2020-06-07: News Headlines

Writers' Community Action Network (2020-06-07). Cape Town Together: organizing in a city of islands. zcomm.org An emerging movement of self-organized, decentralized community action networks responds to the local realities of COVID-19 in Cape Town, South Africa…

RT (2020-06-06). National Guard dance the 'Macarena' before enforcing Atlanta curfew. Twitter users argue it's a way of normalizing militarization. rt.com A video of National Guardsmen in Georgia rocking out to a ubiquitous dance song from the 90s has caused discomfort among observers, who have described the gimmick as a way of making military-enforced curfews more palatable. | A line of soldiers was spotted dancing the Macarena in downtown Atlanta just minutes before the city's 8pm curfew went into effect on Friday. The unorthodox military formation seemed to have charmed nearby protesters and local media, with some bystanders joining in with the dance routine. Footage shows the troops flawlessly executing the hand gestures, leg movements and thrusts that go al…

Monica Moorehead (2020-06-06). Rebellion against police exposes the haves and have-nots. workers.org Monica Moorehead delivered this talk as a panelist on a June 4 Workers World Party webinar "It is right to rebel against police terror." This rebellion has not only swept the U.S. but is electrifying the entire world, from Palestine to France to Iran to Africa. Every global sector of . . . |

news.un (2020-06-06). UNICEF condemns in 'strongest possible terms' killing of children in DR Congo. news.un.org UNICEF denounced on Saturday, an attack that killed 16 people, including five girls under age 15, in north eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

_____ (2020-06-06). Defeat The War Against The African/Black People In The US And Abroad. popularresistance.org The ruling class is befuddled and confused about how to respond to the ongoing street demonstrations sparked by the murder of George Floyd. The mobilizations clearly disrupted their plans for "normalcy" with the forced opening of the economy. The ferocity of the demonstrations that had not been seen since the brief uprising in 92 in response to the Rodney King verdict seems to have caught the authorities completely by surprise. | In the 1992 street actions in Los Angeles the nation and the world saw the first multi-racial, multi-national street action that was very different from the Black rebellions that rocked…

Abdel Bari Atwan (2020-06-06). Turkish-Russian trade-off in Libya? thealtworld.com Moscow seems to have concluded that Haftar can't win, and opted to cut its losses | The success of forces aligned with Libya's UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) in taking full control of Tripoli, ending Gen. Khalifa Haftar's year-long siege of the capital, and going on to capture the town of Tarhouna, is a major triumph for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It was his decision to give his full military backing to the GNA that turned the tables both in the air and on the ground: crucially the squadrons of Bayrakdar drones he deployed, and the thousands of battle-hardened Islamist fighters he…

Andrew Green (2020-06-06). [Obituary] Fernando Morales. thelancet.com Infectious disease specialist focusing on HIV prevention and treatment. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Aug 15, 1970, he died from suspected complications of COVID-19 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on May 5, 2020, aged 49 years.

The Canary (2020-06-05). Black Lives Matter protests planned across UK. thecanary.co Black Lives Matter protests are planned across the UK this weekend in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd. African American Floyd died after a white police officer held him down by pressing a knee into his neck in Minneapolis on 25 May, sparking days of protests in the US.Demonstrators are expected to converge on Parliament Square in London on Saturday 6 June and the US Embassy in the capital the next day, while other events are planned across the country. An estimated 4,000 people are expected to attend a demonstration in Bristol, which will include a march through the city to Castle Park on 7 June, A…

Staff (2020-06-05). Watch: Police Pepper-Spray Black Filmmaker in Face at Peaceful Protest & Medics Help Him Survive. democracynow.org As the nationwide uprising in defense of Black lives continues, demonstrators are recording videos of police brutality on the streets. We speak with Chris Frierson, an African American documentary filmmaker and cameraman who was filming a Black Lives Matter protest on Saturday in Brooklyn, New York, when police moved in on demonstrators. As Frierson filmed, police pepper-sprayed him directly in the face. Chris kept on filming as he struggled to the sidewalk crying in agony from the pain. Within seconds, someone took his arm and guided him to volunteer medics who came to his aid. We air his footage and speak about…

Vijay Prashad (2020-06-05). Goliath is not invincible. mronline.org Last year, I walked with Mariela Machado in her housing complex known as Kaikachi in the neighbourhood of La Vega (Caracas, Venezuela). After Hugo Chávez was inaugurated president in 1999, a group of working-class residents of the city saw an empty piece of land and occupied it. Mariela and others went to the government and …

Zachary Farber (2020-06-05). Morocco mourns socialist leader Abderrahmane Youssoufi. liberationnews.org Youssoufi is considered a national hero, especially among working class Moroccans.

WSWS (2020-06-05). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

South Front (2020-06-05). Video: Turkish-led Forces Capture Tripoli Airport and Advance Even Further. globalresearch.ca On June 3, the Turkish-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) announced a military offensive to capture Tripoli Airport from the Libyan National Army (LNA) and push the LNA back from the southern suburbs of the city of Tripoli itself. | GNA …

news.un (2020-06-05). Independent rights experts urge US to address systemic racism and racial bias. news.un.org Nearly 30 independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council are calling for the United States to reform its criminal justice system in the wake of a recent spate of killings of African Americans, including at the hands of the police.

Fight Back (2020-06-05). Milwaukee: Family of Alvin Cole announces they're ready to fight for justice. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI – On the morning of June 4, the family of Alvin Cole, a 17-year-old African American teen who was killed by Wauwatosa Police on February 2, together with around 25 supporters, held a press conference. The family, led by Alvin's mother Tracy and his sister Taleavia, made their intentions clear: they want justice, but not just for Alvin. | Until only days ago, the Cole family didn't even know who was responsible for Alvin's death, but when they learned who the officer was, it became clear the fight was bigger than just their family. Officer Joseph Anthony Mensah of the Wauwatosa Police Department (WPD…

yenisafak (2020-06-07). Ramadan Shalah: Palestinian advocate of Jerusalem. yenisafak.com Palestinians have bid farewell to the former head of Islamic Jihad group, Ramadan Shalah, who died at hospital on Saturday.Born in the Gaza Strip in 1958, Shalah left to Egypt to pursue his study in the field of economics.During his study in Egypt, Shalah met with Palestinian activist Fathi Shqaqi with whom he co-founded the Islamic Jihad group.Graduating from university in 1981, he returned to Gaza where he became a professor of economics at the Islamic University.Shalah was known for his fiery sermons against the Israeli occupation, which prompted Israeli authorities to put him under house arrest and banned him…

yenisafak (2020-06-06). Qatar blockade enters fourth year: Timeline. yenisafak.com On June 5, 2017, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt abruptly severed diplomatic relations with Qatar and imposed a land, sea, and air blockade in hopes of making it comply with a long list of demands. | The four states accuse Doha of supporting terrorism, an allegation vociferously denied by Qatar, describing the Saudi-led embargo as a violation of international law. | Over the past three years, Kuwait has been trying to resolve the rift, but without success so far. | Here is a timeline of landmark dates since the crisis started. | April 20, 2017 | The first of 13 Op-eds appears in U…

yenisafak (2020-06-06). Libyan speaker meets Haftar in Egypt. yenisafak.com Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi held talks Saturday in Cairo with Speaker of east Libya-based parliament Aquila Saleh and warlord Khalifa Haftar, according to an Egyptian presidential spokesman. | Bassam Radi said the talks came as "Libya's security is considered an extension of Egypt's national security, in addition to the impact of the current Libyan situation on the regional and international scene". | Speaking at a press conference following the talks, al-Sisi said he agreed with Saleh and Haftar to launch a political initiative to resolve the conflict in Libya. | The initiative, al-Sisi said, calls fo…

yenisafak (2020-06-06). Egypt's Sisi announces new Libya initiative with eastern-based leaders. yenisafak.com Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced a new initiative for Libya on Saturday alongside east Libya-based leaders, which proposes an elected leadership council and a ceasefire starting on June 8.Speaking alongside Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar and eastern parliament head Aguila Saleh in Cairo, Sisi said the agreement included a call for negotiations in Geneva and the exit of all foreign fighters from Libya.

yenisafak (2020-06-06). Libyan army liberates Wadi Wishka, moves to Sirte. yenisafak.com The Libyan army on Saturday liberated Wadi Wishka area near the eastern city of Sirte from militias of warlord Khalifa Haftar, a military spokesman said. | "Our forces managed to seize control of Wadi Wishka area and are advancing towards Buerat, 95 km from Sirte ," Ibrahim Beit al-Mal told Anadolu Agency. | Earlier Saturday, the Libyan army launched a military operation, code-named "Path of Victory", to capture the cities of Sirte and Jufra and the towns of Wadi Wishka, Buerat, Jarif and Qasr Abu Haid from Haftar's forces. | The move came one day after the army liberated the strategic city of Tarhuna

yenisafak (2020-06-06). Libyan army launches operation to retake Sirte, Jufra. yenisafak.com The Libyan army launched a military operation on Saturday to liberate cities in eastern and central Libya from militias of warlord Khalifa Haftar. | In a statement, military spokesman Abdel-Hadi Dara said the operation, code-named "Path of Victory", aims to liberate the cities of Sirte and Jufra and the towns of Wadi Wishka, Buerat, Jarif and Qasr Abu Haid from Haftar's forces. | He said warplanes struck two military vehicles belonging to Haftar south of Wadi Wishka. | For his part, army spokesman Mohammed Kanunu said government forces have been ordered to advance towards Wadi Wishka and Sirte. | He said Libyan w…

yenisafak (2020-06-05). Palestinians recall 1967 war, observe setback day. yenisafak.com Amid Israel's plans to annex occupied West Bank, Palestinians marked the 53rd anniversary of Naksa or setback day on Friday. | The day also marked the displacement of tens of thousands of Palestinians from their homelands at the end of the 1967 Six-Day War, also known as the June War, resulting in the defeat of Arab armies of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. | As a result of the war, Israel took control of the Palestinian-populated West Bank, Gaza Strip, Egypt's the Sinai Peninsula and Syria's Golan Heights. While the first displacement of Palestinians had taken place in May 1948 soon after the establishment of the Jewi…

yenisafak (2020-06-05). UAE airstrikes kill 2 Libyan Army soldiers. yenisafak.com Two Libyan Army soldiers were killed on Friday in an airstrike by a United Arab Emirates (UAE)-made drone in northwestern Libya, according to an army spokesman.The UAE drone attacked Libyan army units along the Abu Qurayn front in Misrata province, Mustafa al-Majei, a spokesman for the Burkan Al-Ghadab (Volcano of Rage) Operation, told Anadolu Agency.The UAE is one of several countries — along with Egypt and Russia — that have supported the militias of warlord Khalifa Haftar against Libya's government.The attack came after the Libyan Army this week announced the complete liberation of the capital Trip…

sputniknews (2020-06-06). Egyptian President Announces Cairo's New Peace Initiative for Libya Including Ceasefire. sputniknews.com CAIRO (Sputnik) – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi announced on Saturday Cairo's peace initiative for Libya that envisages ceasefire and conditions for a political settlement of the conflict.

sputniknews (2020-06-06). People in London Protest Against Police Brutality Following George Floyd's Death – Video. sputniknews.com Nationwide protests erupted in the United States and spread to other countries in late May following the death of African American man, George Floyd, during detention by police in Minneapolis.

sputniknews (2020-06-06). Heart Melting Meeting: Hyena Greets Her Human Friend. sputniknews.com Hyenas are usually viewed as frightening carnivores. In some cultures, especially in Africa, they are believed to influence people's spirits and are even associated with witchcraft: their body parts are used in traditional African medicine.

sputniknews (2020-06-06). Canada's Trudeau Slammed as 'Hypocritical' for Taking a Knee in Support for George Floyd Movement. sputniknews.com Earlier, amid protests sweeping the US after the death of African American man George Floyd in police custody, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau seemed reluctant to address US President Donald Trump's call for military action in connection with the violent developments.

RT (2020-06-06). 'GO HOME, BLACKFACE': Trudeau's kneeling in solidarity with George Floyd movement backfires. rt.com Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a knee in support of the anti-racist protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd at an Ottawa rally, but was quickly reminded of little action on racial issues at home. | Trudeau joined dozens of demonstrators outside the Canadian parliament who rallied in support of the Black Lives Matter movement in the US and over the death of Floyd, an African-American during his arrest by a white police officer. He did not speak at the event, but clapped and nodded along with other speakers and chants. | His kneeling has been hailed by his supporters as he might be the first…

RT (2020-06-06). 'GO HOME BLACKFACE': Trudeau's kneeling in solidarity with George Floyd movement backfires. rt.com Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a knee in support of the anti-racist protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd at an Ottawa rally, but was quickly reminded of little action on racial issues at home. | Trudeau joined dozens of demonstrators outside the Canadian parliament who rallied in support of the Black Lives Matter movement in the US and over the death of Floyd, an African-American during his arrest by a white police officer. He did not speak at the event, but clapped and nodded along with other speakers and chants. | His kneeling has been hailed by his supporters as he might be the first…

_____ (2020-06-06). Open Letter: African Writers In Solidarity With African Americans. popularresistance.org We support the protests in the United States and across the world as our people demand justice for any and all racial killings whether by police or civilians. We are aware that these are not quiet protests. We do not expect it and neither should the United States of America. The killings were not done quietly. The police brutality and state sanctioned murders were done loudly with no fear of consequences from those who perpetrated them. | We acknowledge the African Union's condemnation of the United States government's continual terrorism towards African-Americans. We believe that the African Union can and should…

Brian Gilmore (2020-06-05). Screen Shot 2020-06-05 at 5.11.11 PM.png. progressive.org COVID-19 is taking a deadly toll on African Americans.

_____ (2020-06-05). "The Germans are openly done with this president" truepublica.org.uk Business Insider reports that — "Intelligence and law-enforcement officials among America's allies in Europe and the Middle East told Insider they were aghast at the heavy-handed tactics and rhetoric used by US police generally, and by the president specifically, to suppress demonstrations against police abuses of African Americans. "It has been chilling watching the United …

Andrey Areshev (2020-06-05). Somalia: Erratic U.S. Policy Failure Doesn't Get Noticed. But a U.S. Diplomat Struggling With an End-of-Career Crisis Might. strategic-culture.org Churchill is believed to have once said that "diplomacy is the art of telling people to go to hell in such a way that they ask for directions." If that is true, then can we assume that Washington's man in East Africa has lost his edge? Or perhaps just his mind. | There is a fable of a senior foreign office official from London in colonial times visiting a 'District Officer' in East Africa. They both venture out into the dessert in a Land Rover and the official asks his khaki clad DO three questions. | "What is the name of the tribe in this area?" | "What language do they speak?" | And "where is drinking water…

Andrey Areshev (2020-06-05). VIDEO: How Barack Obama Destroyed Libya. strategic-culture.org Libya as a nation has never been the same since the start of its Civil War. A war that was ultimately started by then U.S. President Barack Obama.

WSWS (2020-06-05). Zambia's bid for IMF rescue deal thwarted by Washington's anti-China campaign. wsws.org Zambia has been caught in the crosshairs of US President Donald Trump's reckless campaign to undermine China, which he views as a threat to US global dominance.

yenisafak (2020-06-05). Turkey working on broad 'employment shield' package. yenisafak.com Turkey is working on a comprehensive "employment shield" package to support jobs in the face of the coronavirus fallout, said the country's treasury and finance minister on Friday.Berat Albayrak told journalists in Istanbul, the country's commercial capital, that the issue of employment will top Turkey's normalization efforts."For this package, being prepared by the Family, Labor and Social Services Ministry, we also are contributing as much as we can in coordination," he noted."We're doing work that will provide relief to the markets with a package we can call an employment shield," he added.The government will…

sputniknews (2020-06-05). Russian Embassy: Prague's Expulsion of Diplomats Shows it's Unwilling to Normalise Ties With Moscow. sputniknews.com The Czech government has decided to expel two employees of the Russian embassy from the country, in connection with the story of a Russian diplomat allegedly transporting the poison ricin to the Czech Republic, Prime Minister Andrei Babish said at a news conference on Friday.

Andrey Areshev (2020-06-05). Washington's Hong Kong Hypocrisy Backfires. strategic-culture.org The mass protests raging across the United States over the police killing of yet another African-American man have had the salutary effect of exposing Washington's rank hypocrisy in international relations. | In particular, before the gruesome death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers on May 25, President Donald Trump and Congressional lawmakers were building a provocative campaign of vilification against China. That campaign was related to groundless claims that Beijing had engaged in an alleged cover-up of the coronavirus pandemic. | U.S. efforts to undermine China were given added impetus after Bei…

Michael Jansen (2020-06-05). Israel Is, Like the US, Prime Target for New Mass Uprising. globalresearch.ca Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must be very worried over the US-wide protests by African-Americans and their supporters against the murder by smothering of a black man by a white police officer on May 25. | Having announced he would begin …

RT (2020-06-04). Almost 40k demand removal of statues showing colonial-era Belgian king blamed for Congo genocide. rt.com Amid ongoing anti-racism protests in the US, two petitions have been launched in Belgium demanding the removal of statues depicting King Leopold II. Estimates suggest the late monarch's brutal Congo rule left some 10 million dead. | The petitions, launched several days ago, have already attracted nearly 40,000 backers. The campaigns demand the removal of all statues of King Leopold II, who ruled the country between 1865 and 1909. | While for Belgium itself he was a constitutional monarch, Leopold was also a brutal oppressor of Africans. The king was the founder — and sole owner — of the so-called 'Co…

Staff (2020-06-04). Say Her Name: Breonna Taylor Was Killed by Police in March. Why Haven't the Officers Faced Charges? democracynow.org We go to Louisville, where protesters are calling for charges against the officers involved in the death of Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old African American woman who was an emergency room technician treating COVID patients and was shot to death by police inside her own apartment in March. This comes as the National Guard fired shots at a crowd of protesters on Monday, killing David McAtee, a local barbecue restaurant owner who regularly gave police officers free meals. We speak with Sadiqa Reynolds, president and CEO of Louisville Urban League.

RT (2020-06-04). Oil prices slide amid OPEC+ production cuts meeting uncertainty. rt.com Major global oil producers could still hold a ministerial video conference this week if Iraq and other non-complying OPEC+ members promise to deepen their production cuts, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing its sources. | A ministerial conference could be called at short notice this week if there was an agreement, the sources said, adding that a meeting on Friday could be arranged. | OPEC and non-OPEC allies were originally scheduled to review their production cuts on June 9-10. However, Algeria, which currently holds the rotating OPEC presidency, proposed last month to bring the meeting forward. | On Wednes…

RT (2020-06-04). 'Near normality': Jordan to reopen hotels & shorten night curfew from Saturday. rt.com The government in Jordan said on Thursday it would reopen hotels and cafes, allow sporting events without spectators and shorten a night curfew as of Saturday. The night curfew will be shortened to begin at midnight rather than 7pm, and day-long curfews in place every Friday are being scrapped. | However, PM Omar al-Razzaz told reporters that while the country had now returned to near normality, it would now toughen enforcement of social distancing to ensure there was no risk of a resurgence of coronavirus infections. | Jordan took early steps in mid-March to restrict the mobility of its 10 million people, sea…

RT (2020-06-04). Irish PM Varadkar hopes 'air bridges' with selected countries will be possible within weeks. rt.com Within the next few weeks, Ireland hopes to resume air travel with countries that are at a similar stage in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Thursday. | "I hope that as the world returns to a new normality, we will see international air travel resume, in the first instance through air bridges with countries that have suppressed the virus to a similar extent as ours," Varadkar told parliament. | "This however is some weeks away and it's far too soon for anyone to book their holidays yet but summer is not yet lost," the prime minister added. | Ireland requires anyone entering t…

RT (2020-06-04). Disband the police? Minneapolis City Council actually considering celebrity advice. rt.com Minneapolis City Council is now considering getting rid of its police department entirely, after four officers were charged in the killing of George Floyd, an African-American man they were trying to arrest. | Though the officers involved were fired immediately and charged with murder within days — with the state attorney general upgrading the charges this week — protests that broke out in Minnesota over Floyd's death last Monday escalated into riots and looting, then spread across the US and even worldwide. | Now the 13 Minneapolis councilors — twelve Democrats and one Green — are starting…

news.un (2020-06-04). Security Council extends peacekeeping mission in Darfur, forges new presence in Sudan. news.un.org The Security Council on Thursday extended the deployment of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) and set out the parameters for a follow-on mission that will start its work on 1 January next year.

yenisafak (2020-06-04). WHO 'very concerned' by new Ebola outbreak in DR Congo. yenisafak.com The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday said it is "very concerned" about a new Ebola outbreak that has recently claimed four lives in the western Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)."We are very concerned about this new outbreak in Mbandaka, where we have worked very closely with the government in 2018 to contain the last outbreak," WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr. Matshidiso Moeti said at a joint media briefing of the WHO and the World Economic Forum.The DRC government confirmed on Monday that a new outbreak of Ebola virus disease is occurring in Mbandaka in the western Equateur province.The Health M…

Staff (2020-06-04). Breonna Taylor Was Killed by Police in March. Officers Haven't Faced Charges. truthout.org We go to Louisville, where protesters are calling for charges against the officers involved in the death of Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old African American woman who was an emergency room technician treating COVID patients and was shot to death by police inside her own apartment in March. This comes as the National Guard fired shots at a crowd of protesters on Monday, killing David McAtee, a local barbecue restaurant owner who regularly gave police officers free meals. We speak with Sadiqa Reynol…

news.un (2020-06-04). Vital UN peace and security work continues amid COVID-19 challenge. news.un.org The military chiefs at three UN missions in Africa and the Middle East have shared how they are protecting peacekeepers from COVID-19 while also fulfilling their mandates in rapidly changing environments.

Abayomi Azikiwe (2020-06-04). 13 Killed and 9,300 Arrested as United States Attempts to Halt National Unrest. globalresearch.ca More than 20,000 National Guard deployed in 29 states along with thousands more local, federal and military troops cannot quell the anger of African Americans and their allies | *** | Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced in a press conference on …