Daily Archives: April 7, 2021

2021-04-07: News Headlines

orinocotribune (2021-04-07). President Maduro Announced New Economic Measures to Counter COVID-19's Second Wave. orinocotribune.com Tuesday, April 6, President Nicolás Maduro announced new economic measures for the protection of the Venezuelan people in the midst of the fight against COVID-19. From Miraflores Palace, he reported that about 15.1 million cardholders, through the Patria System, will in the coming days receive a special support bonus from the Chavista government to face the pandemic, similar to US stimulus checks. | In this regard, the Head of State also announced the extension, until September, of the prohibition on the collection of credit guarantees, the prohibition on reclassifying credit risk, and the express prohibition of…

José Luis Granados Ceja (2021-04-07). Venezuela Rolls Out Economic Support to Keep Workers Home as COVID-19 Infections Spread. venezuelanalysis.com The measures include a ban on evictions, a special "stay at home" benefit for two million private-sector workers, and a one-time benefit for 15 million people.

Jose Manuel Blanco Diaz (2021-04-07). Corpses in Black Bags? More Fake News from Venezuelan Anti-Chavista Healthcare Personnel and Students. orinocotribune.com Groups connected to healthcare personnel from Venezuela's extreme right staged another attempt at fake news this Tuesday, April 6, mounting a demonstration with black bags tied up to appear as human corpses at the Hospital Clínico Universitario in Caracas. | Morbidly presenting the supposed corpses, the anti-Chavista healthcare personnel tried to capitalize on the anxiety of Venezuela's population in the midst of a second COVID-19 wave to rally people against the government, but many considered the objective was not accomplished. | The aforementioned healthcare center is one of those that provides specialized car…

Leonardo Flores (2021-04-07). The Capitol raid and pandemic can help us empathize with Venezuelans. peoplesdispatch.org The people of Venezuela have been living under a stage of siege, and enduring attacks on their sovereignty under successive US administrations. These assaults intensified during the Trump era…

Paul Jay (2021-04-07). "The Most Dangerous Man" Turns 90 — Peter Kuznick on Daniel Ellsberg. theanalysis.news Historian Peter Kuznick looks at the significance of Daniel Ellsberg's fight against America's insane nuclear war strategy, his exposure of the lies of the Viet Nam War, and his continuing fight against the American war machine.

Bryan Ellis (2021-04-07). Activists protest phosphate mining and treatment of jail inmates near Piney Point disaster in Manatee. liberationnews.org On Tuesday, activists in Manatee County gathered at the intersection of Moccasin Wallow Road and US 41 to demand the evacuation of Manatee County Jail during the Piney Point environmental disaster.

Marilyn Bechtel (2021-04-07). Good Friday Swords into Plowshares participants call for abolition of all nuclear weapons. peoplesworld.org LIVERMORE, Calif. — Nuclear disarmament activists in the San Francisco Bay Area gathered virtually on April 2 to honor a nearly four-decades-long tradition, the Good Friday Swords into Plowshares Worship and Witness at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, one of the two sites where every nuclear warhead and bomb in the U.S. arsenal is designed. This …

Arab News (2021-04-07). The Greenhouse Gases We Ignore At Our Peril — OpEd. eurasiareview.com By Ranvir S. Nayar* | Over recent decades, as awareness of global warming and climate change has spread across the globe, the focus has fallen on carbon dioxide, which has been identified as the villain of the piece. There is no denying that carbon dioxide is extremely harmful to the global climate and is responsible, in large part, for the warming of the planet since the start of the Industrial Revolution three centuries ago. | But carbon dioxide has become an easy target for both climate activists and businesses for several reasons. First is that it is a high-visibility gas, as it is released as a result of…

Marilyn Bechtel (2021-04-07). Good Friday Swords into Plowshares participants call for abolition of all nuclear weapons. peoplesworld.org LIVERMORE, Calif.—Nuclear disarmament activists in the San Francisco Bay Area gathered virtually on April 2 to honor a nearly four-decades-long tradition, the Good Friday Swords into Plowshares Worship and Witness at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, one of the two sites where every nuclear warhead and bomb in the U.S. arsenal is designed. This year the …

Staff (2021-04-07). 400,000 children could die if Yemen blockade isn't ended. therealnews.com The U.S.-backed, Saudi-led war on Yemen has entered its seventh year. Jaisal Noor speaks to Iman Saleh, who has been on a hunger strike since March 29 to highlight U.S. complicity in the conflict.

samidoun (2021-04-07). Take action: Support the #HungerStrike4Yemen — stop U.S. support for the Saudi blockade of Yemen #YemenCantWait. samidoun.net Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network is honored to join and endorse the hunger strikers and the Yemeni Liberation Movement on the 10th day of their strike to demand the US end ALL support to the Saudi-led blockade on Yemen. The blockade, now in its fourth month, has prevented all fuel and food from entering the country, leading to mass starvation, electricity shortages, and death. All this while the Yemeni people have endured six years of onslaught from the Saudi-led coalition: The people of Yemen are being starved due to a war tactics blockade that has been imposed by Saudi-led, US-supported forces.

Tasnim News Agency (2021-04-07). Iran Calls For Sustainable Cooperation With Kazakhstan. eurasiareview.com Foreign Minister of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif stressed the need to find ways for lasting cooperation with Kazakhstan, which he described as a friendly Caspian Sea neighbor. | In a meeting with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, held in Nur-Sultan on Wednesday, the Iranian foreign minister called for efforts to find ways for sustainable cooperation with Kazakhstan in order to maintain and enhance the bilateral relations. | Describing Kazakhstan as a friendly neighbor of Iran in the Caspian Sea region, Zarif highlighted the importance of closeness of the views of the two states on regional and intern…

VOA (2021-04-07). US, Iran See Indirect Nuclear Talks As Constructive. eurasiareview.com U.S. and Iranian officials are calling talks in Vienna productive as the two sides and the other signatories of a 2015 agreement on Iran's nuclear program work to revive the deal. | U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said there is no expectation of direct negotiations for now, but that the United States is "open to them because we are open to diplomacy." | He said the meetings in Vienna are a "potentially useful step as we seek to determine what it is that the Iranians are prepared to do to return to compliance" with the agreement, which limited Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Arab News (2021-04-07). French Trade Minister Says Companies Committed To Increase, Diversify Investments In Saudi Arabia — Interview. eurasiareview.com By Noor Nugali | With direct investment amounting to more than ‚Ǩ3.7 billion ($4.37 billion), France is one of the largest investors in Saudi Arabia. Projects relating to the Vision 2030 program to diversify the Saudi economy offer yet more opportunities for strengthening the bilateral partnership. France is keen to share its expertise in such fields as energy, water, transport, new technology, and aerospace. | For Saudi investors, France's innovation ecosystem and location make it an ideal gateway for trade with the EU. Franck Riester, French minister delegate for foreign trade and economic…

orinocotribune (2021-04-07). This is How the Venezuelan Army Dialogues Face-to-Face with those Returning to Apure from Colombia. orinocotribune.com Faced with the media attacks that have generated fear and anxiety in the populations of Apure state, on the border between Venezuela and Colombia, the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB) has held people's assemblies with the returnees from El Ripial. The intention is not only to accompany them after what they have experienced after fleeing the violence of Colombian paramilitary groups, but to clarify that the military body is positioned as a guarantor of the comprehensive protection of the inhabitants, and not the other way around. | It should be noted that these groups of displaced people have fled from clash…

Juan Cole (2021-04-07). How to understand Indirect US-Iran Nuclear Talks at Vienna: Iran wants US to get its Knee off Tehran's Neck, Chauvin style, First. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — The current signatories to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (Joint Plan of Collective Action or JCPOA) met in Vienna Tuesday with Iran. The United States delegation, led by Robert Malley, met on the sidelines with Deputy Secretary-General European Union Enrique Mora, who engaged in shuttle diplomacy between Iran and the …

Peoples Dispatch (2021-04-07). US activists on hunger strike demand end to Yemen blockade. peoplesdispatch.org Six activists launched a strike on March 29 in Washington DC, demanding an end to the US-supported blockade of Yemen led by Saudi Arabia. A National Day of Fasting will also be observed on Thursday…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-04-07). Iranian vessel attacked in Red Sea as nuclear deal revival talks begin. peoplesdispatch.org The attack on the Saviz took place on the same day as the meeting of the joint commission of the signatories of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to work out ways to revive the deal…

_____ (2021-04-07). Israel Attacks Iranian Command Ship In Red Sea. popularresistance.org An Iranian command ship stationed in the Red Sea was damaged in an Israeli mine attack on Tuesday, a US official has told the New York Times (NYT). | The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: "The Israelis had notified the United States that its forces had struck the vessel at about 7.30am local time." | The official said the ship was damaged below the water line and that Israel had called the attack a retaliation for earlier Iranian strikes on Israeli vessels. | Iran's foreign ministry said on Wednesday that the vessel, the Saviz, had been targeted in the Red Sea, a day after media reports that th…

Editor2 (2021-04-07). What Must a Young Communist be. orinocotribune.com By Ernesto Guevara — Apr 5, 2021 | On the occasion of the April 4 anniversary of the Young Communists League, Granma presents excerpts from a speech delivered by Ernest Che Guevara, October 20, 1962, during a commemoration of the integration of Cuba's revolutionary youth organizations | The Young Communist League must define itself with a single word: vanguard. You, comrades, must be the vanguard of all movements. The first to be ready to make the sacrifices that the Revolution demands, whatever the nature of these sacrifices. The first in work. The first in study. The first in the defense of the country…

orinocotribune (2021-04-07). Venezuela More than Willing to Dialogue with Colombia's Chancellor Claudia Bloom — Requests to Mexico, UN and CELAC to Open Communication Channels. orinocotribune.com This Tuesday, April 6, Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza said that he was willing to meet with the Colombian Foreign Minister, Claudia Blum. He intimated that if she wants to "talk to me, make a call and if you want, we'll meet wherever you want, to ensure peace and tranquility to both our peoples. We will continue to be committed to peace," said the Venezuelan Foreign Minister during a press conference. | In his statements, Arreaza stated that Colombia is a failed state, after referring to the armed conflict in Apure. Venezuelan authorities have denounced how Colombian narco paramilitary gangs en…

orinocotribune (2021-04-07). Venezuela More than Willing to Dialogue with Colombia's Chancellor Claudia Bloom — Requests Mexico, UN and CELAC to Open Communication Channels. orinocotribune.com This Tuesday, April 6, Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza said that he was willing to meet with the Colombian Foreign Minister, Claudia Blum. He intimated that if she wants to "talk to me, make a call and if you want, we'll meet wherever you want, to ensure peace and tranquility to both our peoples. We will continue to be committed to peace," said the Venezuelan Foreign Minister during a press conference. | In his statements, Arreaza stated that Colombia is a failed state, after referring to the armed conflict in Apure. Venezuelan authorities have denounced how Colombian narco paramilitary gangs en…

Nan Levinson (2021-04-07). The US Military Is an Extremism Incubator. thenation.com The US Military Is an Extremism Incubator…

Staff (2021-04-07). Headlines for April 7, 2021. democracynow.org U.S. Moves Up Vaccine Eligibility for Adults as Global Access Inequities Plague Poorer Nations, Minneapolis Police Trainer Says Derek Chauvin Kneeling on Floyd's Neck Was Not Authorized Technique, Arkansas Becomes First State to Criminalize Gender-Affirming Treatment for Trans Youth, Tishaura Jones Elected as First Black Woman Mayor of St. Louis, Florida Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings Dies at Age 84, Democrats Can Use Reconciliation to Pass More Budget Bills with Simple Majority, U.S and Iran Say Early Talks on Relaunching Nuclear Deal "Constructive", U.N. Warns One-Third of Population of Democratic Republic of t…

_____ (2021-04-07). Meeting To Revive Iran Nuclear Deal Begins In Vienna. popularresistance.org The Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—the Iran nuclear deal—resumed talks in Vienna on Tuesday, with the lifting of sanctions on Iran and nuclear implementation measures at the center of the agenda. | Representatives from Iran, China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the European Union met for an hour. Although not at the session, the US envoy remained a few meters away from the venue, which was understood as a gesture of willingness to rescue the agreement. | Several participants qualified the meeting as positive, including Russia's permanent represent…

Phil Miller (2021-04-07). Trump's Illegal Drone Strike on Iranian General Soleimani: Sets the Stage for War on Iran? globalresearch.ca Seven members of Britain's armed forces won an award for their …

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-07). Netanyahu: Iran Deal Threatens Israel 'With Annihilation'. news.antiwar.com Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stepped up his rhetoric against the Iran nuclear deal after talks to revive the agreement were held in Vienna on Tuesday. On Wednesday, "The nuclear deal with Iran is once again on the table. Such deals with extreme regimes are worthless," Netanyahu said at a speech during Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony. "A deal…

Arab News (2021-04-07). Iranian Ship Linked To IRGC Attacked In Red Sea. eurasiareview.com An Iranian ship linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been attacked in the Red Sea. | The Saviz was hit by limpet mines, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday. | The attack took place off the coast of Eritrea and led to several injuries, according to Al Arabiya TV. | A US official told Reuters that the United States did not carry out the attack. | The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Israel has targeted at least 12 Iranian ships heading for Syria since late 2019. | The vessels have mostly been carrying oil in breach of US sanctions. However, the report said cargo and mi…

Anonymous007 (2021-04-07). Military Situation In Yemen On April 7, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org Click to see full-size image | The Liaison and Coordination Officers' Operations Room (loyal to Ansar Allah) reported 147 ceasefire violations in al-Hudaydah during the past 24 hours | On April 6, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 6 airstrikes on the Zaher area | On April 6, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 12 airstrikes on the Madghal area | On April 6, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 4 airstrikes on the Hazm area | On April 6, Ansar Allah attacked Malik Khalid Airbase in Khamis Musha…

Anonymous007 (2021-04-07). Iranian IRGC Cargo Ship Attacked In Red Sea: Report. southfront.org Click to see full-size image | A cargo ship belonging to Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) was attacked in the Red Sea off the coast of Eritrea, this was reported by Al Arabiya TV, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency identified the ship as the Saviz."The vessel Iran Saviz has been stationed in the Red Sea for the past few years to support Iranian com…

Morning Star (2021-04-07). Israel hints at responsibility for attack on Iranian ship as Vienna nuclear talks progress. peoplesworld.org

orinocotribune (2021-04-07). Why is Venezuela Asking for UN Assistance to Deactivate Landmines Planted by Colombian Paramilitary Gangs? orinocotribune.com Colombian criminal gangs have tried to bring vice and crimes against humanity along a 2,219-km border territory with Venezuela, one of the most dynamic in Latin America and the Caribbean. This has had consequences for human lives, security, public order and political stability. This was stated by Venezuelan Affairs Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza, who reiterated that Venezuela will continue to denounce the installation of antipersonnel mines on its territory by Colombian terrorist cells. | This Tuesday, April 6, from the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Arreaza recalled the request made by Venezuela to the United Nat…

Leonardo Flores (2021-04-06). The Capitol Raid and Pandemic can Help us Empathize with Venezuelans. orinocotribune.com By Leonardo Flores — Apr 6, 2021 | The January 6th raid on the Capitol and the pandemic that has upended the lives of every American seemingly have nothing to do with Venezuela. But the effects they had on U.S. political and economic stability offer a glimpse into what Venezuelans have been going through for the past several years of failed coups and sanctions. | Remember how January 6th felt? The shock, confusion and fear. The constant refreshing of Twitter feeds or eyes glued to cable news, watching a bunch of extremists attempt to overthrow the government. The not knowing what was going to happen next and…

RFE RL (2021-04-06). US, Iran Play Down Hopes Of Quick Fix Ahead Of Talks On Reviving Nuclear Deal. eurasiareview.com ( Washington predicted the meetings would be "difficult" and steered clear of talk of a breakthrough, while Tehran insisted that it is "neither optimistic nor pessimistic" and will not abandon its demand that U.S. sanctions be lifted before it acts. | U.S. and Iranian officials ar…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-04-06). Saudi aid worker sentenced to 20 years in prison. peoplesdispatch.org It is believed that Abdulrahman al-Sadhan has been convicted in connection with operating an anonymous Twitter account that was critical of human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia and the policies of crown prince Mohammed bin Salman…

Mision Verdad (2021-04-06). Review of the Destructive Effects of US Blockade on Venezuela's Orinoco Oil Belt. orinocotribune.com By Misión Verdad — Apr 5, 2021 | At Misión Verdad we have kept track of the negative effects of unilateral coercive measures (UCM) [aka US blockade] on Venezuela, and more specifically, their harmful consequences on the main company that provides oil revenues to Venezuela, Petróleos de Venezuela, SA (PDVSA). | All the reports and papers issued by organizations or individuals that are not binding on each other, but have Venezuela in their focus, provide a clear conclusion regarding the effects of the US blockade on the local economy: each aggression against PDVSA, through executive orders issued by the curren…

Editor2 (2021-04-06). Venezuela Appeals to UN for Landmine Clearance as Colombian Border Clashes Ease. orinocotribune.com Caracas has also created a special military zone and brigade to deal with the situation in Apure state, where 17 people have died. | Mérida, April 5, 2021 ( On Monday, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez revealed that three letters have been sent to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Security Council President Dang Dinh Quy and the Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA). | Caracas is requesting me…

Ajit Singh (2021-04-06). "Wipe Out China!" US-funded Uyghur Activists Train as Gun-toting Foot Soldiers for Empire. globalresearch.ca Cultivated by the US government as human rights activists, Uyghur American …

teleSUR (2021-04-06). Venezuela Raises Military Deployment On Border With Colombia. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino on Monday informed that troops of the Bolivian National Armed Forces (FANB) were deployed in three municipalities of the Apure state to fight Colombian irregular armed groups. | RELATED: | "By order of President Nicolas Maduro, we expanded the Special Integral Defense Operational Zone (ZODI) in the municipalities of Paez, Muñoz, and Romulo Gallegos," Padrino explained and reported that eight Ven…

_____ (2021-04-06). Indigenous Youth Rally To Demand Biden Stop Pipelines. popularresistance.org On Thursday, the fifth anniversary of the founding of the Sacred Stone Camp on the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation to resist the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), frontline Indigenous youth and organizers held several actions in Washington, D.C. The activists called on President Joe Biden to end DAPL and the Line 3 pipeline and to "Build Back Fossil Free." | "It was our youth that led today," explained Waniya Locke (Diné, Lakota, Nakota and Anishinaabe). The youth-led actions included a rally at the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) headquarters, where organizers delivered petitions with 400,000 signatures demand…

Paul Antonopoulos (2021-04-06). Iraq's Turn to Saudi Arabia for Economic Relief Is Sign of Its Regional Rebalancing. globalresearch.ca Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi visited Riyadh on March 31 and …

teleSUR (2021-04-06). Iran Charges Ten Officials for Downing Ukrainian Airliner. telesurenglish.net Tehran military prosecutor Gholamabbas Torki on Tuesday announced that ten Iranian officials were indicted over the downing of a Ukrainian airliner, an event in which 176 people were killed on Jan. 8, 2020. | RELATED: | "A serious and accurate investigation was conducted and the indictment was issued for 10 culprits," Torki said although he did not provide details on the identity of the officials involved. | On Jan…

Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty (2021-04-06). With Huge Iran Deal, China Hopes Deep Pockets Further Boost Influence In Middle East. juancole.com By Reid Standish | — Beijing has inked a sweeping 25-year investment deal with Iran that could see China's economic, political, and military influence there and across the Middle East expand. ( RFE/RL) — China and Iran signed the expansive deal during a ceremony in Tehran on March 27 between their respective foreign ministers, Mohammad …

teleSUR (2021-04-06). Cuba Refuses 'Deceitful & Politicised' US Human Rights Report. telesurenglish.net Carlos Fernandez, the director of U.S. affairs at Cuba's Foreign Affairs Ministry, rejected the recent report on human rights released by the U.S Department of State (DoS), describing it as politicized and deceitful. | RELATED: | During a meeting with the U.S. Chargé d'Affaires Timothy Zuñiga-Brown, Fernandez condemned the "false" allegations over torture, forced disappearance, and police repression raised by the DoS report. | He urge…

teleSUR (2021-04-06). 'Colombian Criminals Will Not Enter Venezuela' Arreaza Warns. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza on Tuesday rejected the terrorist and destabilizing actions promoted by Colombian irregular groups with the consent of President Ivan Duque on the common border. | RELATED: | "We are alerting the international community about the consequences of an armed conflict that is not ours. Venezuela is being attacked by Colombian illegal groups and Ivan Duque's administration i…

Geraldina Colotti (2021-04-06). The United States' Obsession with Venezuela: The Ordeal of One Italian Citizen. orinocotribune.com By Geraldina Colotti — Apr 3, 2021 | This news item illustrates very well the nature of the real witch-hunt that the United States engages in while attempting to prosecute everyone who tries to get around the economic and financial blockade imposed on Venezuela by the US. Yesterday the press agencies carried this story, and today a well-known newspaper has an interview with the person involved. | This is what happened: an Italian restaurant owner, with no connection to politics, had all his bank accounts frozen for months on the orders of Washington. It was a case of mistaken identity. They had confused him…

commondreams (2021-04-06). CODEPINK Applauds 29 Members of Congress Calling on President Biden to Curtail the 1033 Program. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Editor2 (2021-04-06). Some Standard Cynical CIA-Style Cuba COVID Reporting at The Washington Post. orinocotribune.com By Paul Street — Apr 2, 2021 | Never underestimate the cynicism of American corporate media. As the Scotland-based historian Helen Yaffe recently observed on Counterpunch, the socialist state of Cuba currently has five COVID-19 vaccines in clinical trials "and is set to be among the first nations to vaccinate its entire population." Further: "Cuba has gone on the offensive against COVID-19, mobilizing the prevention-focused, community based public healthcare system to carry out daily house visits to actively detect and treat cases and channeling the medical science sector to adapt and produce new treatments…

RT (2021-04-06). Iranian 'spy ship' damaged in 'attack' along major Red Sea shipping route — reports. rt.com An Iranian ship that Israel and Saudi Arabia have accused of acting as a base for Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces has been damaged, reportedly by a mine, in the Red Sea waters between Yemen and Eritrea. | State-owned Saudi broadcaster Al-Hadath TV reported the attack on Tuesday, citing an unnamed source calling it a "likely" Israeli operation off the coast of Eritrea. An anonymous US official later

MEE correspondent (2021-04-06). Yemen: Fishermen find valuable 'whale vomit' and become rich overnight. middleeasteye.net Yemen: Fishermen find valuable 'whale vomit' and become rich overnight | Thanks to a displaced fisherman from Hodeidah, a huge chunk of precious ambergris was found in a sperm whale, bringing wealth to a whole village | Tue, 04/06/2021 – 08: 55 | Yemeni fisherman and the 120kg piece of ambergris they found in a sperm whale (social media) | Life as a fisherman in Yemen has become near-im…

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