The Arab-Israeli Alliance Is Fueling Conflicts in the Middle East
Steven Sahiounie | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-14
There are 2 camps in the Middle East: those countries which work with 'Israel', and those who do not. The countries which have established relationships with 'Israel' are Turkey; United Arab Emirates (UAE); Saudi Arabia; Qatar; Bahrain; Oman; Jordan; Egypt. …
globalresearch.ca/arab-israeli-alliance-fueling-conflicts-middle-east/5709569

Tunisian political activists condemn US sanctions on Iran
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-14
TEHRAN, Apr. 14 (MNA)

China to Launch Clinical Trials for Two COVID-19 Vaccines
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-14
China's health authorities approved human clinical trials of two experimental vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 disease. | RELATED: | China Rejects US Accusation of 'Xenophobia' Against Africans | These are two "inactivated" vaccines consisting of microorganisms that have been killed through physical or chemical processes. | One of them was developed by the Wuhan Institute of Virology and Sinopharm. Their vaccine will be tested on 1,396 voluntee…
telesurenglish.net/news/China-to-Launch-Clinical-Trials-for-Two-COVID-19-Vaccines-20200414-0001.html

California's COVID-19 Cases Higher Than Reported: Official
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-14
There might be up to 25,000 cases of COVID-19 in Northern California's San Mateo County (SMC), far more than the three-digit cases that are officially confirmed, the county's health officer said in a statement on Monday. | RELATED: | China Rejects US Accusation of 'Xenophobia' Against Africans | Scott Morrow said that the data currently shared on the county's website is simply very limited as many characteristics of the coronavirus are unknown and the testing remains very constrain…
telesurenglish.net/news/Californias-COVID-19-Cases-Higher-Than-Reported-Official-20200414-0006.html

UAE drones kill 8 in Libya's Tripoli
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-14
United Arab Emirates (UAE)-affiliated drones, fighting with Khalifa Haftar militias in Libya, bombed the capital Tripoli on Tuesday killing eight people. An official of the Government of National Accord (GNA) told Anadolu Agency that the bombing targeted a security position in Tripoli without giving further details.The escalation came a day after the GNA, the internationally-recognized government, regained control of around 2,000 square miles of land west of Tripoli from militias loyal to warlord Haftar.The GNA has been under attack by Haftar's forces since last April, with more than 1,000 killed in the violence.
yenisafak.com/en/world/uae-drones-kill-8-in-libyas-tripoli-3516890

Chinese Arms to Help Nigeria Combat Terrorists
sputniknews.com | 2020-04-14
China and Nigeria are strengthening their military-technical cooperation: 17 Chinese armoured vehicles have been unloaded at the port of Lagos under a new contract signed in 2019. The contract, worth $152 million, was signed following a tender that was won by the China Ordnance Industries Group Corporation, known as Norinco.
sputniknews.com/military/202004141078946004-chinese-arms-to-help-nigeria-combat-terrorists/

Rituals and Daily Life of the Hamer Tribe
sputniknews.com | 2020-04-14
As nations have been put on lockdown amid the spread of the coronavirus, people are finding different ways to pass the time during self-isolation. This was the case with Belgian photographer Jolan Deschepper from Ostend, who decided to process photos of his Ethiopian trip because the night club where he normally works has been closed.
sputniknews.com/photo/202004141078948434-rituals-and-daily-life-of-the-hamer-tribe/

United States: The virus is colour blind, humans are not
Susan Price | greenleft.org.au | 2020-04-14
Anti-racism Healthcare Malik MiahIssue 1261 United States COVID-19April 14, 2020The Coronavirus is colour blind. It strikes whites, Blacks, Latinos, indigenous people, Asians and rich, poor. So, why the hig…
greenleft.org.au/content/united-states-virus-colour-blind-humans-are-not

Dozens of Migrants Feared Dead in the Mediterranean Sea
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-13
A rubber boat packed with 85 migrants and refugees appears to have capsized after sailing from Lybia while three others carrying 173 people in all are in distress in the Mediterranean Sea, German rescue organizations Sea-Watch and United4Rescue said Sunday. | RELATED: | Tripoli Govt Retakes 2 Cities From Rival Haftar's Forces | "No state wants to rescue them," Sea-Watch said, referring to those in distress after Libya, Italy, and Malta shut their borders due to the coronavirus…
telesurenglish.net/news/Dozens-of-Migrants-Feared-Dead-in-the-Mediterranean-Sea-20200413-0012.html

China Rejects US Accusation of 'Xenophobia' Against Africans
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-13
China's government refuted Monday the United States accusation that authorities in the southeastern province of Guangdong discriminated against African migrants in the process of coronavirus prevention and control. | RELATED: | China To Keep Supporting US in Fighting Epidemic: Spokesperson | "During our fight against coronavirus, the Chinese government has been attaching great importance to the lives and health of foreign nationals in China. All foreigners are treated equally, a…
telesurenglish.net/news/China-Rejects-US-Accusation-of-Xenophobia-Against-Africans-20200413-0011.html

"Capitalism is incapable of responding to a crisis of this kind"
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-04-13
The lockdown in South Africa has been extended till the end of April. However, the government's execution of the lockdown, along with decades of under-investment in health, has left the country unprepared.
mronline.org/2020/04/13/capitalism-is-incapable-of-responding-to-a-crisis-of-this-kind/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=capitalism-is-incapable-of-responding-to-a-crisis-of-this-kind

Libya: Tripoli Govt Retakes 2 Cities From Rival Haftar's Forces
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-13
Libya's U.N.-recognized Government of National Accord said Monday its troops have seized control of two western coastal cities located between the capital Tripoli and the Tunisian border from the Libyan National Army of eastern-based military General Khalifa Haftar. | RELATED: | Libya: Haftar's Forces Target Tripoli Hospital Again | "Our forces took control of Surman and Sabratha and are pursuing [Haftar's forces]," a spokesperson of the GNA Mohammed Gnunu, said in a statement. | The offic…
telesurenglish.net/news/Libya-Tripoli-Govt-Retakes-2-Cities-From-Rival-Haftars-Forces-20200413-0010.html

Indigenous celebrate victory against Dakota Access Pipeline, but remain wary of Judge Boasberg
Albert Bender | peoplesworld.org | 2020-04-13
On March 25, tribal nations won a notable victory in their long-standing war with the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) when U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg for the District of Columbia ruled that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must develop a full environmental review of the much-maligned project. This was a historic triumph for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, which with the support …
peoplesworld.org/article/indigenous-celebrate-victory-against-dakota-access-pipeline-but-remain-wary-of-judge-boasberg/

We Need a Riot of Empathy
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-04-13
Kelly Hayes talks with Tanuja Jagernauth about collective grief and resisting the normalization of mass death. | Note: This a rush transcript and has been lightly edited for clarity. | Copy may not be in its final form. | Kelly Hayes: In a peak moment of tragedy in the COVID-19 crisis, our collective losses are mounting, and with each week, more and more of us know someone who's been lost to this illness, including people we love. Today, we're going to talk about how we can help each other survive these times while not becoming desensitized to t…
truthout.org/audio/we-need-a-riot-of-empathy/

'Say no to hate speech and xenophobia', urges Guterres, marking 26 years since genocide in Rwanda
news.un.org | 2020-04-13
Remembering the more than one million people who over the course of just 100 days, were systematically killed in Rwanda, 26 years ago, the UN chief underscored on Tuesday that "we must never again let such an atrocity occur".
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/04/1061242

Wash Your Hands? Despite Pandemic, Thousands Still Have No Water in Detroit, a Coronavirus Hot Spot
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-13
Water shutoffs continue amid the coronavirus pandemic in Detroit, despite a moratorium and a program to help thousands of residents restore service last month. The lack of water access comes as nearly 1,500 people in Michigan have died from COVID-19, and 40% of those who have died are African-American, despite making up just 14% of the state's population. We speak with community pastor and activist Rev. Roslyn Bouier, who has been working with residents to restore their water.
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/13/detroit_michigan_water_shut_offs

Thousands Still Have No Water in Detroit, a COVID-19 Hot Spot
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-04-13
Water shutoffs continue amid the coronavirus pandemic in Detroit, despite a moratorium and a program to help thousands of residents restore service last month. The lack of water access comes as nearly 1,500 people in Michigan have died from COVID-19, and 40% of those who have died are African-American, despite making up just 14% of the state's population. We speak with community pastor and activist Rev. Roslyn Bouier, who has been working with residents to restore their water. | TRANSCRIPT: | AMY GOODMA…
truthout.org/video/thousands-still-have-no-water-in-detroit-a-covid-19-hot-spot/

US: African-Americans Are More Vulnerable to COVID-19
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-13
The U.S.' African-American population is more vulnerable to COVID-19, according to social and demographic studies on the virus. | RELATED: | New York City Tops US With Over 100,000 Coronavirus Cases | The reason for this exposure of the African-American population is not its genetics or physical conditions, but the systemic discrimination it suffers. Many of the non-white citizens of the United States are lacking health insurance, so they may also have underlying health problems tha…
telesurenglish.net/news/us-african-descendants-are-more-vulnerable-to-covid19-20200413-0005.html

Libya: Haftar's Forces Target Tripoli Hospital Again
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-12
Forces loyal to eastern-based Libyan General Khalifa Haftar attacked Sunday medical warehouses belonging to the Al-Khadra Hospital in the capital Tripoli for the third time in less than a week, according to the United Nations-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA). | RELATED: | Tripoli Hospital Shelled for 2nd Day, UN Condemns Attacks | A barrage of Grad rockets hit medical depots from the Al-Khadra General hospital, where over 300 patients were being treated, including two f…
telesurenglish.net/news/Libya-Haftars-Forces-Target-Tripoli-Hospital-Again-20200412-0008.html

The Racial Politics of 'Return'
Edna Bonhomme | thenation.com | 2020-04-10
The Racial Politics of 'Return'…
thenation.com/article/world/slavery-tourism-ghana-africa/

Saudi Arabia Violates its Own Ceasefire As Yemen Announces First Cases of Coronavirus
Ahmed Abdulkareem | mintpressnews.com | 2020-04-10
The Saudi regime has engaged in a number of questionable activities since the global outbreak of COVID-19, including moving masses of African refugees deported from areas with coronavirus to the Yemeni border.
mintpressnews.com/saudi-arabia-violates-ceasefire-yemen-announces-first-cases-coronavirus/266547/

Fight against desert locust swarms goes on in East Africa despite coronavirus crisis measures
news.un.org | 2020-04-09
Sustained efforts to contain East Africa's worst invasion of desert locusts in decades are forging ahead, despite limits on the flow of personnel and equipment stemming from the global COVID-19 pandemic, the UN food agency said Friday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/04/1061482

"A Systematic Issue of Disparity": Black People in Louisiana Account for 70% of COVID-19 Deaths
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-08
Louisiana faces one of the worst outbreaks of the coronavirus in the United States. New data shows black people account for 70% of all the state's coronavirus deaths, though they comprise just 32% of the state's population. Louisiana also has the highest incarceration rate in the country, and more than 65% of the people in its jails and prisons are black. At least 28 people are infected, and 22 corrections staff have tested positive. State corrections officials are sending infected prisoners to the Louisiana State Penitentiary

Albert Woodfox: COVID-19 Offers Public a "Small Window" into What Prisoners Face in Solitary Confinement
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-08
As millions shelter in place around the world, we speak with Albert Woodfox, who served the longest time in solitary confinement of any prisoner in the United States. Known as one of the Angola Three, along with Robert King and Herman Wallace, Woodfox was held in isolation for nearly 44 years at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, known as Angola. He was convicted of killing a guard in jail, but always maintained his innocence. He says he was targeted for co-founding the first Black Panther chapter in Angola. He was released in 2016 and is now 73 years old. His memoir is "Solitary: Unbroken by Four Decades in Solit…
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/8/albert_woodfox_solitary_confinement

If COVID-19 Doesn't Discriminate, Then Why Are Black People Dying at Higher Rates?
ReNika Moore | aclu.org | 2020-04-08
COVID-19 is ravaging many parts of the United States, but nowhere more than in Black communities. Early data from the Midwest and the South reveal that Black people are contracting and dying from the virus at far higher rates than whites. Louisiana just released data which shows that African Americans account for 70 percent of all deaths in the state. In Milwaukee…
aclu.org/news/racial-justice/if-covid-19-doesnt-discriminate-then-why-are-black-people-dying-at-higher-rates

Over 10,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa; Zimbabwe and South Sudan among most vulnerable
news.un.org | 2020-04-08
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Wednesday that the number of COVID-19 cases in Africa has now risen to more than 10,000, claiming more than 500 lives.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/04/1061352

Deaths of Inequality: AOC on Black and Latinx Communities at Epicenter of Epicenter of the Pandemic
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-07
As COVID-19 deaths spike in African-American and immigrant communities, almost a third of New York City's infections are in Queens, one of the most diverse places in the world, and many in the hardest-hit neighborhoods are undocumented and working-class. We speak with Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who represents the neighborhoods at the epicenter of the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, about how the Trump administration's response to the pandemic is causing "deaths of incompetence," "deaths of science denial" and "deaths of inequality."
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/7/aoc_coronavirus_queens_bronx

Protect Immigrant Communities: Fear Mounts of Deadly COVID-19 Outbreak in U.S. Border Camps, ICE Jails
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-03
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has joined thousands of medical professionals and immigration rights groups to demand that Immigration and Customs Enforcement release all prisoners from immigration jails as the coronavirus continues to spread. Meanwhile, immigration advocates are working to prepare crowded encampments of asylum seekers across the U.S.-Mexico border for a potentially catastrophic outbreak of COVID-19. Since the implementation of the Trump administration's "Remain in Mexico" policy, tens of thousands of asylum seekers from regions like Central America and Africa have been stranded in Mexican bord…
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/3/covid_us_mexico_border_immigration_jails

[Correspondence] COVID-19 gives the lie to global health expertise
Sarah L Dalglish | thelancet.com | 2020-03-26
As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak began spreading in Europe and the USA, a chart started circulating online showing ratings from the 2019 Global Health Security Index, an assessment of 195 countries' capacity to face infectious disease outbreaks, compiled by the US-based Nuclear Threat Initiative and the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health's Center for Health Security. The USA was ranked first, and the UK second; South Korea was ranked ninth, and China 51st; most African countries were at the bottom of the ranking.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30739-X/fulltext?rss=yes

[Research Paper] A phase 1b randomized study of the safety and immunological responses to vaccination with H4:IC31, H56:IC31, and BCG revaccination in Mycobacterium tuberculosis-uninfected adolescents in Cape Town, South Africa
Linda-Gail Bekker, One Dintwe, Andrew Fiore-Gartland, Keren Middelkoop, Julia Hutter, Anthony Williams, April K. Randhawa, Morten Ruhwald, Ingrid Kromann, Peter L. Andersen, Carlos A. DiazGranados, Kathryn T. Rutkowski, Dereck Tait, Maurine D. Miner, Erica Andersen-Nissen, Stephen C. De Rosa, Kelly E. Seaton, Georgia D. Tomaras, M. Juliana McElrath, Ann Ginsberg, James G. Kublin, HVTN 602 | thelancet.com | 2020-03-18
BCG revaccination administered as a single dose ID and both H4: IC31 and H56: IC31 administered as 2 doses IM had acceptable safety profiles in healthy, QFT-negative, previously BCG-vaccinated adolescents. Characterization of the assays and the immunogenicity of these vaccines may help to identify valuable markers of protection for upcoming immune correlates analyses of C-040-404 and future TB vaccine efficacy trials.
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(20)30057-2/fulltext?rss=yes