Daily Archives: 2020-04-21

2020-04-21: News Headlines

The Canary (2020-04-21). Public asked to vote for new 'Big Five' of wildlife photography. thecanary.co People are being asked to vote for animals they think should be part of a new "Big Five" of the natural world's top creatures to photograph. And while it could be something that lives on the other side of the world, creatures closer to home are also eligible.Unlike the old Big Five, based on the five toughest animals in Africa for colonial hunters to shoot and kill, the new list will be animals to see in the wild and shoot with a camera.The initiative by photographer and journalist Graeme Green, which is backed by conservation organisations, photographers and experts, aims to celebrate nature and create a "bucket…

RT (2020-04-21). Austria to reopen restaurants, churches & some schools from May 15. rt.com Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Tuesday that Austria would further loosen its Covid-19 lockdown on May 15 by allowing restaurants and cafes to reopen and religious services to resume. The Alpine republic acted early in its outbreak to close restaurants, bars, theaters, non-essential shops and other potential gathering places more than a month ago. | "We are going faster here than other countries towards something like a new normality," Kurz told reporters, adding that "gastronomy businesses," a term that often includes bars, will be allowed to reopen from May 15 and stay open until 11pm. Religious services c…

RT (2020-04-21). Police warn well-meaning Britons to be wary of 'despicable criminals' using Covid-19 to con them out of their hard-earned cash. rt.com Action Fraud, the UK's task force for combating cyber crime, has urged caution online as a wave of generosity washes over the UK, and one study identifies EIGHTY THOUSAND "malicious" new domain names. | The A spokesperson offered advice to stop well-meaning citize…

Sharon Lerner (2020-04-21). Africa's Exploding Plastic Nightmare. zcomm.org As Africa Drowns in Garbage, the Plastics Business Keeps Booming…

teleSUR (2020-04-21). Cameroon Admits Army Role in Massacre of 13 Civilians. telesurenglish.net Cameroon's presidency admitted Tuesday that its army did kill 13 civilians including 10 children in an anglophone region in the west of the country back in February. | RELATED: | According to the United Nations, the massacre on the night of Feb. 13 left 23 civilians dead including 15 children in the village of Ntumbo. Nine of the children were aged under five and that two of the victims were pregnant women. | The government h…

Kester Kenn Klomegah (2020-04-21). COVID-19: The Economic and Social Impact on Ocean Islands. globalresearch.ca Understandingly, it has become important to analyze the spread of coronavirus and its impact on the economy of small islands especially Cape Verde, Mauritius, Maldives, Seychelles, Vanuatu and the Union of Comoros. These islands, which are favorite tourist posts and …

en.mehrnews (2020-04-21). Libya's former PM dies at 70. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA) — Some sources reported the death of the former Lybian Prime Minister Abdurrahim El-Keib at the age of 70.

en.mehrnews (2020-04-21). Iran ready to deepen ties with Uganda: Pres. Rouhani. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 22 (MNA) —Iranian President Hassan Rouhani described relations between Iran and Uganda very good and based on mutual respect and said, "we are ready to develop bilateral relations in all fields without any restrictions and use all capacities and capabilities in the two countries in the direction of friendly relations."

The Canary (2020-04-20). Privacy must be at the heart of Covid-19 contact tracing apps, governments told. thecanary.co Contact tracing apps must be made with privacy at their heart and only keep data as long as necessary, governments have been told.Countries including the UK are looking to contact tracing technologies in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and a possible way to help end lockdown.As already seen in places like Singapore, this would use Bluetooth to keep an anonymous log of every person an individual has been in close contact with and alert them if one should test positive for Covid-19.While the technology has been welcomed as one potential solution to ease in a return to normality, it has also been met with…

teleSUR (2020-04-20). UAE Companies Allegedly Violated Libyan Arms Embargo: Report. telesurenglish.net United Arab Emirates-based companies shipped nearly 11,000 tons of jet fuel to eastern Libya, the stronghold of General Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army, in a suspected violation of an international arms embargo, according to a report published Monday by the Financial Times. | RELATED: | A set of documents, seen by the London-based news outlet, shows that an oil shipment worth nearly US$5 million was delivere…

news.un (2020-04-20). Bringing Nollywood star power to Nigeria's fight against COVID-19: a UN Resident Coordinator blog. news.un.org All of the UN bodies in Nigeria are working closely together, to ensure that the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic is effective, and saves as many lives as possible. By the UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon.

news.un (2020-04-15). Africa mobilizing to minimize losses as COVID-19 pandemic continues worldwide advance. news.un.org From procuring test kits to promoting debt relief, the UN will stand in solidarity with Africa as it braces against the unprecedented economic, social and health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Secretary-General António Guterres pledged on Wednesday.

Ajamu Baraka (2020-04-21). Coronavirus and the crisis of African American human rights. mronline.org With the overwhelming evidence that the capitalist system is fundamentally antithetical to the realization of human rights, including what should be an elementary right—access to healthcare—the presidency of Donald J. Trump has been a godsend for the capitalist rulers.

Staff (2020-04-20). Handcuffed: Black Miami Doctor Who Works with Homeless Says He Was Racially Profiled by Police. democracynow.org We continue our conversation with Dr. Armen Henderson, an African-American doctor in Miami who was handcuffed outside his home while preparing for a volunteer shift to help protect homeless people from the spread of COVID-19. The encounter has sparked widespread outrage, and Miami's police chief has now tested positive for COVID-19 and is in self-isolation. Dr Henderson has taken a test himself and is waiting for results — and accountability.

Staff (2020-04-15). "I Want an Apology": Black Doctor Who Tests Homeless for Coronavirus Handcuffed by Miami Police. democracynow.org We speak with Dr. Armen Henderson, an African-American doctor who was handcuffed and detained outside his home Friday as he was wearing a mask and preparing for a volunteer shift to test homeless people for COVID-19. "I want the officer held accountable. There's no way that you racially profile me and then you arrest me, detain me, during a pandemic, when you have no mask on, where hundreds of police officers throughout Miami-Dade County have tested positive," says Dr. Henderson, who is an internal medicine physician, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Miami and an organizer with Dream Defenders…

Staff (2020-04-13). Wash Your Hands? Despite Pandemic, Thousands Still Have No Water in Detroit, a Coronavirus Hot Spot. democracynow.org 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.

yenisafak (2020-04-21). Apple expands services business to markets in Africa and beyond. yenisafak.com Apple Inc on Tuesday said it would expand its App Store, Apple Music and other services to dozens of new markets in Africa, the Middle East and beyond in the biggest geographical expansion of its services in almost a decade.Apple said it would expand the App Store to 20 countries, eight of them in Africa, and will offer its streaming Apple Music service in 52 additional countries and regions. The expansion is the largest since Apple grew what was then called the iTunes Store to India, Russia and more than 50 other countries in 2012.Apple has focused on growing sales from its services segment, which totaled 17.8%…

Staff (2020-04-21). Juan González: "Make No Mistake: This Country Is Edging Closer to Neo-Fascist Authoritarianism" democracynow.org We get an update from Democracy Now! co-host Juan González about his mother and wife, who were infected with COVID-19, and discuss how right-wing Trump supporters are brandishing automatic weapons at protests to demand an end to coronavirus shutdowns and are being egged on by the president. "We should make no mistake, that this country is edging closer and closer to neo-fascist authoritarianism," says González, expressing concern these actions will become normalized in the lead-up to a bitter national election in November.

Staff (2020-04-21). Trump Supporters Are Brandishing Automatic Weapons at Anti-Shutdown Protests. truthout.org We get an update from Democracy Now! co-host Juan González about his mother and wife, who were infected with COVID-19, and discuss how right-wing Trump supporters are brandishing automatic weapons at protests to demand an end to coronavirus shutdowns and are being egged on by the president. "We should make no mistake, that this country is edging closer and closer to neo-fascist authoritarianism," says González, expressing concern these actions will become normalized in the lead-up to a bitter na…

2020-04-21: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media! (Copy the text of the postee below, then paste it on social media and the story images will also appear.)

Amid the Pandemic: Over 50% of Students Do Not Have a Computer
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-21
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) published an investigation holding that 826 million of 1,580 million students do not have a computer worldwide and 706 million do not have Internet access in their homes. | RELATED: | Africa: COVID Positive Cases Exceed 16,500 | The UNESCO-IT…
telesurenglish.net/news/Amid-the-Pandemic-Over-50-of-Students-Do-Not-Have-a-Computer-20200421-0013.html

Africa's Exploding Plastic Nightmare
Sharon Lerner | zcomm.org | 2020-04-21
As Africa Drowns in Garbage, the Plastics Business Keeps Booming…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/1032302/

Public asked to vote for new 'Big Five' of wildlife photography
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-04-21
People are being asked to vote for animals they think should be part of a new "Big Five" of the natural world's top creatures to photograph. And while it could be something that lives on the other side of the world, creatures closer to home are also eligible.Unlike the old Big Five, based on the five toughest animals in Africa for colonial hunters to shoot and kill, the new list will be animals to see in the wild and shoot with a camera.The initiative by photographer and journalist Graeme Green, which is backed by conservation organisations, photographers and experts, aims to celebrate nature and create a "bucket…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2020/04/21/public-asked-to-vote-for-new-big-five-of-wildlife-photography/

Cameroon Admits Army Role in Massacre of 13 Civilians
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-21
Cameroon's presidency admitted Tuesday that its army did kill 13 civilians including 10 children in an anglophone region in the west of the country back in February. | RELATED: | Cameroon Opposition Leader Accused of Inciting Rebellion | According to the United Nations, the massacre on the night of Feb. 13 left 23 civilians dead including 15 children in the village of Ntumbo. Nine of the children were aged under five and that two of the victims were pregnant women. | The government h…
telesurenglish.net/news/Cameroon-Admits-Army-Role-in-Massacre-of-13-Civilians-20200421-0016.html

COVID-19: The Economic and Social Impact on Ocean Islands
Kester Kenn Klomegah | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-21
Understandingly, it has become important to analyze the spread of coronavirus and its impact on the economy of small islands especially Cape Verde, Mauritius, Maldives, Seychelles, Vanuatu and the Union of Comoros. These islands, which are favorite tourist posts and …
globalresearch.ca/covid-19-economic-social-impact-ocean-islands/5710283

Libya's former PM dies at 70
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-21
TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA)

Police warn well-meaning Britons to be wary of 'despicable criminals' using Covid-19 to con them out of their hard-earned cash
rt.com | 2020-04-21
Action Fraud, the UK's task force for combating cyber crime, has urged caution online as a wave of generosity washes over the UK, and one study identifies EIGHTY THOUSAND "malicious" new domain names. | The fraud agency, part of the City of London Police, told RT this week that "despicable criminals" were trying to exploit the crisis, saying that they were taking advantage of the public's generosity by "setting up fake charity pages or sending scam emails asking for donations." | A spokesperson offered advice to stop well-meaning citize…
rt.com/uk/486377-cyber-crime-police-covid-19/

Austria to reopen restaurants, churches & some schools from May 15
rt.com | 2020-04-21
Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Tuesday that Austria would further loosen its Covid-19 lockdown on May 15 by allowing restaurants and cafes to reopen and religious services to resume. The Alpine republic acted early in its outbreak to close restaurants, bars, theaters, non-essential shops and other potential gathering places more than a month ago. | "We are going faster here than other countries towards something like a new normality," Kurz told reporters, adding that "gastronomy businesses," a term that often includes bars, will be allowed to reopen from May 15 and stay open until 11pm. Religious services c…
rt.com/newsline/486442-austria-reopen-churches-restaurants/

Iran ready to deepen ties with Uganda: Pres. Rouhani
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-21
TEHRAN, Apr. 22 (MNA) –Iranian President Hassan Rouhani described relations between Iran and Uganda very good and based on mutual respect and said, "we are ready to develop bilateral relations in all fields without any restrictions and use all capacities and capabilities in the two countries in the direction of friendly relations."
en.mehrnews.com/news/157875/Iran-ready-to-deepen-ties-with-Uganda-Pres-Rouhani

UAE Companies Allegedly Violated Libyan Arms Embargo: Report
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-20
United Arab Emirates-based companies shipped nearly 11,000 tons of jet fuel to eastern Libya, the stronghold of General Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army, in a suspected violation of an international arms embargo, according to a report published Monday by the Financial Times. | RELATED: | Libya: Tripoli Govt Retakes 2 Cities From Rival Haftar's Forces | A set of documents, seen by the London-based news outlet, shows that an oil shipment worth nearly US$5 million was delivere…
telesurenglish.net/news/UAE-Companies-Allegedly-Violated-Libyan-Arms-Embargo-Report-20200420-0011.html

Privacy must be at the heart of Covid-19 contact tracing apps, governments told
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-04-20
Contact tracing apps must be made with privacy at their heart and only keep data as long as necessary, governments have been told.Countries including the UK are looking to contact tracing technologies in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and a possible way to help end lockdown.As already seen in places like Singapore, this would use Bluetooth to keep an anonymous log of every person an individual has been in close contact with and alert them if one should test positive for Covid-19.While the technology has been welcomed as one potential solution to ease in a return to normality, it has also been met with…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2020/04/20/privacy-must-be-at-the-heart-of-covid-19-contact-tracing-apps-governments-told/

Bringing Nollywood star power to Nigeria's fight against COVID-19: a UN Resident Coordinator blog
news.un.org | 2020-04-20
All of the UN bodies in Nigeria are working closely together, to ensure that the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic is effective, and saves as many lives as possible. By the UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/04/1062162

As US Shale Oil Plunges, Trump Admin Takes Aim at Venezuela
Whitney Webb | mintpressnews.com | 2020-04-17
WASHINGTON DC ( The Last American Vagabond)

Africa mobilizing to minimize losses as COVID-19 pandemic continues worldwide advance
news.un.org | 2020-04-15
From procuring test kits to promoting debt relief, the UN will stand in solidarity with Africa as it braces against the unprecedented economic, social and health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Secretary-General António Guterres pledged on Wednesday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/04/1061862

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

Coronavirus and the crisis of African American human rights
Ajamu Baraka | mronline.org | 2020-04-21
With the overwhelming evidence that the capitalist system is fundamentally antithetical to the realization of human rights, including what should be an elementary right–access to healthcare–the presidency of Donald J. Trump has been a godsend for the capitalist rulers.
mronline.org/2020/04/21/coronavirus-and-the-crisis-of-african-american-human-rights/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=coronavirus-and-the-crisis-of-african-american-human-rights

Handcuffed: Black Miami Doctor Who Works with Homeless Says He Was Racially Profiled by Police
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-20
We continue our conversation with Dr. Armen Henderson, an African-American doctor in Miami who was handcuffed outside his home while preparing for a volunteer shift to help protect homeless people from the spread of COVID-19. The encounter has sparked widespread outrage, and Miami's police chief has now tested positive for COVID-19 and is in self-isolation. Dr Henderson has taken a test himself and is waiting for results

"I Want an Apology": Black Doctor Who Tests Homeless for Coronavirus Handcuffed by Miami Police
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-15
We speak with Dr. Armen Henderson, an African-American doctor who was handcuffed and detained outside his home Friday as he was wearing a mask and preparing for a volunteer shift to test homeless people for COVID-19. "I want the officer held accountable. There's no way that you racially profile me and then you arrest me, detain me, during a pandemic, when you have no mask on, where hundreds of police officers throughout Miami-Dade County have tested positive," says Dr. Henderson, who is an internal medicine physician, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Miami and an organizer with Dream Defenders…
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/15/dr_armen_henderson_arrest_miami

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

Apple expands services business to markets in Africa and beyond
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-21
Apple Inc on Tuesday said it would expand its App Store, Apple Music and other services to dozens of new markets in Africa, the Middle East and beyond in the biggest geographical expansion of its services in almost a decade.Apple said it would expand the App Store to 20 countries, eight of them in Africa, and will offer its streaming Apple Music service in 52 additional countries and regions. The expansion is the largest since Apple grew what was then called the iTunes Store to India, Russia and more than 50 other countries in 2012.Apple has focused on growing sales from its services segment, which totaled 17.8%…
yenisafak.com/en/technology/apple-expands-services-business-to-markets-in-africa-and-beyond-3517543

Juan González: "Make No Mistake: This Country Is Edging Closer to Neo-Fascist Authoritarianism"
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-21
We get an update from Democracy Now! co-host Juan González about his mother and wife, who were infected with COVID-19, and discuss how right-wing Trump supporters are brandishing automatic weapons at protests to demand an end to coronavirus shutdowns and are being egged on by the president. "We should make no mistake, that this country is edging closer and closer to neo-fascist authoritarianism," says González, expressing concern these actions will become normalized in the lead-up to a bitter national election in November.
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/21/juan_gonzalez_coronavirus_update

Trump Supporters Are Brandishing Automatic Weapons at Anti-Shutdown Protests
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-04-21
We get an update from Democracy Now! co-host Juan González about his mother and wife, who were infected with COVID-19, and discuss how right-wing Trump supporters are brandishing automatic weapons at protests to demand an end to coronavirus shutdowns and are being egged on by the president. "We should make no mistake, that this country is edging closer and closer to neo-fascist authoritarianism," says González, expressing concern these actions will become normalized in the lead-up to a bitter na…
truthout.org/video/trump-supporters-are-brandishing-automatic-weapons-at-anti-shutdown-protests/

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