(2020-07-04). Egypt's opposition still seeking footing 7 years after coup. yenisafak.com The opposition in Egypt and abroad is in a forced absence due to the regime's extensive restrictions on opinion expression as well as extensive political arrests.The regime of the former President Hosni Mubarak suppressed freedom of expression that led to revolution in 2011 that called for equality, freedom and social justice.Mubarak, who ruled for three decades, was forced to step down by a popular uprising in early 2011.Mohamed Morsi won the first post-revolution presidential election in 2012, becoming the country's first democratically elected civilian president and fifth president of the republic. | Several t…
(2020-07-04). Pandemic spirals out of control in South Africa, India, Brazil. wsws.org The official tallies in each country of daily confirmed coronavirus cases have become exponential, indicating that whatever containment measures were implemented to halt the spread of the virus have essentially collapsed.
(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.
(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.
(2020-07-04). The Malign Russians and Chinese Are Coming. strategic-culture.org A feeble Russiagate 2.0 attempt coincides with hypocritical attacks on the new Hong Kong national security law | Pepe ESCOBAR | In Russia, 78% have just Among these, we find the paramount Atlanticist obsession: the possibility that Vladimir Putin will be able to run for two more presidential terms. | Predictably, anguished cries of "Dictator! Dictator!" have been lobbed like deadly shells all across the Beltway. | They might even silence the echoes of the latest CIA press release to the New York Times, ba…
(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…
(2020-07-04). Zimbabwe nurses strike as economic crisis brings threat of second coup and military dictatorship. wsws.org Emmerson Mnangagwa's government is preparing to confront mounting opposition in the working class through dictatorial forms of rule and the abrogation of democratic rights—even as it is threatened by the possibility of a coup.
(2020-07-04). Erdogan says Turkey sent virus aid to 138 countries. yenisafak.com Turkey to date has sent medical aid to 138 countries to help them combat the coronavirus pandemic, said Turkey's president on Saturday."We have sent medical equipment and supplies to 138 countries, regardless of religion, language, race, or region," Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the inauguration ceremony for a new state hospital in Istanbul.Telling how Turkey's exemplary efforts against the virus laid the groundwork for new opportunities in medical tourism, he added, "We're determined to make Turkey the health center of three continents," meaning Asia, Europe, and Africa, with Turkey at their hub."Thanks to the meas…
(2020-07-04). Turkey's presence in Libya to do whatever int'l law requires: DefMin. yenisafak.com Turkey's presence in Libya is to do whatever the international law and justice require, the Turkish defense minister said on Saturday."Turkey is together with the Libyan brothers. No one should doubt it, we will not give up on it," Hulusi Akar said.Akar and Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Guler, who are on an official visit to Libya, met Turkish security forces in the country. They later visited Tripoli's Mitiga Hospital, which was frequently targeted by the attacks of warlord Khalifa Haftar's militias, and met the Turkish health care staff at the hospital."Our task here [in Libya] is providing military trainin…
(2020-07-04). Why is Greece courting Haftar's militia in Libya? yenisafak.com Greece has been left in a tight corner after betting on East Libya-based warlord Khalifa Haftar, a Turkey-based scholar has said.After Haftar's 2019 military campaign to recapture the capital Tripoli failed, many of his allies gave up on him. More recently, he lost key cities following an operation by the Tripoli-based legitimate government of Libya.However, Greece officially maintains talks with eastern Libya.Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias on Wednesday paid a two-day visit to Tobruk, during which he met with Aguila Saleh, head of the pro-Haftar House of Representatives.According to a statement by the Tobr…
(2020-07-04). Decisive, dissuasive will win in Libya: Analysis. yenisafak.com Following back-to-back successes of the Government of National Accord, Libya's UN-recognized legitimate administration, all sides seem to have reordered their positions. The safety of the capital Tripoli is no longer debated and the threats to the existence of GNA were eliminated. Gaining these achievements largely thanks to the support from Turkey, the GNA is working toward new achievements while also preparing for the restructuring of the country with the same support.The putschist Khalifa Haftar's forces have switched to a defensive stance, and their main purpose has been shifted to maintaining the territory t…
(2020-07-04). Tunisia MPs reject motion to blacklist Brotherhood. yenisafak.com The Bureau of Tunisia's House of Representatives (parliament) has rejected a petition to blacklist the Muslim Brotherhood group.The opposition Free Constitutional Party (PDL), which holds 10 seats in the 217-member parliament, had submitted the petition to classify the Brotherhood as a "terrorist" organization.The petition, however, was turned down by the parliament's bureau, which is consisted of the parliament speaker, his deputies and 10 lawmakers representing all parties in parliament.Ennahda party, which holds 54 seats in parliament, earlier described the PDL draft as a "waste of time".Ennahda lawmaker Sayyi…
(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
(2020-07-03). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to
(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
(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.
(2020-07-03). South Africa Reports Highest Daily Increase in COVID-19 Cases. telesurenglish.net South Africa Friday reported its biggest single-day jump in coronavirus cases, as hospitals across the country brace for an onslaught of patients and officials warn of another strict lockdown. | RELATED: | On Thursday, over 8,700 infections were confirmed, taking the country's total count to 168,061, according to Health Ministry data, while deaths rose by 95 to 2,844. | The surge comes as the government has allowed…
(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.
(2020-07-03). This Fourth of July, Time To Tell the Truth About the Confederacy and Its Symbols. commondreams.org A staff member raises the state flag for the flag retirement ceremony at the Mississippi State Capitol building in Jackson, Mississippi on July 1, 2020. – Mississippi's flag, the last US state banner to feature a Confederate emblem, was permanently retired Wednesday when it was lowered from the state's capitol and removed from the grounds. The move comes one day after Governor Tate Reeves signed a bill ordering the rebel-themed flag's removal, which comes in the wake of coast-to-coast protests over the police killing of African American George Floyd in May. (Photo: Rory Doyle / AFP / Getty Image…
(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…
(2020-07-03). Burundi: President Ndayishimiye Renews Cabinet Amid Pandemic. telesurenglish.net Burundi's new president Evariste Ndayishimiye Thursday renewed cabinet after he assumed power in June. The mandatary also announced a new pandemic management strategy. | RELATED: | Ndayishimiye instituted five female-led ministries, as Justice; Civil Service, Labor, and Employment; Trade, Transport, Industry, and Tourism; and Communication, as well as Information Technology and the Media office. | Human rights defender Imelde Sabushimike assumed Solidarity, Social Affa…
(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 …
(2020-07-03). As pandemic accelerates in US, young people made the scapegoat of ruling elite's malicious return to work policy. wsws.org The US continues to see a surge of new infections at an unprecedented rate with a single one-day high of 57,236 new cases.
(2020-07-03). Over 40 UAE Firms Sign Deals With Israel: Report. telesurenglish.net The London-based al-Quds al-Arabi Friday reported that 42 Emirati companies have signed deals with Israeli companies purportedly to develop technological solutions against the pandemic, marking the latest bid by Arab countries to normalize ties with Tel Aviv. | RELATED: | The agreements were made with two Israeli firms —Israeli air industries and Raphael— that are affiliated with the regime's war ministry and pro…
(2020-07-03). Israeli Troops Disperse Muslim Worshipers On Threatened Palestinian Land. imemc.org Israeli troops forcibly dispersed, on Friday afternoon, dozens of Palestinian Muslim worshipers, while performing the Friday sermon on Palestinian-owned land in the Aseera Al-Shamaliya village, north of Nablus city, in northern West Bank. Local Palestinian media sources and witnesses said that the piece of land, on which dozens of locals …
(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.
(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…
(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…
(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…
(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…
(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…
(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). 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.
(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…
(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 …
(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.
(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…
(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.
(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…
(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…
(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…
(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?
(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]).
(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.
(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). 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.
(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…
(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…