2021-04-22: News Headlines

Kester Kenn Klomegah (2021-04-22). New Report Highlights COVID-19 Impact On African Trade Finance. eurasiareview.com African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Making Finance Work for Africa Partnership (MFW4A) released on 15 April the African Trade Finance Survey Report which provides a better understanding of the trade finance landscape across Africa and how it has evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report is the first of its kind, surveying 185 banks from across Africa, representing more than 58% of total assets held by African banks. | In his opening remarks, Professor Benedict Oramah, President of…

Jomo Kwame Sundaram (2021-04-22). Another false start in Africa sold with green revolution myths. mronline.org AGRA was started, with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation, to double yields and incomes for 30 million smallholder farm households while halving food insecurity by 2020. | April 22, 2021 | Newswire…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-04-22). Middle East-North Africa most dangerous for journalists, says RSF's 2021 press freedom index. peoplesdispatch.org Press freedoms in almost 75% of the 180 countries evaluated in the index have significantly declined. This has been aggravated by the COVID-19 outbreak which many countries have used as justification for exercising more control over the news media…

ecns.cn (2021-04-22). Africa's COVID-19 cases surpass 4.43 mln: Africa CDC. ecns.cn The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa has reached 4,439,823 as of Tuesday evening, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-04-22). West Asian countries lead in global execution list, says Amnesty report. peoplesdispatch.org A scathing new report released by international human rights organization Amnesty International has revealed that countries in the Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region carried out the highest number of death penalties in 2020, reported Associated Press yesterday, April 21. The Amnesty report also stated that four countries in the MENA region, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, carried out an overwhelming 88% of all known executions worldwide last year. | According to the report, Iran executed 246 people, Egypt 107, Iraq 45, and Saudi Arabia 27, on a wide range of "vague and overly broad terror-related and othe…

DoD News (2021-04-22). Commander Says Africa Too Important For US To Ignore. eurasiareview.com By Jim Garamone | Africa is a fascinating continent of tremendous possibilities but also tremendous dangers, and the U.S. ignores the nations of Africa at its own peril, the commander of the U.S. Africa Command said during an interview. | "China and Russia don't ignore Africa, and that alone should say something," Army Gen. Stephen J. Townsend said. | Africa has 13 of the 25 fastest growing economies in the world, Townsend said. In a time of climate change, Afri…

sputniknews (2021-04-22). Tucker Carlson Warns Political Actors 'Harnessed' Floyd's Death to 'Control, Change US Forever'. sputniknews.com In a trial that lasted over a month, on 20 April former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of African-American man George Floyd on 25 May 2020.

ecns.cn (2021-04-22). WeSay: Asian Americans still struggling. ecns.cn From "I have a dream" to "I can't breathe," it takes African Americans 57 years to "catch a breath" with the conviction of Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd. If the conviction is a "step forward," then do not ignore the struggling Asian Americans.

The Canary (2021-04-22). 'Pervasive racism' led to failure to commemorate Black and Asian troops. thecanary.co "Pervasive racism" underpinned a failure to properly commemorate potentially hundreds of thousands of predominantly Black and Asian service personnel who died fighting for the British Empire, an investigation has found. | The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) apologised after its investigation found that those individuals were not formally remembered in the same way as their white comrades. | Defence secretary Ben Wallace will give a statement to MPs on the findings on Thursday, when the report is formally published in full.The investigation discovered at least 116,000 predominantly African and Middle Eas…

Killings (2021-04-22). San Leandro Calls for Justice for Steven Taylor and Other N. California Victims of Police. indybay.org Steven Taylor was an African American resident of San Leandro who was killed by the police in a Walmart on 4/18/20. The officer who shot Taylor has been charged with manslaughter and is awaiting trial. A rally on the anniversary of Taylor's death called for an end to police violence against African Americans and other people of color.

ecns.cn (2021-04-22). China's top legislator holds talks with Egyptian house speaker. ecns.cn China's top legislator Li Zhanshu on Tuesday held talks with Egyptian House of Representatives Speaker Hanafy Ali al-Gebaly via video link, pledging to consistently develop bilateral relations.

news.un (2021-04-22). First Person: 'Youth won't stay silent' says Madagascar climate activist. news.un.org Young people around the world "won't stay silent" about the global climate crisis according to a youth activist from Madagascar.

Juan Cole (2021-04-21). Systemic Racism won't End with One Trial, But Biden-Harris can enlist Government in addressing Economic Inequality at its Root. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — African-Americans face aggressive policing in part because, on average, they lack resources. Household wealth allows a family to donate to political campaigns, to ensure a good education for their children, and to join influential civic clubs and organizations. The Center for American Progress reports that in 2019, before the distortions …

teleSUR (2021-04-21). Zimbabwe: Gov't Intensifies COVID-19 Measures in Schools. telesurenglish.net The Zimbabwean government is intensifying enforcement of COVID-19 standard operating procedures in all schools following the outbreak of the pandemic at some boarding schools in the country, Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said Wednesday. | RELATED: | Addressing a post-cabinet media briefing, the information minister said 145 students at a boarding school in Manicaland Province and another 91 learners at a boar…

Staff (2021-04-21). Headlines for April 21, 2021. democracynow.org Jury Finds Derek Chauvin Guilty on All Counts for Murdering George Floyd, Police Shoot Dead 16-Year-Old Ma'Khia Bryant in Columbus, Ohio, Judge Denies Dismissal of Prison Sentence for Officer Who Shot and Killed Walter Scott in 2015, India Faces COVID "Storm"; AMLO Gets COVID Vaccine; U.S. Warns Against Travel to 80% of Globe, Johnson & Johnson Resumes European Rollout After Regulator Says Benefits Outweigh Blood Clot Risk, AOC and Sen. Markey Reintroduce Green New Deal as Biden Sets Ambitious Emissions Target, Idriss Déby's Son Named Interim Leader Following Chadian President's Death, Journalists in Over 100 Cou…

Eds. (2021-04-21). Pentagon adds Africa to Global battleground with China and Russia. mronline.org General Stephen Townsend, commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), and General Kenneth McKenzie, commander of U.S. Central Command, are scheduled to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee on April 22. | April 21, 2021 | Newswire…

Aboulfotouh Kandil (2021-04-21). Arab-Americans in Chicago seek congressional support for Egyptian human rights. peoplesworld.org CHICAGO — Arab Americans here, like those across the country, have connections to 22 countries that are part of the Arab world. The U.S. witnessed the first large wave of Arab immigration between 1920 and 1924. Over time, Arabs established communities in all 50 states, became more integrated into society, and their existence in the …

Ahmed Abdulkareem (2021-04-21). Ramadan Brings No Relief for Yemen as Saudis Block Chairties and Turks Unleash Foreign Mercanaries. mintpressnews.com Just as it transferred mercenaries from Syria to the conflict zones in Libya and Azerbaijan, Turkey — the financial and spiritual capital of the Muslim Brotherhood — is now doing the same in Yemen's oil-rich Marib.

Ceren Sagir (2021-04-21). U.K. Conservative Party government report: 'Institutional racism' doesn't exist. peoplesworld.org LONDON—United Nations experts slammed the recent race report commissioned by Boris Johnson's Conservative Party government in the U.K., warning that it attempts to "normalize white supremacy." The U.N. Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent said it "categorically rejects and condemns" the findings of Johnson's Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities (CRED). CRED's …

Betsey Piette (2021-04-21). Mumia Abu-Jamal's life in jeopardy — demand his release now! workers.org Led by Pam Africa (left) demonstrators take to the streets to demand immediate release for Mumia Abu-Jamal, Philadelphia, March 12. Credit: Joe Piette Philadelphia Family and supporters of Pennsylvania political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal became alarmed when they did not get his routine daily calls after April 10. On April 14 . . . |

Anonymous669 (2021-04-21). ISIS Terrorists Stormed Major Military Base In Nigeria's Borno (Photos). southfront.org Click to see full-size image | On April 18, ISIS terrorists launched a large-scale attack on a major base of the Nigerian Armed Forces (NAF) in the northeastern state of Borno. | The terrorists stormed the base, which is located in the town of Dikwa, following clashes with the NAF. Nigerian service members withdrew from the base leaving behind their equipment and weapons. | According to the Amaq news agency, ISIS fighters burned the camp as well as a pickup truck, an artillery piece and four armored vehic…

Anonymous669 (2021-04-21). Government Mi-35 Combat Helicopter Shot Down Over Tigray Region (Video). southfront.org Screen grab from the Tigray Intercept video. | On April 20, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) announced that it had shot down a combat helicopter of the Ethiopian Air Force (ETAF) in the northern Ethiopian region of Tigray. | The helicopter crashed in the vicinity of the town of Abiy Addi in the center of Tigray, where a fierce battle between the TPLF and government forces has been ongoing for more than five months now. | The Tigray Intercept released a video showing the wreckage of the downed helicopter, which was…

Binoy Kampmark (2021-04-21). Coronavirus Strikes Papua New Guinea. counterpunch.org There was a time when it seemed Papua New Guinea had managed to dodge a bullet. Instances of SARS-CoV-2 were minimal, along with its disease, COVID-19. Through 2020, the country of eight million people recorded a mere 900 cases. The World Health Organization praised the PNG government in a September 2020 news release in "taking

_____ (2021-04-21). Manifest Destiny? U.S. Immigration 'Crisis' a Bipartisan Toxic Legacy. strategic-culture.org Migration is here to stay regardless of fences or chicken coops used for vetting migrants as labor, and the corruption of gangsterism will continue to normalize itself with the U.S. corporatist state. | Since Joe Biden took over the White House nearly three months ago, a recurring controversy dogging his administration is the plight of migrants crossing the southern border from Mexico. In the following interview, Randy Martin gives his take on the subject as a seasoned observer and campaigner based near the border. He says much of the political heat on the subject recently is being generated by the bitterly divis…

_____ (2021-04-21). Building Workplace Power In The Communities. popularresistance.org As organized labor grapples with the consequences of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union's landslide defeat at the Amazon mega-warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, one potential direction for the labor movement lies in the types of power- and base-building activities of Black worker centers. | That African American workers need to amass the power to better their conditions is beyond dispute. The American working class is in serious trouble, and Black workers most particularly. The median net wealth of Black families is just $24,100 (lower than any other racial group in America today), while that of white…

Editor2 (2021-04-21). USA: Shackling of Aged Inmate, Mumia Abu-Jamal, is Deplorable — UN Experts. orinocotribune.com GENEVA (20 April 2021) — UN human rights experts* expressed serious concerns about the treatment and welfare of Mumia Abu-Jamal, an African-American man who has been in jail for 40 years in Pennsylvania, and is reportedly shackled to his hospital bed. Mr. Abu-Jamal had already been shackled to his bed during a four-day hospitalization in late February while being treated for heart failure. | Mr. Abu-Jamal has been denied visits from his family and access to his lawyers and spiritual advisor after being admitted to an undisclosed hospital around 10 April, where he will reportedly undergo surgery. "This ongoi…

teleSUR (2021-04-21). US: Ohio Rejects Police Brutality After Black Teen's Murder. telesurenglish.net U.S. citizens on Tuesday night took to the streets against police brutality after 15-year-old teenager Ma'Khia Bryant was shot and killed by an officer in Columbus city, Ohio. | RELATED: | Protesters marched to Ohio's Capitol with signs that read "The whole damn system is guilty as hell" and "Police brutality is white supremacy. End both." | "So far, details of the African-Descendent girl's murder remain unclear. Authorities are review…

CNA (2021-04-21). Africa Sees 'Dramatic Increase In Jihadist Groups,' Says Global Religious Freedom Report. eurasiareview.com By Courtney Mares | Aid to the Church in Need published a religious freedom report Tuesday documenting a "dramatic increase" in the presence of jihadist groups, some aligned with the Islamic State, in Sub-Saharan and Eastern Africa. | "Over the last two years, jihadist groups have consolidated their presence in Sub-Saharan Africa and the region has become a haven for over two dozen actively operating — and increasingly cooperating — groups in 14 countries, including affiliates of the Islamic State and al-Qaeda," Marcela Szymanski wrote in the report published April 20. | "The development of these affiliates…

_____ (2021-04-21). USA: UN Experts Call for President Biden to End Death Penalty. strategic-culture.org UN human rights experts* have called on President Biden to do everything in his power to end executions in the United States, at both the federal and state level. | "The death penalty is an abhorrent practice. It serves no deterrent value and cannot be reconciled with the right to life," said the experts. | "Despite retentionist States' pretence that capital punishment can be implemented in a 'humane' fashion, executions have repeatedly resulted in degrading spectacles. The death penalty is an inherently flawed form of punishment which disproportionately impacts African-Americans and people living in poverty," th…

WSWS (2021-04-21). Chad's French-backed President Idriss Déby dies fighting opposition militia. wsws.org Déby died fighting a Chadian opposition militia formerly based in southern Libya, and reportedly tied to Libyan Marshal Khalifa Haftar and to Moscow.

Eurasia Review (2021-04-21). Mali: Killings, 'Disappearances' in Military Operations. eurasiareview.com Malian soldiers have allegedly killed at least 34 villagers, forcibly disappeared at least 16 people, and severely mistreated detainees during counterterrorism operations in Mali's central Mopti region, Human Rights Watch said today. | Mali's transitional government should conduct credible and impartial investigations into these incidents. All were committed since the transitional government took power in an "Mali's security forces have shown s…

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