pakistan Mirjaveh border, in the southeastern province of Sistan and Balouchestan.

teleSUR (2020-05-03). Venezuelan Constituent Assembly on Foiled Terrorist Attack. telesurenglish.net The President of the Constituent Assembly, Diosdado Cabello, slammed on Sunday the latest attempt by armed terrorists to infiltrate Venezuela's border by means of a naval invasion from Colombia. | RELATED: | US: Tape Exposes Pompeo's Real Opinion on Venezuelan Opposition, 'They Plot for Themselves' | During the failed attempt, Venezuelan forces have killed abou…

Fight Back (2020-05-02). New York caravan celebrates May Day. fightbacknews.org New York, NY – Dozens of cars gathered in different boroughs of New York City on Friday May 1 in honor of May Day, or International Workers Day. Due to the city being on pause, protesters used a caravan to display signs and drive through different neighborhoods in the city, showing solidarity with workers and other oppressed groups. A special focus was put on COVID-19 and how workers, prisoners and immigrants lack protection from COVID-19. | The three contingents started in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. Their demands included cancel the rents, hazard pay and PPE, free healthcare and COVID testing, free them al…

Staff (2020-05-02). Undocumented New Yorkers Are Essential and Underprotected in COVID's Epicenter. truthout.org They've gotten to know New York City in a way many have not, through the low-wage work of cleaning its skyscrapers, serving its restaurants and crisscrossing its streets on bicycles, through long subway rides very early in the morning and very late at night. The saying goes: You're not a true New Yorker unless you've lived here for a decade. They've done their time and felt a deep sense of belonging in this city of immigrants. | But, in the epicenter of a pandemic, the undocumented have neve…

IMEMC & Agencies (2020-05-02). Israeli Troops Shoot at Palestinian Fishermen and Farmers in Gaza. imemc.org Israeli troops opened fire on Saturday, at local Palestinian farmers in southern Gaza, mainly in the Khuza'a rural area, east of the southern Khan Younis city. Local Palestinian media sources and witnesses said that Israeli troops, stationed on the Israeli side of the border, east of Khan Younis city, opened …

Sasha Abramsky (2020-05-01). Trump and GOP to Nation: Go Bankrupt, Drop Dead. thenation.com Trump and GOP to Nation: Go Bankrupt, Drop Dead…

Marcia Brown (2020-05-01). A County Jail Battles COVID-19 and the Opioid Crisis—At the Same Time. progressive.org The pandemic and an increase in immigration detainees create a double whammy for the rural Ohio jail.

Xinhua (2020-05-01). US Deportations Add Extra Risk to Global Public Health. telesurenglish.net In the name of protecting U.S. citizens against COVID-19, Washington has recently stepped up the deportation of illegal immigrants from Mexico and Central American nations. | RELATED: | The U.S. authorities seem to have paid no regard that such moves at the time of a ravaging pandemic may overwhelm the often vulnerable public health systems in the recipient countries and thus pose a grave danger to the global an…

teleSUR (2020-05-01). UK: Indian Students Starving and Unable to Return Home. telesurenglish.net The closure of borders in India left thousands of students stranded in the United Kingdom. Now they depend on food donations from charity institutions to survive. | RELATED: | According to local media, most Indian college students work part-time in low-paying jobs to support their studies in this European country. | "The confinement forced by COVID-19 has caused many of them to lose their jobs,"

ACLU (2020-04-30). How the ACLU is Responding to the Pandemic, Visualized. aclu.org The COVID-19 pandemic has closed down many businesses, but the ACLU's work of defending and expanding civil liberties and civil rights continues, essential as ever. At the ACLU, our most immediate focus has been on issues arising from the government's response — or lack thereof — to the pandemic., , Since the start of the outbreak, we've filed over 90 legal actions and have seen thousands of people released from prisons, jails, and immigration detention. | We and ACLU offices across the country are working in nearly every state to save lives, advocate for vulnerable communities, safeguard the r…

Jason Stevenson (2020-04-30). Utah's Shiny Surveillance Technology to Address COVID-19 Fails Miserably. aclu.org How many times have you failed to get a new digital device working properly the first time? While toddlers can (amazingly) master iPhones in minutes, some tech gadgets require many troubleshooting attempts to activate. And even then, they might fizzle., , Last month, the state of Utah learned that simple tech lesson in a very public way., , As part of a series of measures to respond to the coronavirus outbreak, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert issued an executive order requiring every adult crossing the Utah border to submit an electronic State of Utah Travel Self-Declaration Form with details about their contact info…

news.un (2020-04-30). UN prepares for potentially devastating COVID-19 outbreak in conflict-ravaged northeast Nigeria. news.un.org In northeast Nigeria, where armed conflict has forced millions from their homes, the UN's migration agency, IOM, is supporting the construction of quarantine shelters, as the region braces for an outbreak of COVID-19 which, it warns, would have 'devastating consequences' for those who have been displaced.

pip.hinman (2020-05-04). Reject Keneally's dog whistle politics on migrant workers. greenleft.org.au

yenisafak (2020-05-04). Germany extends border checks until May 15, says spox. yenisafak.com Germany, which is part of Europe's open-border Schengen area, will extend its border checks until May 15, a spokesman for the interior ministry said on Monday.The measure is in line with the European Commission, he added. "Of course, we are guided by the European spirit not to act unilaterally or in an uncoordinated way."Numerous Schengen countries have imposed emergency border checks in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

yenisafak (2020-05-04). Australia, New Zealand look to open borders. yenisafak.com In a rare move, New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will attend Australia's national cabinet meeting on Tuesday through video conferencing to discuss progress in combating the coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic and to re-establish international travel connections.Addressing a news briefing in Auckland

Tasnim News (2020-04-29). Pakistan Resumes Importing Food Items from Iran. iranian.com At least 20 trucks loaded with dates arrived in Pakistan through the Taftan border crossing after Islamabad decided to resume importing food items from Iran as the coronavirus disease in the region continues to slow down. The crossings of Chagai, Washuk, Panjgur, Turbat and Gwadar will remain open for three days every week to import …