Daily Archives: May 12, 2020

2020-05-12: News Headlines

Dianne Mathiowetz (2020-05-13). A 21st century lynching: Justice for Ahmaud Arbery! workers.org May 11— In the early afternoon of Feb. 23, shots rang out on the tree-lined streets of Satilla Shores, a predominantly white neighborhood bordering the port city of Brunswick on Georgia's Atlantic coast, some 40 miles north of Jacksonville, Fla. Afterward, a 25-year-old Black man, Ahmaud Arbery, lay dead on . . . |

Teresa Gutierrez (2020-05-12). Political Prisoners Teach-In: Mumia, migrant rights and cages. workers.org These slightly edited remarks were made April 24 at the "U.S. Empire vs. Political Prisoners" teach-in webinar sponsored by Mobilization4Mumia and held in honor of the 66th birthday of political prisoner and revolutionary Mumia Abu-Jamal, incarcerated for 38 years by the U.S. state. Teresa Gutierrez First of all, happy . . . |

RT (2020-05-12). Singapore plans coronavirus tests for all migrant workers as some businesses reopen. rt.com Singapore plans to test all 323,000 migrant workers living in cramped dormitories that have become a hotbed for coronavirus in the city-state, the government said on Tuesday. The island's tally of 24,671 infections is one of Asia's highest, with the vast majority among migrant workers squeezed into often unsanitary dormitories. | "The taskforce has drawn up a plan to allow migrant workers residing in the dormitories… to be progressively cleared so they can be safely returned to work when the time comes," Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said. | Infections in the dormitories had "stabilized," Gan added, with the…

Staff (2020-05-12). Los New Yorkers: Essential, Underprotected Undocumented Immigrants Struggle to Survive in Epicenter. democracynow.org As the coronavirus continues to devastate New York City communities, we hear the voices of undocumented New Yorkers about how they are surviving the pandemic. Their stories are told in a new ProPublica story headlined "Los New Yorkers: Essential and Underprotected in the Pandemic's Epicenter." We speak with one of the story's reporters, Adriana Gallardo.

Matt Sedlar (2020-05-12). Etazini vle depà≤te yon gwo asasen an Ayiti. cepr.net ayiboPost Al gade nan atik sou sit orijinal la An Anglè Pandan pandemi COVID-19 la, prèske tout fwontyè ak ayewopà≤ nan mond lan fèmen men avyon Imigrasyon leta Ameriken (ICE) kontinye vole. Chak 2 a 3 semèn, yon và≤l depà≤tasyon konpayi Swift Air, LLC opere, ateri nan ayewopà≤ Pà≤toprens. Apre youn nan và≤l sa yo …

RT (2020-05-12). Russian border may not open fully UNTIL 2021 — Tourism Union. rt.com With countries around the world beginning to loosen their anti-coronavirus measures, many people are starting to ask one thing: when can I travel again? If you're planning to come to Russia, you might need to wait until next year. | According to a letter written by President of the Russian Tourist Industry Union (PCT) Andrey Ignatiev and President of the Russian Hotel Association (RGA) Gennady Lamshin, it might take until January 1, 2021 for passage through Russia's border to get back to normal. | The letter, which was sent to Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov and the head of Russia's Federal…

RT (2020-05-12). Suicide blast at funeral of Afghan police commander in Nangarhar 'kills, wounds dozens' — reports. rt.com Some 40 people are believed "to have been killed or wounded" in a suicide blast on Tuesday at the funeral of a police commander in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar, according to Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the local government. The attacker detonated his explosives in the middle of the ceremony, Khogyani said. | At least 10 people were killed in the attack, TASS said, citing a report by Afghanistan's Ariana News TV channel. | No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. Nangarhar, a province near the Pakistan border, has long been a stronghold for both Islamic State (IS, former…

W. T. Whitney Jr. (2020-05-12). U.S. hand in recent assaults on Cuba, Venezuela. peoplesworld.org Secretary of State Pompeo loudly condemns Iranian border guards who abused Afghans crossing into Iran. He castigates China's supposed failings with the COVID 19 pandemic. He and President Trump rail against dictatorship they see in Venezuela. They protest Cuba's "slave doctors" — who actually "defend health care as a human right," according to Cuba's foreign …

RT (2020-05-12). Gunmen attack MSF-backed hospital in Kabul, witnesses report suicide bombing & civilians trapped inside. rt.com Explosions and gunfire have been heard from inside a hospital in western Kabul, where Doctors Without Borders (MSF) operates a maternity ward. Medical staff are said to be trapped inside as the battle rages on. | The 100-bed hospital is located in the Dasht-e-Barchi area of the Afghan capital. At least two powerful explosions have been heard at the scene, TOLO News reported. | The Afghan Interior Ministry said a special police unit has arrived at the scene. Security troops have encircled the site, media reports said. | ⁄Øÿ≤ÿßÿ±ÿ¥‚ÄåŸ&aa…

RT (2020-05-12). 'Europe needs a break': EU may open borders closed by Covid-19 lockdowns for tourism as industry faces 'grave danger'. rt.com The European Union is considering opening borders for tourists as part of a plan to roll back coronavirus-related lockdown measures. But leisure travel will be allowed only between states with similar Covid-19 situations. | On Wednesday, the EU is expected to present a three-phase plan — which has been seen and leaked by

teleSUR (2020-05-12). Hondurans Stranded in Spain Ask to Return to Their Country. telesurenglish.net At least 235 Honduran citizens with few economic resources are trapped in Spain and living in a very critical situation. | RELATED: | "Most came to work in Spain but lost their jobs because their immigration status was irregular," Honduran Pablo Jose Perez said on behalf of the group. | "They have been without pay for more than two months and they no longer have money. They need to return to Honduras because they have their families…

WSWS (2020-05-12). Australian Labor Party exploits pandemic to scapegoat foreign workers. wsws.org Labor's call for immigration cuts lines up directly behind the drive by governments around the globe, personified by US President Trump, to promote toxic nationalism.

Brenda Norrell (2020-05-12). Oglala Lakota enforce coronavirus border checkpoints after South Dakota Governor's threats. indybay.org On Pine Ridge, Oglala Lakota Police and Lakota warriors are manning protective roadblocks at the tribal border entrances today on Mother's Day, as South Dakota State threatens Native Nations over their coronavirus roadblocks.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-12). India rushed fighter jets at border in Ladakh: Report. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 12 (MNA) — The Indian Air Force (IAF) deployed its fighter planes on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) last week after Chinese military helicopters were seen flying close to the disputed territory, according to India Today.

Brenda Norrell (2020-05-12). Pine Ridge locks down for 72 hours after two Lakotas test positive for coronavirus. indybay.org The Oglala Sioux Nation locked down on Monday night for 72-hours after two Lakotas in Wounded Knee District tested positive for the coronavirus. In the bordertown of Rapid City, a WalMart employee tested positive for coronavirus.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-12). Iran, Pakistan discuss border security on phone. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 12 (MNA) — Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri and Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army General Qamar Javed Bajwa held a phone conversation on the security of borders and latest regional developments.

Andrew Korybko (2020-05-11). Geopolitical Corridors: Did Iran Inadvertently Sacrifice "The India Chabahar Corridor" for the Sake of Afghan Border Security? globalresearch.ca The recent political crisis that exploded between Iran and Afghanistan after the former's security forces were accused of forcing over 50 of the latter's illegal immigrants into a river on their shared border (where the majority of them are thought …

G. Dunkel (2020-05-11). In Haiti ICE is spreading COVID-19. workers.org Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency charged with deporting people from the United States, scheduled five deportations to Haiti on May 11 from the Pine Prairie Detention Center in Louisiana. The agency claims the five individuals have either tested positive for COVID-19 or show signs of having the disease. (Miami . . . |

Staff (2020-05-11). Headlines for May 11, 2020. democracynow.org COVID-19 Cases Mount as States Reopen Economies, NY Investigating Deaths of at Least 3 Children Linked to COVID-19, Bronx Hospital Investigating Nurse Who Shared Video of Medical Staff Speaking Out About Lack of PPE, Cheyenne River Sioux Defies South Dakota Order to Remove Coronavirus Checkpoints, Another COVID-19 Case Confirmed at White House as Barack Obama Blasts Trump's "Chaotic" Response, Hunger-Striking Immigrant Women Released from California Prison, U.S. Continues to Deport Haitian Immigrants, Including Those with COVID-19 Infections, WSJ: Trump Planning to Ban H-1B Visas, Three Prisoners Die at Chino Fac…

Newsclick (2020-05-11). No greater hypocrisy than Indian Govt's pronouncements on migrants: Sitaram Yechury. peoplesdispatch.org Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), talks about the Indian government's failure to prepare for the COVID-19 pandemic, the hypocrisy in its policy on migrants and the steps it needs to take to address the crisis. He also talks about how the pandemic has led to a greater realization of the failures of capitalism and will spur fresh struggles for a more just system.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-05-11). US continues deportation of Haitians tested positive of COVID-19. peoplesdispatch.org A group of over 100 Haitian nationals are set to be deported from the United States by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), on Monday, May 11. This is scheduled to happen despite requests from the Haitian government to wait until the spread of COVID-19 subsides. Among those being deported, at least five individuals are known to have tested positive for COVID-19 very recently. | The Haitian government panel assigned to direct the nation's pandemic response requested that the US government avoid deportations until the pandemic is contained. The presidential panel consisting of medical professionals and…

news.un (2020-05-11). Battle 'not yet over' against locust invasions in East Africa and Yemen. news.un.org Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges, significant gains have been made against Desert Locust encroachment in East Africa and Yemen, with an estimated 720,000 tonnes of cereal saved from the swarms of migratory pests across 10 countries: enough to feed five million people a year, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on Monday.

teleSUR (2020-05-11). China: New COVID-19 Outbreak Spreads Concern. telesurenglish.net A new coronavirus outbreak in Shulan, a Chinese city near the Russian border, and a spate of cases in Wuhan has prompted fears of a fresh wave of infections in China. | RELATED: | According to Chinese authorities, Shulan is at high risk. A family cluster was diagnosed with COVID-19, after having contact with a woman with no known history of travel or exposure to the virus. | The news were given a week after China designated a…

teleSUR (2020-05-10). 3 Mercenaries Arrested in Venezuela With Ties to Foiled Coup. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's government announced Sunday that its Special Forces apprehended three mercenaries with ties to the foiled May 3 plot in the northern state of Aragua, which borders Caracas. | RELATED: | The detainees were identified as First Lieutenant Jairo Betemy, Army Second Sergeant Franco Jonathan, and Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) First Sergeant Evan Rincon, who are now in the custody of the corresponding authorities.

Fight Back (2020-05-09). On the passing of Michael Lucas, immigrant organizer and friend of Soviet people. fightbacknews.org Michael Lucas, editor of Northstar Compass and leader of the International Council for Friendship and Solidarity with the Soviet People, died in Toronto on May 4. He was 94. | Lucas was a fixture of the Canadian left for decades, especially among communities of progressive immigrants from Eastern Europe and Russia. He was longtime head of the Society of Carpatho-Russian Canadians. A musician, Lucas was deeply committed to preserving and sharing the culture and traditions of his people. Throughout his long life, he was a staunch supporter of socialism and the anti-fascist traditions of the Soviet Union. | "He work…

Andrea Arroyo (2020-05-08). The Pandemic's Impact on Immigration Detention Centers. thenation.com The Pandemic's Impact on Immigration Detention Centers…

news.un (2020-05-08). UN rights office concerned over migrant boat pushbacks in the Mediterranean. news.un.org Restrictions against humanitarians who rescue migrant boats in the central Mediterranean are putting lives at risk and must be lifted immediately, the UN human rights office said on Friday.

news.un (2020-05-07). FROM THE FIELD: Protecting the displaced in the time of COVID-19. news.un.org Refugees and displaced people living in camps are amongst the most vulnerable communities across the world and more likely to catch COVID-19 than others, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

news.un (2020-05-07). Migrants stranded 'all over the world' and at risk from coronavirus. news.un.org Thousands of migrants have been stranded "all over the world" where they face a heightened risk of COVID-19 infection, the head of UN migration agency, IOM, said on Thursday.

sputniknews (2020-05-12). Stand-off Between Indian, Chinese Troops Escalates as Fighter Jet, Helicopters Scramble in Ladakh. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): The current stand-off in eastern Ladakh is the second such instance since India and China disengaged in Doklam after a 73-day stand-off in 2017. The Indian Air Force (IAF) scrambled its Su-30MKI after it spotted the movement of military helicopters on the Chinese side of the border last week.

Susan Price (2020-05-06). Migrant workers bear brunt of Singapore's COVID-19 'second wave'. greenleft.org.au

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.

Michael Edison Hayden and Eddie Bejarano (2020-04-24). Trump's Immigration Order Was Drafted by Officials With Ties to Hate Groups, According to Report. splcenter.org Two officials with ties to anti-immigrant hate groups helped write President Trump's executive order blocking the issuance of new green cards, according to a report.

splcenter (2020-04-24). Fraihat v. ICE Community Resources. splcenter.org On April 20, 2020, a federal district court granted a nationwide preliminary injunction requiring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to take a number of important steps to protect medically vulnerable people in its custody from COVID-19.

Lawrence Wittner (2020-04-23). If Farmworkers Are "Essential," Why Are They Treated So Badly? zcomm.org On March 19, 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, spurred to action by the coronavirus pandemic, issued a memorandum that identified the nation's 2.5 million farmworkers as "essential" workers. Soon thereafter, agribusinesses began distributing formal letters to their farm laborers, also declaring that that they were "essential." Of course, it shouldn't have required a

Miriam Orcutt, Parth Patel, Rachel Burns, Lucinda Hiam, Rob Aldridge, Delan Devakumar, Bernadette Kumar, Paul Spiegel, Ibrahim Abubakar (2020-04-23). [Correspondence] Global call to action for inclusion of migrants and refugees in the COVID-19 response. thelancet.com Lancet Migration1 calls for migrants and refugees to be urgently included in responses to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.2 Many of these populations live, travel, and work in conditions where physical distancing and recommended hygiene measures are impossible because of poor living conditions3 and great economic precarity. This global public health emergency highlights the exclusion and multiple barriers to health care4 that are faced by migrants and refugees, among whom COVID-19 threatens to have rapid and devastating effects.

Paul Dobson (2020-04-06). Venezuela Braces for Migrant Return as Coronavirus Rattles Latin America. venezuelanalysis.com The Caribbean country's 159 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 7 deaths is considerably lower than its neighbours' tallies.