2020-07-03: News Headlines

Desmond T Jumbam, Ché L Reddy, Emmanuel Makasa, Adeline A Boatin, Khama Rogo, Kathryn M Chu, Benetus Nangombe, Olufemi T Oladapo, John G Meara, Salome Maswime (2020-07-04). [Comment] Investing in surgery: a value proposition for African leaders. thelancet.com Globally, poor access to high-quality surgical, obstetric, and anaesthesia care remains a main contributor to global disease burden accounting for about a third of deaths worldwide.1 The need for strengthening surgical care systems is especially urgent in sub-Saharan Africa, where access is strikingly limited, leading to the highest mortality and morbidity from surgically preventable and treatable conditions in the world.2,3 Approximately 93% of the population of sub-Saharan Africa lacks access to safe, affordable, and timely surgical care, compared with less than 10% in high-income countries.

Richard Lane (2020-07-04). [Perspectives] Salome Maswime: dynamic leader in global surgery. thelancet.com As Associate Professor and Head of Global Surgery at the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa, Salome Maswime is aware of the scale of the job in front of her. "For me the big problem is the disconnect between health systems and clinical care in low and middle income countries, especially concerning surgical care. Outcomes are often poor, there being not enough focus on the quality of surgery, and how it relates to integrated health care and overarching health systems performance", she explains.

Andrew Harmer, Anja Leetz, Ben Eder, Remco van de Pas, Sophie Gepp (2020-07-04). [Correspondence] Time for WHO to declare climate breakdown a PHEIC? thelancet.com At the opening plenary of the World Health Assembly in May, 2019, Richard Horton urged member states and the Secretariat of WHO to recognise climate change as a planetary emergency. A few days later, during a side event on air pollution, climate change, oceans, and health sponsored by the Government of Sweden, the Minister of Health for the Seychelles Jean Paul Adam argued that climate change has to be recognised as a public health emergency at the international level. Johan Giesecke1 once stressed that as public health emergencies of international concern (PHEICs) evolve into more complex forms, it becomes neces…

Ramzy Baroud (2020-07-03). Tearing Down the Idols of Colonialism: Why Tunisia, Africa Must Demand French Apology. counterpunch.org The visit by newly-elected Tunisian President Kais Saied to France on June 22 was intended to discuss bilateral relations, trade, etc. But it was also a missed opportunity, where Tunisia could have formally demanded an apology from France for the decades of French colonialism, which has shattered the social and political fabric of this North

Louis Proyect (2020-07-03). Smearing Black Lives Matter…From the Left. counterpunch.org Over the past fifty-three years as a socialist, I have seen repeated calls for purifying the left of capitalist influences, both governmental and corporate. The latest flare-up was a Jacobin article titled "Don't Let Blackwashing Save the Investor Class" by Cedric Johnson, a black African American studies professor. Just as Deep Throat advised Bob Woodward

yenisafak (2020-07-03). Russia to reopen embassy in Libya. yenisafak.com Russia has decided to reopen its embassy in Libya, the Interfax news agency cited Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on Friday.Lavrov said a ceasefire in the Libyan conflict, proposed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi alongside Libya's eastern commander Khalifa Haftar in Cairo on June 6, fitted into decisions taken at an international conference in Berlin regarding the situation in the North African country.Lavrov was speaking at the start of a meeting with the speaker of Libya's pro-Haftar eastern parliament, Aguila Saleh.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-03). Unions Fight to Save South African Airways. peoplesdispatch.org The Spokesperson of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, Phakamile Hlubi-Majola, talks about the ongoing struggle to ensure that the national carrier, South African Airways, can be saved. She explains why the unions have stridently opposed a plan to 'rescue' the airline presented by Business Rescue Practitioners and questions the logic of the plan. She also details the proposals the unions are putting forward to make sure that the airline and its employees' interests are safeguarded.

Pavan Kulkarni (2020-07-03). Nigeria third worst COVID-19-affected African country. peoplesdispatch.org According to official data, Nigeria has 6.3% of the COVID-19 cases on the African continent, while South Africa accounts for around 37%. However, Nigeria has conducted only 0.67 tests per 1,000 people, when the figure in South Africa stands at 27.48 tests every 1,000 people…

J.B. Gerald (2020-07-03). Cameroon and Nigeria: the Risk of Breathing. dissidentvoice.org There is a long history of human rights violations by Cameroon's government against its Anglophone people. Brutalized by war with Boko Haram, the Cameroon military is now engaged in low intensity warfare against militant Anglophone separatists. On May 15, 2019 for instance, Cameroon's military attacked Anglophone Separatist Bamenda, burning 70 dwellings and stores in retaliation …

en.mehrnews (2020-07-03). Armed forces ready to respond to any US despicable move. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 03 (MNA) — Iranian Minister of Defense (MoD) Brigadier General Amir Hatami said that Iran's Armed forces is ready to respond to any US malicious move authoritatively.

yenisafak (2020-07-03). Erdogan says Turkey to 'keep a close watch' on developments in Libya. yenisafak.com "Work between Turkey and Libya's legitimate government must continue very seriously and decisively," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday.Erdogan also underlined that Ankara wants to "keep a close watch" on the developments in Libya as he informed that Turkish defense minister arrived in the civil-war-torned northern African country on Friday.Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Guler arrived in Libya to review the activities carried out under a memorandum of understanding between the two countries.Following the military ceremony at the Mitiga International A…

yenisafak (2020-07-03). 'Attempt to instigate civil war in Ethiopia foiled'. yenisafak.com The Ethiopian prime minister on Friday said violence in the country over the past three days was an attempt to instigate a civil war and that it has now been foiled.Abiy Ahmed was speaking at a meeting with senior civil and army officials in the capital Addis Ababa, according to state channel ETV.So far, "87 people lost their lives in the violence including four police officers," ETV quoted Oromia police commissioner as saying.Abiy said instigators of the violence have been arrested thanks to security forces.Violence started in the Horn of Africa country on Tuesday following the death of Ethiopian activist and ar…

yenisafak (2020-07-03). Growing number of mercenaries to Sirte deepens conflict in Libya: Analysis. yenisafak.com By Ferhat Polat – The writer is a researcher at the TRT World Research CentreOver the past two months, there has been a drastic change on the ground in Libya as forces loyal to the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) have pushed Haftar's self-declared Libyan National Army (LNA) to the borders of the coastal city of Sirte, some 450 km east of Tripoli, and Al-Jufra airbase in central Libya.Since January this year, Turkey has intervened determinedly in the Libyan conflict, providing air support, weapons, and technical assistance to the UN-backed government, and this Turkish support has rec…

yenisafak (2020-07-03). Turkey accuses France of committing crimes in Libya. yenisafak.com Turkey's ruling party spokesman on Friday accused France of committing crimes in civil war-torn Libya."France has committed crimes in Libya," said Omer Celik, spokesman for the Justice and Development (AK) Party.Celik said as France's crimes have surfaced with mass graves, it is posing as a human rights defender to get away with the crimes by blaming Turkey.Recalling France's colonial history, he said: "France is guilty.""[France] cannot cover those mass graves by excessive attacks on Turkey or on our president."Libya has been torn by civil war since the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The country's…

RT (2020-07-02). British historian slammed online for commenting that there are 'so many damn blacks' in UK and Africa. rt.com Controversial British historian David Starkey has been savaged online after arguing in an interview that slavery wasn't a genocide, because if it was "there wouldn't be so many damn blacks in Africa or in Britain." | Speaking on Tuesday to Reasoned, a YouTube channel dedicated to against-the-grain views, Starkey accused the Black Lives Matter movement of attempting to "delegitimise British history." The historian slammed the activists desecrating statues in London, ridiculed the "arrogant" middle classes supporting the movement, and waved away the notion that Britain's own history of slavery was one of "genoci…

Reese Erlich (2020-07-02). Foreign Correspondent: Libya, the Forgotten War. progressive.org Though it has disappeared from headlines, Libya's humanitarian crisis continues unabated.

_____ (2020-07-02). The Growing Police Union-White Supremacist Alliance. strategic-culture.org Within the U.S. labor movement there exists a far right-wing Trojan Horse that is bent on perpetuating police violence and murder of people of color and resisting all attempts at police reform, including criminal prosecution of police officers who commit wanton acts of murder and other forms of physical violence. The Trojan Horse is the police union "blue line," the corruption of which is coming to light in a number of jurisdiction following the police killing of George Floyd, an African-American, in Minneapolis, an act that set off massive protests around the United States and the world. | At the pinnacle of the…

WSWS (2020-07-02). Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods: A lifetime of war. wsws.org Four African-American veterans of the Vietnam War return to present-day Vietnam to recover the remains of a fallen comrade. Buried with him is a cache of gold bars worth millions.

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-07-02). Mayo Clinic experts to help guide Delta Air Lines COVID-19 safety measures. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Industry leaders in health and travel formalize partnership to transform the future of safe flying ROCHESTER, Minn. — Delta Air Lines and Mayo Clinic, a global leader in serious and complex medical care, are deepening their relationship to provide additional safety and COVID-19 infection control measures for customers and employees. The collaboration is another significant …

yenisafak (2020-07-02). Africa lost almost $55 billion in travel and tourism due to pandemic. yenisafak.com Africa countries have lost almost $55 billion in travel and tourism revenues in three months due to the coronavirus pandemic, the African Union commissioner for infrastructure and energy said on Thursday.Amani Abou-Zeid told a news conference that due to the prolonged lockdown and border closures to curb the spread of the virus, the air industry will be greatly impacted."Some airlines in the continent will not make it post-COVID-19," she said.

yenisafak (2020-07-02). Hungary not to open borders at EU's request, says PM. yenisafak.com "For now, we cannot support the EU's request because that would be against the health interests of the Hungarian people," Victor Orban said.Hungary, which joined the EU in 2004, opened its borders to Serbian citizens early June.This week the 27-member bloc added 14 states to the list of non-EU countries whose citizens can resume travel to the EU from July 1.The countries are Serbia, Montenegro, Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. China is also on the register, but only on the condition of reciprocal action by the Chinese authorities…

Ramzy Baroud (2020-07-01). Tearing Down the Idols of Colonialism: Why Tunisia Must Demand a French Apology. mintpressnews.com A debate is brewing in Tunisia on whether to demand an apology from France for the exploitation and trauma wrought by French colonialism, a move that could preclude a demand for compensation.

RT (2020-07-01). Turkey accuses 'biased' France of allowing Libya embargo violations in support of Haftar. rt.com Ankara has taken aim at France for allegedly ignoring violations of an international arms embargo placed on Libya, claiming that illegal activity was being carried out to benefit commander Khalifa Haftar. According to Reuters, Turkey's ambassador to Paris, Ismail Hakki Musa, said on Wednesday that the United Arab Emirates and Egypt were bypassing the UN blockade — and that "biased" France was doing nothing to stop it. | The accusation comes a day after Turkey slammed France's "dishonest approach" to the crisis in Libya. For its part, Paris has condemned Ankara for turning a blind eye to illegal arms shipm…

RT (2020-07-01). France stands back from NATO's Libya op after maritime face-off with Turkish Navy — media. rt.com Paris has "temporarily" suspended its role in Operation Sea Guardian off the coast of Libya. The French Defense Ministry sent a letter to NATO headquarters announcing the decision and calling upon allies to "solemnly reaffirm their attachment" to the arms embargo on the war-ravaged country. The Turkish envoy to France confirmed the news, saying the French Navy is calling off its frigate Courbet which engaged in a mid-sea standoff with Turkish warships escorting a civilian freighter on its way to Libya several weeks ago. The incident exacerbated already tense relations between the two NATO countries. French Pre…

yenisafak (2020-07-01). Libyan Mufti calls for resisting Russian 'invasion'. yenisafak.com Libya's Mufti, the country's top Muslim cleric, on Wednesday called on all Libyans to mobilize and resist the Russian "occupation" of their country. | In a statement, the Mufti's office said Russia has begun increasing its influence in Libya's cities, airports and oil fields "in order to take control of Libyan lands and sources". | "Every able Muslim must fight against Russian mercenaries, wherever they are, and avoid any trade or other dealings with them," the statement said. | On Friday, mercenaries from Russian Wagner Group and the Sudanese Janjaweed militia forced their way into El-Sharara oilfield to halt oi…

news.un (2020-07-01). UNESCO urges caution over fraudulent African artefacts, sold in its name. news.un.org The UN on Wednesday revealed the existence of an illicit trafficking scam in African cultural artefacts, which are being sold to unsuspecting buyers, thanks to the entirely fake UNESCO stamp they come with.

Michael Welton (2020-07-01). "Into the World of Bad Spirits": Slavery and Plantation Culture. counterpunch.org Between 1500 and 1880 ten to eleven million Africans were moved by force and terror into "new worlds." Sir Philip Sherlock and Hazel Bennett write of the immensity of the "physical suffering, anguish of spirit and unbearable cruelty" of their lot "from the time of … capture" (The Story of the Jamaican People [1997, p. 122]).

Pavan Kulkarni (2020-07-01). South Africa accounts for a third of Africa's total COVID-19 cases. peoplesdispatch.org Since 65% of all testing in South Africa has been conducted in costly private hospitals, questions are being raised if the most vulnerable sections of the population, which includes the majority of South Africans, are being tested sufficiently for COVID-19?

Lital Khaikin (2020-07-01). Who's Entitled? Diamond Mining and Internal Displacement in Botswana. globalresearch.ca "Not Blood Diamonds" | Diamonds represent 'forever'—so begins the brand statement of any generic diamond company leaning in on the mythological status of deep time and the alchemical compression of history. From encrusting royal jewelry, to the consumer rite of passage …

_____ (2020-07-01). Venezuela Slams Interpol Arrest Of CLAP Contractor In Cape Verde. popularresistance.org Alex Nain Saab Moran, 48, was arrested on the archipelago island while on a technical stop-over in his private jet on Friday. He was allegedly en route to the Islamic Republic of Iran to negotiate food import contracts on behalf of the government's subsidized CLAP food program, as well as medicine and other imports needed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza denounced Saab's arrest as "illegal," claiming that no Interpol warrant existed at the time of detention. He also accused the French-based international policing organization of violating "the diplomatic immunity which international…

en.mehrnews (2020-07-01). Human rights just tool in service of US malign aspirations. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 01 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Ministry's Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi described human rights just a tool in service of US malign aspirations, saying it is not a sincere concern for US.

yenisafak (2020-07-01). Merkel stresses 'strategic ties' with Turkey. yenisafak.com German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday stressed the importance of "strategic ties" with Turkey, also vowing to enhance dialogue with Ankara to help resolve conflicts in Libya and Syria.Speaking on the day Germany assumed the EU's six-month rotating presidency, Merkel said she shares the view that EU member states should take a more "coherent strategy" towards Turkey, stressing that this strategy should involve both cooperation and criticism."We have strategic ties [with Turkey], as we are [both] members of NATO. Moreover, addressing the refugee question is only possible with the EU-Turkey agreement, if we m…

yenisafak (2020-07-01). Turkey's Erdogan welcomes 'promising' economic figures. yenisafak.com Turkey's economic figures showed promising developments in June amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, the nation's president said Wednesday."Initial figures for June signal promising developments in this respect," Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party's extended meeting of provincial heads via video link.He added that July would bring a "much higher jump" for the economy.Erdogan said all commercial activities had gradually been resuming with the country's normalization process from strict social distancing and isolation measures implemented during the pandemic, adding that the gov…

calvin deutschbein (2020-06-30). Who created the Saharan dust cloud? workers.org From March 19 to Oct. 31 in 2011, the U.S. empire and its imperialist client states, ranging from Belgium to Qatar, launched over 160 tons of cruise missiles and multiple air strikes against the anti-imperialist state of Libya. The strikes targeted hospitals, bakeries, religious services and private residences, killing hundreds . . . |

Pavan Kulkarni (2020-06-30). The fight to save South African Airways continues. peoplesdispatch.org The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) and the South African Cabin Crew Association (SACCA) have accused the country's Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) of "destroying" the state-owned South African Airways (SAA). | The business rescue plan for SAA, prepared by the Business Rescue Practitioners (BRPs) hired by the DPE to resuscitate the airline, was presented for voting at the Leadership Consultative Forum (LCF) on June 25, after receiving last-minute backing from the DPE. The LCF is composed of representatives of the stakeholders at SAA, including its workers, creditors and the DPE. | Ho…

Staff (2020-06-30). Confronting Prejudice Isn't Enough. We Must Eradicate the White Racial Frame. truthout.org The brutal enslavement of Black people lasted for a full 60 percent of this country's colonialist history. | It is this deadly longevity of anti-Black racism that we must grasp in order to understand the currently palpable and deeply painful anti-Black racist experiences that African Americans continue to endure in the 21st-century U.S., and the massive multiracial protests that have ensued. | U.S. anti-Black racism was founded upon the brutal enslavement of Black people. In the decades since t…

_____ (2020-06-30). The 2020 Elections: The Struggle Is For Power Not Reform. popularresistance.org The great African revolutionary, Amilcar Cabral, reminded us that without revolutionary theory there can be no revolution. | His reminder was not a call for abstract theorizing, quite the contrary. What he meant was that one cannot advance in practice unless that practice is guided by the most advanced understanding of the material and ideological conditions that revolutionary forces face. | Over the next two days, we will ground ourselves in our particular realities as they relate to our strategic and tactical engagement with the bourgeois electoral system in the United States. | Let's begin: | The ongoing and c…

yenisafak (2020-06-30). Macron underlines fight against terror in Sahel summit. yenisafak.com France's president on Tuesday said his country would step up its fight against terrorism in Africa's Sahel Region."When France engages, it is Europe that engages with it," Emmanuel Macron said upon his arrival in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott before taking part in the G5 Sahel Summit."It is also our desire to Europeanize the fight against terrorism in the Sahel," he said.The Nouakchott Summit, that brought together the heads of state of G5 Sahel members Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, as well as France and Spain, follows the conclusions of a previous summit last January in Pau, France.At the…