2021-03-25: News Headlines

M. K. Bhadrakumar (2021-03-25). Russia, China to Resist US but Engagement Is Preferred Option. globalresearch.ca The US President Joe Biden's "killer"

B. Prasant (2021-03-25). To save democracy, India's Communists ally with Congress Party. peoplesworld.org KOLKATA, India — Electoral politics in India entered a new phase in February when the Communist Party of India (Marxist) decided to form a political alliance in Bengal with the center-right Congress Party in the run-up to state elections. The CPI (M) has fought bitterly against Congress, which it has regarded as authoritarian since its …

teleSUR (2021-03-25). Problems in US Society Exposed as COVID-19 Cases Top 30 Million. telesurenglish.net The United States surpassed 30 million COVID-19 cases and 545,000 deaths on Wednesday, which highlights a catastrophic failure resulting from lack of national leadership, disrespect for science, and inadequacy of public health infrastructure. | RELATED: | Currently, President Joe Biden is trying hard to reverse the pandemic's tragic trajectory left over by Donald Trump's approach. Biden's team has, among other…

Andy Kroll (2021-03-25). Moving on from the War on Terror? tomdispatch.com In the first two months of Joe Biden's presidency, you could feel the country holding its breath. Sheltered in place, hidden behind masks, unsure about whether to trust in a safe-from-pandemic future, we are nonetheless beginning to open our eyes collectively. As part of this reemergence, a wider array of issues — those beyond Covid-19 — are once again starting to enter public consciousness. Domestically, attempts to repress (or preserve) voting rights have been consuming activists and dominating headlines, along with this country's missing infrastructure and a need to raise the minimum wage. The fore…

_____ (2021-03-25). Biden Plans To Stay In Afghanistan Past May 1 Deadline. popularresistance.org The Biden administration is planning to keep U.S. forces in Afghanistan past an agreed-upon May 1 deadline to withdraw, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said Wednesday to a panel hosted by Foreign Policy. | "It's a general feeling that May 1 is too soon, just logistically," Rep. Adam Smith (D—Wash.) claimed, citing conversations with administration officials. "You cannot pull out ten thousand plus troops in any sort of reasonable way in just six weeks." | Under the terms of the Doha Agreement signed with the Taliban in February 2020, the United States is obligated to pull its forces out of…

_____ (2021-03-25). US Escalates New Cold War As Diplomatic Gloves Come Off. popularresistance.org The new Cold War has escalated over the past week as U.S. attempts to dominate both China and Russia backfired in embarrassing fashion for the Biden administration. Behind The Headlines' Dan Cohen is joined by "Silk and Steel" podcast host Carl Zha to discuss the diplomatic fiasco, how U.S. intelligence and media cornered Biden into denouncing Russia, and the Quad Alliance's political contradictions.

Raul Diego (2021-03-25). US, Lobbyists and Arm Dealers Scramble to Reposition Amid Impending Saudi Defeat in Yemen. mintpressnews.com Recent developments in the Yemen war are increasingly pointing to the possibility that Biden's ostensible moves towards peace may simply be an attempt to control the narrative and save face around what is looking like yet another defeat in the long-running American-sponsored global war on terror.

Gregory Elich (2021-03-25). Reminding South Korea Who is Boss: Biden's Enforcers Pay a Visit. counterpunch.org In a Washington Post opinion piece, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spelled out their objectives in visiting Japan, South Korea, and India. "The United States is now making a big push to revitalize our ties with friends and partners," they wrote. The nature of those relationships, as perceived by Washington, is the subordination of Asian nations as junior partners in an anti-China coalition. "Our alliances are what our military calls 'force multipliers,' Blinken and Austin explain. "Our combined power makes us stronger when we must push back against China's aggression and…

Editor (2021-03-25). Biden: Who's the killer? workers.org On March 18, U.S. President Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "killer." Since no one has withdrawn this gratuitous insult, we assume this was no Biden gaffe. It indicates instead increased U.S. hostility to Russia — just as the recent Alaska talks showed a developing conflict with People's . . . |

Peoples Dispatch (2021-03-25). Jordanian security forces crack down on demonstrations on anniversary of 2011 protests. peoplesdispatch.org The protests were called to mark the 10th anniversary of anti-monarchy and pro-democracy protests. Protesters were also demanding an end to the emergency law imposed last year and addressing of several economic issues such as rising unemployment…

Liaquat Ali Khan (2021-03-25). Democracy Game Theory for Pakistan. counterpunch.org The democracy game theory captures how Pakistan's democracy works in fits and starts. The people elect most (not all) political players for the game in periodic elections. Yet, the game is much more complicated than a simple representative democracy under a written constitution. The most engaging element of the game is the stealth player, known

Mark Gruenberg (2021-03-25). Hypocrisy: Right-wing GOP liars examine high-tech liars. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Call it the height of hypocrisy: Right-wing Republicans who spread lies and disinformation about "election fraud" on social media last year—and even about fighting the coronavirus this year—are questioning the CEOs of Google, Facebook and Twitter about…spreading lies and disinformation on social media. That's not to say Google's Sundar Pichai, Twitter's Jack Dorsey and Facebook's …

Eds. (2021-03-25). Celebrating the Paris Commune of 1871. mronline.org It all began as the sun rose over the districts of Montmartre and Belleville on 18 March 1871. Army soldiers began seizing nearly 250 cannon that had been placed in these radical, working-class areas by the National Guard, a popular Parisian militia. The soldiers had been sent by the head of the new republican government, […] | Newswire…

WSWS (2021-03-25). New Delhi and Washington vow to strengthen anti-China military-strategic partnership. wsws.org The first high-level Biden administration official to visit India, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

teleSUR (2021-03-25). US President Joe Biden: "My Plan Is To Run for Reelection" telesurenglish.net U.S. 78 years-old President Joe Biden confirmed that he would run for a second term in 2024, and he expects Vice-President Kamala Harris to be his running mate. | RELATED: | "Look, I view myself as a bridge, not as anything else," Biden said on March. "There's an entire generation of leaders you saw stand behind me. They are the future of this country," he added. | This afternoon, I'm holding my first formal press conference as pr…

Carmen Rodríguez (2021-03-25). Government-Inspired Attacks on Female Journalists in El Salvador are Increasing. counterpunch.org Journalism in El Salvador is experiencing levels of hostility not seen since the 80's, during the country's bloody civil war. Threats, persecution, and false accusations against journalists are increasing in a country that paid for its young and fragile democracy with over 75 thousand lives. For the first time in the 29 years since the

Bobby Hoffman (2021-03-25). Amidst a Wave of Voter Suppression Bills, Some States Expand Access to the Ballot. aclu.org The struggle for the right to vote is underway at state legislatures throughout the country. Following record

Staff (2021-03-25). Yemen Enters 7th Year of U.S.-Backed, Saudi-Led War That Caused the World's Worst Humanitarian Crisis. democracynow.org As the world's worst humanitarian crisis enters its seventh year in Yemen, we look at the toll of the U.S.-backed, Saudi-led air war. A new report by the Yemen Data Project summarizing the impact of air raids over the past six years finds the bombing campaign has killed almost 1,500 civilians every year on average, a quarter of them children. Journalist Iona Craig, who heads up the Yemen Data Project, says there have been almost 23,000 air raids since the war began in 2015. "We're still seeing mass civilian casualty events," says Craig. "We're still seeing a large number of airstrikes on residential areas and, of…

Staff (2021-03-25). Pandemic Profiteers: How U.S. Billionaires Like Amazon's Jeff Bezos Saw Wealth Grow by $1.3 Trillion. democracynow.org A new report reveals that as a record number of people in the United States lost their jobs and struggled to put food on the table during the past year of the pandemic, the combined wealth of the 657 billionaires in the country grew more than $1.3 trillion, nearly 45%, including Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who saw his personal wealth increase by $65 billion — more than $7 million every hour. "They are often leading companies who have benefited from the pandemic conditions by having, essentially, their competition shut down," says Chuck Collins, author of the report on pandemic profiteers by the Institute for Pol…

Staff (2021-03-25). "Tragic Moment": Rohingya Suffer New Blow as Cox's Bazar, World's Largest Refugee Camp, Burns Down. democracynow.org We get an update on a massive fire at the world's largest refugee camp: the Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. The fire killed at least 15 people and displaced 45,000 this week, with hundreds possibly still missing. Bangladeshi authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, which destroyed about 17,000 shelters as the blaze ripped through the crowded camp, leaving behind scenes of utter destruction and despair as people were separated from their loved ones. Nearly a million Rohingya refugees live in southern Bangladesh, often in squalid and dangerous conditions, after fleeing a brutal militar…

Staff (2021-03-25). 1 in 5 Capitol Insurrectionists Tied to U.S. Military; Soldiers "Targets" for Extremist Recruitment. democracynow.org Nearly one in five people facing charges related to the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol had some connection to the military, including at least two active-duty troops, prompting Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to order a 60-day stand-down across the services to address extremism. Ahead of the first deadline on April 6, the House Armed Services Committee held a hearing Wednesday on extremism in the U.S. military. We speak with one of the experts who testified. "People who are connected with the military are prime targets for extremists," says Lecia Brooks, chief of staff at the Southern Poverty Law Center. De…

Peter Koenig (2021-03-25). "The One Who Accuses Is the One Who Is" — President Putin's Response to Biden's Calling Him a "Killer" globalresearch.ca On March 16, 2021, ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos held an exclusive …

RT (2021-03-25). Pyongyang says it fired NEW tactical guided missile as it ramps up testing with a flurry of launches. rt.com North Korea has said it test-fired an upgraded tactical guided missile, which South Korean and Japanese military earlier described as a short-range ballistic missile. The launch was Pyongyang's second in a week. | The test-fire was carried out on Thursday, according to the state-affiliated KNCA, | Two of the new munitions were tested, which are said to use improved solid fuel engines and heavier warheads weighing 2.5 tons. | The projectiles "accurately hit the target set in waters 600 kilometers off the east coast of Korea," the report said, adding that the test was overseen by Ri Pyong Chol, a member of the p…

RT (2021-03-25). Israel election: In tight race to power, Palestinian party emerges as possible kingmaker for Netanyahu. rt.com The United Arab List (UAL), a small Palestinian-Israeli party, is set to clinch five seats in Israel's election, and though the number is small, it could cast the party as kingmaker in a race that is going down to the wire.

Dave DeCamp (2021-03-25). Biden Vows 'Response' If North Korea Chooses to 'Escalate'. news.antiwar.com When asked about North Korea's latest missile tests at his first press conference, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga UN Resolution 1718 sanctioned North Kore…

Jonathan Cook (2021-03-25). We are Living Through a Time of Fear — Not Just of the Virus, But of Each Other. counterpunch.org Welcome to the age of fear. Nothing is more corrosive of the democratic impulse than fear. Left unaddressed, it festers, eating away at our confidence and empathy. We are now firmly in a time of fear — not only of the virus, but of each other. Fear destroys solidarity. Fear forces us to turn inwards

Mike Walter (2021-03-25). The Heat: Israel Elections. america.cgtn.com Talks with potential partners have already begun as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears short of victory in the latest Israeli election. The results of the latest Israeli election point to yet another stalemate. Preliminary results show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's potential right-wing alliance two …

Norman Solomon (2021-03-25). The Urgent Need for a Biden-Putin Summit. counterpunch.org Last week's outbreak of rhetorical hostilities between the White House and the Kremlin has heightened the urgent need for a summit between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin. The spate of mutual denunciations is catnip for mass media and fuel for hardliners in both countries. But for the world at large, under the doomsday shadow of nuclear arsenals

WSWS repost (2021-03-25). Biden administration to use San Diego Convention Center to detain 1,400 migrant children. indybay.org The opening of a detention center in downtown San Diego is an attempt to give the US government's anti-immigrant policies a facelift as more than 14,000 children remain in federal custody.

khubaka, michael harris (2021-03-25). 2021 Congressional Black Farmer Hearings and California Black Agriculture Summit. indybay.org &nbsp…

Sheren Khalel (2021-03-25). US senator defends proposal to ban voting on Sundays over religious reasons. middleeasteye.net US senator defends proposal to ban voting on Sundays over religious reasons | Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith slammed for defending a bill that would disrupt Black voting traditions | Thu, 03/25/2021 – 15: 56 | Cindy Hyde-Smith is a Republican senator from Mississippi (AFP) | US Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith has come under fire for stating that voting should not take place on Sunday because of the significance…

Paul Buchheit (2021-03-25). The Boundless Advantages of the Welfare State—for the Rich. zcomm.org Robbing the rest of us blind, wealthy Americans benefit from a wide array of tax breaks and government subsidies that are hidden behind the constant Republican blather about entitlements for the poor…

Victor Grossman (2021-03-25). Scandals, Elections, Emergencies. zcomm.org Germany, once viewed as an exaggerated model of exactitude and discipline, is currently in a muddle…

Joan Walsh (2021-03-25). Biden Meets, and Defeats, the Press. thenation.com Biden Meets, and Defeats, the Press…

Todd Miller (2021-03-25). Why Did Border Security Firms Bet on Biden in 2020? thenation.com Why Did Border Security Firms Bet on Biden in 2020?