2020-07-16: News Headlines

yenisafak (2020-07-16). Gabon appoints first woman prime minister amid government shakeup. yenisafak.com Gabon President Ali Bongo on Thursday promoted his defence minister, Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda, to prime minister on Thursday, the first time a woman has held the role in the country.Ossouka Raponda, 56, is the sixth prime minister appointed since Bongo succeeded his father in 2009. Her first job is to form a new government after her predecessor, Julien Nkoghe Bekale, stepped down earlier in the day.She will take on two major challenges: declining oil production and prices, which have weighed on growth in recent years, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The Central African country has registered nearly 6,000 cases…

Claudia Drdul (2020-07-16). Thousands gather in Martinez to condemn white supremacy and police brutality. liberationnews.org A July 12 action in Martinez, California, by Together We Stand, Southern Alameda County Resistance Network, and Martizians for Black Lives protested against white-nationalist fliers distributed within the small Bay Area community. Nakenya Allen, a resident of Martinez who lives a few blocks from where the fliers were found, said: "There was absolutely no way …

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-07-16). US-NATO Seek to Exclude Russia from the Mediterranean. In Libya, Russia is on the Side of Haftar. globalresearch.ca Russia is conducting "military intimidation" in the Mediterranean according to RAND in a newly published

RT (2020-07-15). Ethiopia starts filling dam 'unilaterally' as Sudan reports drop in Blue Nile water levels. rt.com Ethiopia has begun filling the reservoir behind the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, its water minister said on Wednesday. The statement comes a day after talks with Sudan and Egypt on the giant Blue Nile hydroelectric project stalled. | The remarks by Seleshi Bekele did not address whether Ethiopia had closed the gates of the dam, or the role of recent heavy rains in filling the area behind it, Reuters said. | The project has raised concerns in Egypt that already-limited Nile waters, which its 100 million people depend on heavily, will be further restricted. The Blue Nile is a tributary of the Nile, from whic…

yenisafak (2020-07-15). Libya army spots arrival of Egyptian weapons for Haftar. yenisafak.com The Libyan army said Wednesday it has spotted the dispatch of military supplies from Egypt to the city of Tobruk in northeastern Libya.The new development came shortly after warlord Khalifa Haftar said his forces were preparing for a "major battle" near the cities of Sirte and al-Jufra.Images published by the government-led Operation Volcano of Rage showed people in military uniform standing beside vehicles carrying weapons and military equipment.The Libyan army, however, did not give further details.On April 8, the Libyan army released photos of an Egyptian vessel arriving at the Tobruk harbor carrying 40 contai…

RT (2020-07-15). Russia to blame for landmines found in Libya, says US Africa Command in another self-serving 'bombshell'. rt.com As warring Libyan factions seek aid from Turkey and Egypt, AFRICOM is blaming Russia for landmines that were found near Tripoli in yet another alarmist 'intelligence assessment' aimed at getting US troops sent back to Africa. | On Wednesday, AFRICOM posted four photos of booby-trapped debris found between Tripoli and Sirte last month, as the Libyan National Army (LNA) retreated before the Turkish-backed Government of National Accord (GNA). The landmines used to rig the explosives were "assessed to have been introduced into Libya by the Wagner Group," a mercenary outfit AFRICOM insists is acting on behalf of th…

John W. Whitehead (2020-07-15). America, You've Been Blacklisted: McCarthyism Refashioned for a New Age. globalresearch.ca "If we confuse dissent with disloyalty—if we deny the right of the individual to be wrong, unpopular, eccentric or unorthodox—if we deny the essence of racial equality then hundreds of millions in Asia and Africa who are shopping about for …

Lawrence Freeman (2020-07-15). IMF "Economic Medicine" Contributes to Health Crisis in Africa: Shortage of Health Workers. globalresearch.ca As I have told my friends for many years, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is incapable of helping nations grow their economies. I do not believe the IMF can point to any success story, where its policies led to improving …

Greg Palast (2020-07-15). ERIC Crow, Jim Crow's liberal twin. nationofchange.org I don't for a minute believe that the Pew Trust is out to wipe away African-American voting rights; just the opposite, they are the quintessential do-gooders. They just don't do any good.

yenisafak (2020-07-15). Kenya resumes domestic flights amid rise in virus cases. yenisafak.com Kenya's flag carrier Kenya Airways among other budget airlines resumed domestic flights on Wednesday after implementing an array of safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.This came after Kenyan leader Uhuru Kenyatta ordered on July 6 the resumption of flights to save the East African nation's fragile economy chocking under the impact of COVID-19 despite the growing number of infections.Kenyan Transport Minister James Macharia flagged off the first flights from the Kenyan capital Nairobi heading to the towns of Mombasa and Kisumu in western Kenya."The local flights will act as a benchmark of our success…

ahtribune (2020-07-15). Under the Pretext of Searching for Wanted, "Al-Nusra" Storms Two Towns Northern Syria. ahtribune.com Militants of "Al-Nusra Front" stormed the towns of "Sarmada" and "Sarmin" in the northern countryside of Idlib, northern Syria, under the pretext of searching for wanted persons charged with belonging to ISIS. | According to local sources, "Al-Nusra" members raided several sites and headquarters in the two towns and arrested a number of people on charges of belonging to "ISIS", while they clashed with other gunmen who refused to surrender. | The sources pointed out that those raids and security campaigns for "Al-Nusra" do not target the cells of "ISIS" as Al-Nusra claims, but rather they target the militants o…

ahtribune (2020-07-15). China-Iran Deal Is a Major Blow to U.S. Aspirations in Central Asia. ahtribune.com "Two ancient Asian cultures, two partners in the sectors of trade, economy, politics, culture and security with a similar outlook and many mutual bilateral and multilateral interests will consider one another strategic partners" — these were the opening words of an 18-page document that confirmed a multi-billion dollar deal between China and Iran that blatantly defies U.S. imposed sanctions against the Islamic Republic. | According to

_____ (2020-07-15). Report Warns Of Unprecedented Wave Of Land Privatization. popularresistance.org Amidst a worsening climate crisis, the Oakland Institute's new report, Driving Dispossession: The Global Push to "Unlock the Economic Potential of Land," sounds the alarm on the unprecedented wave of privatization of natural resources that is underway around the world. Through six case studies—Ukraine, Zambia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, and Brazil—the report details the myriad ways by which governments—willingly or under the pressure of financial institutions and Western donor agencies—are putting more land into so-called "productive use" in the name of development. | "The fact…

Jessica Culhane, Monisha Sharma, Kate Wilson, D.Allen Roberts, Cyrus Mugo, Dalton Wamalwa, Irene Inwani, Ruanne V. Barnabas, Pamela K. Kohler (2020-07-15). Modeling the health impact and cost threshold of long-acting ART for adolescents and young adults in Kenya. thelancet.com Providing LA-ART to AYA can be cost-effective in Kenya if it is less than twice the cost of oral ART. Long-acting injectable ART for priority populations with low viral suppression has the potential to cost-effectively avert disability and death.

yenisafak (2020-07-15). Kenya's memorial forest honors Turkish martyrs. yenisafak.com A special plantation was opened in Kenya on Wednesday to honor the martyrs of Turkey's 2016 defeated coup.The July 15 Martyrs Memorial Forest, located in the Ngong Hills area on the outskirts of Kenya's capital Nairobi, was inaugurated on the fourth anniversary of the July 15, 2016 defeated coup in Turkey.A number of Kenyans and Turks joined Turkish Ambassador Cemil Ahmet Miroglu and other Turkish and Kenyan officials at the ceremony."We are planting these trees to honor the spirits of our martyrs. We are very happy that our Kenyan friends are supporting us today, and this forest will always be a symbol of our fr…

yenisafak (2020-07-15). Germany's Merkel discusses Ukraine agreement in call with Putin: spox. yenisafak.com German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed implementing the Minsk agreement to peacefully solve the conflict in eastern Ukraine in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, her spokesman Steffen Seibert said.Merkel and Putin also talked about the arms embargo against Iran and the current situation in Libya, Seibert said.

Yu-miao Zhao, Yao-min Shang, Wen-bin Song, Qing-quan Li, Hua Xie, Qin-fu Xu, Jun-li Jia, Li-ming Li, Hong-li Mao, Xiu-man Zhou, Hong Luo, Yan-feng Gao, Ai-guo Xu (2020-07-15). Follow-up study of the pulmonary function and related physiological characteristics of COVID-19 survivors three months after recovery. thelancet.com Radiological and physiological abnormalities were still found in a considerable proportion of COVID-19 survivors without critical cases 3 months after discharge. Higher level of D-dimer on admission could effectively predict impaired DLCO after 3 months discharge. It is necessary to follow up the COVID-19 patients to appropriately manage any persistent or emerging long-term sequelae.

Brasil de Fato (2020-07-15). Bolsonaro's crimes: social movements file a new impeachment request. peoplesdispatch.org Social movements filed in Congress an impeachment request against President Jair Bolsonaro, on Tuesday, July 14th. In the document, these entities put forth an array of possible crimes committed by the former army captain. | According to these organizations, since the beginning of his term Bolsonaro has "gravely and systematically infringed upon the Constitution of the Republic. By adopting this standard of constant disrespect towards the constitutional directive, the head of State seems to be pushing for the normalization and acceptance of these violations." | Furthermore, these organizations allege that by comm…

Fight Back (2020-07-15). Terrorist regime vilifies human rights organizations and victims of human rights violations as terrorist. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement by Jose Maria Sison, National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) Chief Political Consultant. | While it is frenziedly engaged in state terrorism and suppression of democratic rights in the Philippines, the Duterte regime has submitted to the UN Human Rights Office a 137-page report entitled "The Philippine Human Rights Situationer May 2020" to achieve two malicious purposes: | 1) to make false accusations against the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People' Army and the National Democratic Front; and | 2) to slander and vilify the human…

yenisafak (2020-07-15). Turkey-Russia air travel resumes Wednesday: Minister. yenisafak.com Air travel between Turkey and Russia will resume today, Turkey's transport and infrastructure minister announced on Wednesday."As of today, we have agreed to resume flights with Russia," Adil Karaismailoglu told Anadolu Agency.He said Turkey has restarted flights with 31 countries since June 11 as part of its post-pandemic normalization process.Negotiations are also ongoing to resume air travel with 20 other countries, according to the ministry.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-15). Nigeria's Human Rights Commission blocks workers' strike with court order. peoplesdispatch.org On Wednesday July 15, an industrial court in Nigerian capital Abuja gave an interim order interdicting the strike action which was planned by the workers of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). | Until the court's final decision on the matter, the order also prohibits these workers from holding any meetings, protests, rally or other forms of gatherings to mobilize for any form of industrial action against the non-payment of minimum wages. | This order came after the Commission, charged with protecting human rights, went to court to stop its workers from exercising their right to strike. The strike action w…

news.un (2020-07-14). UN-African Union mission working to restore calm after recent Darfur violence. news.un.org The joint UN-African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) is working with Sudanese and local authorities to de-escalate tensions following recent violent incidents in two nearby towns, including a deadly attack on a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

yenisafak (2020-07-14). Sudanese demand UAE apology over recruitment for Haftar. yenisafak.com Hundreds of Sudanese staged a rally outside the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Embassy in Khartoum on Tuesday to protest their recruitment to fight for Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar's militia. | Protesters demanded "apology and compensation" from the UAE authorities for being deceived by Emirati company "Black Shield Security Services" to fight for Haftar instead of employment. | "We demand an apology from the UAE to the Sudanese people because we are not mercenaries," Abu Alma'ali Hamza Taha, a protester, told Anadolu Agency. | Ahmad Babakr, another protester, threatened to take the issue to the UN and human rights…

yenisafak (2020-07-14). Nearly 50 confirmed Ebola cases in DR Congo. yenisafak.com At least 49 new infections of the Ebola virus have been recorded as a part of an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Tuesday."The latest Situation Report from the 11th Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak in #Mbandaka, Équateur Province #DRC (reported 13 July 2020). 49 cases (46 confirmed, 3 probable). 20 deceased and 11 recovered," WHO African Region tweeted."This is still a very active outbreak, and I would say it is still a great concern," Mike Ryan, the WHO's top emergency expert told a news briefing Monday.The WHO expressed concern last month about the outbreak…

yenisafak (2020-07-14). Turkey's Karpowership signs 5-year power deal with Sierra Leone. yenisafak.com Karpowership, one of the world's largest operators of floating power plants, has agreed a 5-year deal to provide electricity to Sierra Leone's state power utility, the Turkish company said on Tuesday.Karpowership – part of the Karadeniz Energy Group – already supplies around 80% of the West African nation's electricity via two powerships anchored off the capital Freetown under a contract signed in 2018.The vessels are dual-fuel powered using either heavy fuel oil or liquefied natural gas (LNG).The new agreement will add 5 megawatts (MW) to current production. Karpowership will generate an average of 63 MW during…

RT (2020-07-14). Bad hair day? Seattle business owner pressured into chopping dreadlocks following cries of 'cultural appropriation'. rt.com A small business owner in Seattle has been shamed into a makeover and a long public apology after an internet mob deemed her dreadlocks a form of 'cultural appropriation' — a charge some have dismissed as literal fashion policing. | In an Instagram post on Monday, Rachel Marshall, founder of Rachel's Ginger Beer in Seattle, penned a lengthy mea culpa apologizing for her "harmful" hairstyle, explaining she is now aware that African Americans are "discriminated against and mistreated for having dreadlocks" while vowing to lop off her own. | Selling good-tasting product is only half the win, says Rachel Mar…

Claire Chadwick (2020-07-14). Kansas retail worker: I got COVID-19 at work; I won't be the last. peoplesworld.org At first, we had no masks. The plan for social distancing was chaotic at best, nonexistent at worst. Hundreds of angry customers were clamoring to get in. And there I was, working the floor of a big box store during a pandemic. It was all hands on deck as COVID-19 hit the country and my …

Fight Back (2020-07-14). Cop tells man he's about to kill, 'You're about to die, my friend'. fightbacknews.org Salt Lake City, UT – Protesters gathered in front of Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill's office, July 8, to demand justice for Bryan Valencia and Chad Breinholt and all victims of police violence. Protesters chanted, "Justice for Chad Breinholt!" and "Justice for Bryan Valencia," as posters with the same demands were hung on the DA's office building. | Utah Against Police Brutality (UAPB) called the rally to bring attention to these two local cases that have not had the same spotlight as some other local and national police killings. | Breinholt was killed by West Valley City police inside of West Valle…

news.un (2020-07-14). In Yemen, thousands of Ethiopian migrants stranded, COVID-19 likely widespread. news.un.org Tens of thousands of Ethiopian migrants have been stranded in war-ravaged Yemen where they continue to be subjected to arbitrary detention and exposure to COVID-19 infection, forcible relocation and abuse, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-14). Iran trying to normalize commercial ties with Intl. community. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 15 (MNA) —Referring to Iran and China 25-year cooperation document, Dr. Zaccaria believes Iran is trying to normalize its commercial ties with International community and benefit from it at least in the short and mid-term.

sputniknews (2020-07-13). Eastern-Based Libyan Parliament Gives Green Light to Egyptian Army to Interfere in Libyan Conflict. sputniknews.com CAIRO (Sputnik) – The eastern-based Libyan parliament, which supports the Libyan National Army (LNA), has given go-ahead to the Egyptian armed forces to intervene in the Libyan conflict.

yenisafak (2020-07-13). South Africa mourns passing of Mandela's daughter. yenisafak.com Tributes and condolences have started pouring in to the Mandela family, following the death of Zindzi Mandela, South Africa's ambassador to Denmark and daughter to global icon Nelson Mandela."I offer my deep condolences to the Mandela family as we mourn the passing of a fearless political activist who was a leader in her own right," South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement on Monday.Ramaphosa said he is "deeply saddened" by the passing of Zindzi Nobutho Mandela, who passed away in the early hours of Monday, July 13, at a Johannesburg hospital at the age of 59.She was the youngest daughter of Ne…

sputniknews (2020-07-13). Nigerian Energy Minister Commits to OPEC+ Oil Cuts Despite Not Meeting Targets. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Timipre Sylva, Nigeria's minister of state for petroleum resources, has made a commitment to the Saudi energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, to meet the oil cut targets set out in the recent OPEC+ deal, given the African nation's earlier failure to reduce output to the required level.

Staff (2020-07-13). Attempted Lynching in Indiana. No Arrests? Meet the Survivor: Human Rights Commissioner Vauhxx Booker. democracynow.org We go to Bloomington, Indiana, to speak with the African American human rights commissioner for Monroe County, Vauhxx Booker, who says he survived an attempted lynching when a group of white men pinned him against a tree over the Fourth of July weekend. "You have to be aware of George Floyd and how many other Black folks in our history have heard their executions spoken before them in real time," Booker recalls. "I felt myself want to cry out 'I can't breathe' with these men on top of me, and I just couldn't say the words." Police were called, but no arrests were made. "These men remain loose in my community," sa…

Jamal Rich (2020-07-13). The right to be radical: Uplifting the life of Claudia Jones. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—The Claudia Jones School for Political Education and Black Women Radicals came together virtually on the evening of July 3rd to co-host an event uplifting the life and work of Black Communist Claudia Jones. Over 300 attendees from around the world attended the event, including scholars and activists from Kenya, Toronto, London, Brazil, the Caribbean, …

yenisafak (2020-07-13). US regrets foreign interference in Libya's economy. yenisafak.com The US Embassy in Libya on Monday regretted foreign interference in the Libyan economy. | "After several days of intense diplomatic activity aimed at allowing the National Oil Corporation [NOC] to resume its vital and apolitical work as a way of defusing military tensions, the US Embassy regrets that foreign-backed efforts against Libya's economic and financial sectors have impeded progress and heightened the risk of confrontation," the embassy said in a statement. | It noted that incursions by Russian Wagner mercenaries against NOC facilities and conflicting messages conveyed by warlord Khalifa Haftar's militia…

yenisafak (2020-07-13). Erdogan, Putin discuss Libya, Syria over phone. yenisafak.com President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed to maintain coordination for regional peace, security and stability.The presidents also discussed steps to be taken to strengthen economic relations, and cooperation against COVID-19.Libya has been torn by civil war since the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Libya's new government was founded in 2015 under a UN-led agreement, but efforts for a long-term political settlement failed due to the military offensive by warlord Khalifa Haftar's forces.The UN recognizes the Libyan government headed by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sar…

William Bowles (2020-07-13). Enter the Virus… The Great 'Reset' of Capitalism. globalresearch.ca Why can't I shake the feeling that the Virus is really the back story, a story that diverts us from something far deeper and much more threatening than the much-maligned Virus? The social distancing; the masks; the lockdown; the shutdown; …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-13). Protests against economic mismanagement engulf southern Tunisia. peoplesdispatch.org Protesters have demanded that the Tunisian president, Kais Saied, visit the southern region and address the hardships faced by the local population, as well as respond to the police killing of a youth in the town of Remada on July 7…