India’s federal agency to probe Dalit woman’s gang rape and death
HINDUTVA 

CASTISM MISOGYNY BIGOTRY EXCEPTIONALIST ARYANISM
Uttar Pradesh state police to hand case over to Central Bureau of Investigation amid nationwide uproar over assault.

Demonstrators in New Delhi protest over the rape and death of the young Dalit woman [Adnan Abidi/Reuters]

5 Oct 2020

India’s federal investigators will take over the probe into the alleged gang rape and death of a young Dalit woman that has sparked nationwide outrage and days of protests.

A special team of the Uttar Pradesh state police that has been investigating the incident will soon be handing over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), a spokesman for the police said on Sunday.

KEEP READING

India Dalit rape victim family ‘locked up as police burned body’

India: Dalit woman dies weeks after gang rape, triggering protest

US protests trigger calls by India’s Dalits to end discrimination

India: Dalit woman’s body taken off funeral pyre in Uttar Pradesh

The 19-year-old – who belongs to a marginalised group formerly known as “untouchables” – was assaulted in a field outside her village in the northern Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district on September 14.

She was severely injured and died two weeks later at a hospital in the Indian capital, New Delhi.

The attack on the teenager was the latest case highlighting sexual and other forms of violence against India’s 200 million Dalits, who are on the lowest rung of the caste system and have historically faced discrimination despite laws to protect them.

Four village men, who belong the privileged and influential Thakur community, have been arrested in connection with the crime.

Five senior police officers, including the district police chief, have been suspended over the investigation amid criticism of law enforcement’s actions – including the cremation of the woman’s body in the middle of the night against the wishes of her family.

Local authorities barricaded the village after the cremation to block opposition politicians and media from meeting the victim’s family. The decision was reversed on Saturday after widespread criticism.

Meanwhile, a controversy has erupted over a government forensic lab report that backs the Uttar Pradesh police’s claim that the young woman was not raped.

Doctors who treated the woman, however, reject the report, saying the samples had been sent to the lab 11 days after she was assaulted.

Priyanka Gandhi, leader of India’s main opposition Congress party, with her supporters during a protest over the death of Dalit rape victim, in Noida on the outskirts of New Delhi [Reuters]The woman’s death has sparked protests by members of Dalit communities, rights activists and opposition political parties across India.

The decision to hand the investigation over to the CBI was announced by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s Office late on Saturday soon after opposition Congress party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi visited the victim’s family in Hathras.

Uttar Pradesh is governed by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which also runs the federal government.

The incident came months after four men were hanged for the 2012 gang rape and murder of a student on a bus in New Delhi, a case that shook the nation.

An average of nearly 90 rapes were reported in India every day last year, according to data by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), but large numbers are thought to go unreported.

In 2019, more than 500 Dalit women were raped in Uttar Pradesh alone, according to the NCRB data, while the nationwide figure for the same year was more than 3,500.

SOURCE : AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

‘Toxic’: Online abuse drives women, girls from social media

New study finds nearly 60 percent of women and girls using Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have suffered abuse.
 

The Plan study found young women and girls subjected to 'toxic' levels of harassment, most commonly on Facebook [File: Regis Duvignau/Reuters]

5 Oct 2020

Online abuse is driving girls to quit social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, with nearly 60 percent experiencing harassment, according to a new global study.

One in five girls and young women has abandoned or cut down her use of a social media platform after being targeted, with some saying harassment started when they were as young as eight years old, the survey by girls’ equality group Plan International showed.
KEEP READINGThe president’s taxes: A story to ‘Trump’ all the others?Biden’s ‘inshallah’ during US debate dubbed ‘historic’ on TwitterFacebook critics start rival, independent ‘oversight board’Justice Department seeks immediate ban on WeChat in US

“Girls are being silenced by a toxic level of harassment,” the organisation’s chief executive, Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen, said on Sunday.

Attacks were most common on Facebook, where 39 percent of girls polled said they had been harassed, followed by Instagram (23 percent), WhatsApp (14 percent), Snapchat (10 percent), Twitter (9 percent) and TikTok (6 percent).

The charity, which will share the report with social media companies and legislators around the world, said the abuse was suppressing girls’ voices at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic was increasing the importance of online communication.

It called on social media companies to take urgent action to address the issue and urged governments to pass laws to deal with online harassment.

The study found reporting tools were ineffective in stopping the abuse, which included explicit messages, pornographic photos and cyberstalking.

Nearly half of the girls targeted had been threatened with physical or sexual violence, according to the poll. Many said the abuse took a mental toll, and a quarter felt physically unsafe.

“It is time for this to stop. Girls should not have to put up with behaviour online which would be criminal on the streets,” the report said.

Girls and young women globally are calling for urgent action from the world’s major social media platforms, as abuse and harassment drives them off Facebook, Instagram and Twitter #FreeToBeOnlinehttps://t.co/F7HOCDA9BV
— Plan International (@PlanGlobal) October 4, 2020

Facebook and Instagram said they used artificial intelligence to look for bullying content, constantly monitored users’ reports of abuse and always removed rape threats.

Twitter said it also used technology to catch abusive content and has launched tools to improve users’ control over their conversations.

The survey polled 14,000 girls and young women aged 15 to 25 in 22 countries including Brazil, India, Nigeria, Spain, Thailand and the United States.

Albrectsen said activists, including those campaigning for gender equality and on LGBT+ issues, were often targeted particularly viciously, and their lives and families threatened.

“Driving girls out of online spaces is hugely disempowering in an increasingly digital world, and damages their ability to be seen, heard and become leaders,” she added.

In an open letter to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter, girls from around the world called on social media companies to create more effective ways to report abuse.

“We use [your platforms] not just to connect with friends, but to lead and create change. But they are not safe for us. We get harassed and abused on them. Every. Single. Day,” they wrote.

“As this global pandemic moves our lives online, we are more at risk than ever.”

Plan International also urged the companies to do more to hold to account those behind such abuse, and to collect data on the scale of the problem.

SOURCE : REUTERS

RED BULL GAVE HIM WINGS

Interpol ‘red notice’ for Thai Red Bull heir in fatal hit-and-run

Vorayuth Yoovidhya crashed his car in 2012, killing a police officer, but charges against him were dropped sparking outrage in Thailand.

In September, the government announced fresh charges against the fugitive Vorayuth for reckless driving causing death and for alleged cocaine use [File: Stringer/EPA]
5 Oct 2020

Interpol has issued a “red notice” to arrest the fugitive Thai heir to the Red Bull billions for his role in a fatal hit-and-run, police said.

The move by the international police organisation is the latest in the years-long saga surrounding Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya who crashed his luxury car in 2012, killing a police officer.

The charges against Vorayuth, who is the grandson of Red Bull’s co-founder, had initially been dropped in July – sparking public outrage from Thais who saw it as an example of the impunity enjoyed by the country’s elite.

It spurred probes by various government agencies, including the Attorney General’s Office which last month announced fresh charges against Vorayuth for reckless driving causing death and for alleged cocaine use.

National Police deputy spokesman Colonel Kissana Pattanacharoen confirmed on Sunday that a red notice – Interpol’s most urgent alert – had been issued earlier this week.

“After we received the confirmation, we then passed our request to 194 member countries asking for assistance from them,” he told AFP news agency.

“We have to do whatever it takes to… ultimately bring him back to the country because it is a serious crime.”

A red notice for Vorayuth had not been published on the Interpol website as of Monday at 12 noon (04:00 GMT).

Fugitive

The fugitive heir fled Thailand in 2017 on a private jet.

After charges against him were dropped in July, a probe conducted by the office of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha concluded the entire investigation had been “compromised”.

The public outcry over Vorayuth came at a particularly tense period for the government, coinciding with near-daily protests across Thailand led by pro-democracy student leaders calling for Prayuth’s resignation.

Assistant Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police Jaruwat Vaisaya, left, speaks to the media with deputy spokesman Krissana Pattanacharoen during a press conference about reopening the case, at the Royal Thai Police headquarters in Bangkok, September 2020 [File: Narong Sangank/EPA]Protesters have carried cardboard cut-outs of Red Bull’s logo to symbolise their anger at the military-aligned government, which enjoys close alliances with the kingdom’s billionaire families.

The clan of Red Bull co-founder Chaleo Yoovidhya is Thailand’s second-richest, boasting a fortune estimated at $20.2bn according to Forbes.

SOURCE : AFP

RELATED


Thai police probe why Red Bull heir hit-and-run case dropped
In Thailand, several investigations have been launched, including one by a parliamentary committee, after charges were dropped against the Red Bull heir in a fatal hit-and-run case.
02:08
29 Jul 2020


Thai anti-government protesters eye more rallies against Prayuth
Prime Minister faces pressure to call for new elections and implement constitutional reforms as demonstrations return.
10 Aug 2020


From: Inside Story
Massive demonstrations grip Thailand
Protesters stage the biggest rally in years to demand political reforms and limits to the king’s powers.
25:20
20 Sep 2020

MORE FROM NEWS

KEEP READING

Thai police probe why Red Bull heir hit-and-run case dropped

Thai anti-government protesters eye more rallies against Prayuth

Thailand parliament delays vote over constitutional reform

Tasmanian devils back on Australian mainland after 3,000 years

Feisty marsupial released in sanctuary in an attempt to revive population ravaged by contagious facial tumour disease.

Actors Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky releasing the Tasmanian devils into a wild sanctuary in mainland Australia after they went extinct 3,000 years ago [Wildark via AFP Photo]

5 Oct 2020

Tasmanian devils have been released on Australia’s mainland thousands of years after the feisty marsupials first went extinct there, in what conservationists described on Monday as an “historic” step.

Aussie Ark, along with a coalition of other conservation groups, said they had released 26 of the carnivorous mammals into a 400-hectare (1,000-acre) sanctuary at Barrington Tops, about 3.5 hours north of Sydney.

Tim Faulkner, president of Aussie Ark, said the “historic” releases in July and September were the first steps in a project akin to the successful move to return wolves to Yellowstone National Park in the United States in the 1990s.

After 16 years of work, including the establishment of mainland Australia’s largest Tasmanian devil breeding programme, Faulkner said it was “incredible and surreal” to have reached the goal.

“It’s the stuff dreams are made of,” he told AFP news agency.

“Our biggest native mainland predator is the tiger quoll – and they’re just over a kilo – so to be bringing back something of this enormity is huge.”


Tasmanian Devils are making a comeback with the help of some friends! Friends of @wildark, @ChrisHemsworth and @Elsapataky_ helped reintroduce 11 devils to the wild Sept. 10. @Aussie_ark is monitoring the devils and all seem to be doing well. #DevilComeback #RewildAustralia. . pic.twitter.com/Uck8P30DRR

— Aussie Ark (@aussie_ark) October 5, 2020

Tasmanian devils, which weigh up to 8 kilogrammes (18 pounds) and have a black or brown coat, typically prey on other native animals or scavenge from carcasses.

According to government environmental authorities, devils are not dangerous to humans or livestock but will defend themselves if attacked and can cause serious injury.

The animals – known for their extremely loud growl, powerful jaws and ferocity when confronting rivals over food or mates – are classified as endangered after a contagious facial tumour disease ravaged the remaining population in Tasmania, an island-state off the south coast of the mainland.

It is estimated that fewer than 25,000 Tasmanian devils still live in the wild, down from as many as 150,000 before the fatal disease first struck in the mid-1990s.

On Australia’s mainland, they are believed to have been wiped out by packs of dingoes – wild dogs native to the vast continent – an estimated 3,000 years ago.


‘Slice of Tasmania’

Faulkner said it was hoped the project would create an “insurance population” against the facial-tumour disease, which has so far proved untreatable, and help restore the native environment.

“Devils present one of the only natural solutions to the control of the fox and the cat, and the fox and cat are responsible for nearly all of our 40 mammal extinctions (in Australia),” he added.

“So there’s more than the devil at stake here.”

  

Tasmanian devil populations in Tasmania have been ravaged by a contagious face cancer. Conservationists hope releasing the carnivores on the mainland will help create a population free of the disease and also restore the environment [William West/AFP Photo]“We’ve put young, healthy devils in. We put them in now, which gives them the best part of six months to settle, find their territory (and) prepare for breeding” which usually occurs in February, Faulkner said.



A further 40 are set to be released over the next two years into the sanctuary, which is on land bought by Aussie Ark for its habitat suitability, large number of herbivores and location near a national park.

“The land initially was selected because it’s just like a slice of Tasmania,” Faulkner said.

He said he was confident that close monitoring of the Tasmanian devils as they make the “massive transition” back to the wild, without supplied food, water or shelter for the first time in their lives, would ensure the programme’s early success.

As part of the “ambitious” rewilding scheme, Aussie Ark plans to eventually introduce more of the animals to unfenced areas, where they will contend with a much greater range of new threats, including bushfires.

The Tasmanian devil is one of seven cornerstone species critical to Australia’s ecosystem that Aussie Ark plans to reintroduce to the wild sanctuary in the coming years, along with quolls, bandicoots and rock wallabies.

SOURCE : AFP

Coronavirus antibodies decline within three months


05 October 2020

Antibodies in plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 start to disappear three months after the onset of symptoms, a new Canadian study has claimed.

The findings mean collecting plasma for treating COVID-19 patients should be done as early as possible, say the researchers. They also believe their work could have implications for vaccine design and for prevalence studies in communities trying to gauge how many people have recovered from the virus.

The small study, published in the journal Blood, follow 15 plasma donors in Québec who had donated plasma at least four times. The 11 men and four women had been diagnosed with and subsequently recovered from COVID-19, and none had been hospitalised.

They each donated their plasma between four and nine times, with the first donation occurring between 33 and 77 days after symptom onset and the last donation between 66 and 114 days.

All 15 donors showed decreases in antibodies at the same time, about 88 days after the onset of symptoms, and the detectable antibodies decreased by half within around 21 days after this point.

Study author Dr Renée Bazin, of the Héma-Québec blood centre, said it was one of the first longitudinal analyses to show that people who were seropositive can become seronegative.

“The antibodies disappear rapidly, so people recovering from COVID-19 who want to donate blood plasma should not wait too long once they become eligible to donate,” she said.

The researchers focused on antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD), which binds to the ACE-2 receptor on the surface of cells and allows virus to enter and infect the cell. The immune system can develop RBD antibodies that inhibit the protein’s ability to fit into and open the door through the ACE-2 receptor, thereby preventing the virus from entering the cells.

Dr Bazin said: “Based on our findings, clinicians should ideally use plasma that is collected early on after a donor’s onset of symptoms and check for the presence of antibodies before giving donor plasma to a patient.”

She added that while nearly 7% of their 282 convalescent plasma donors did not have detectable antibodies at their first donation, this proportion doubled to around 15% in donors who waited more than 11 to 12 weeks after symptom onset before donating.

Meanwhile, the UK convalescent plasma programme treated 220 people in September, it has been announced. In total 916 patients have received plasma as part of the RECOVERY and REMAP‑CAP trials. NHS Blood and Transplant is seeking to recruit donors 21 days after they recover from infection – and last week repeated its appeal for donors, especially men, who tend to have higher antibody levels.

Source: Perreault J, Tremblay T, Fournier MJ, Drouin M, Beaudoin-Bussières G, Prévost J, Lewin A, Bégin P, Finzi A, Bazin R. (2020) “Waning of SARS-CoV-2 RBD antibodies in longitudinal convalescent plasma samples within four months after symptom onset.” Blood, doi: 10.1182/blood.2020008367

 

UAE, Saudi Arabia's cyber plots against Arab states revealed

TEHRAN, Oct. 05 (MNA) – Al Jazeera channel broadcasted a documentary which revealed that UAE and Saudi Arabia have used their resources to escalate tensions and promote lies on social networks against some Arab countries and Turkey.

Al-Jazeera channel broadcasted a documentary about some provocative moves of UAE and Saudi Arabia against some Arab countries which caused many controversies in social media, Alquds Alarabi reported.

The documentary revealed that UAE and Saudi Arabia used resources of their countries in order to promote lies, especially on social networks against a number of Arab countries and Turkey.

In this regard, Abu Dhabi has used all its resources to target Qatar, Turkey, Kuwait, Oman, Algeria, Jordan and etc. in cyberspace and social networks to create crises and tensions in these countries.

The documentary also showed that the UAE has launched a virtual project called "Arab Intelligence" to escalate tensions in some countries through spreading lies.

Some false news about the coup in Qatar has also been spread by some fake accounts in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi through sharing manipulated images and videos.

The Al Jazeera documentary revealed that the UAE has used espionage programs such as Zionist-backed programs, to target Qatar and other Arab countries, including Morocco, Oman, Jordan, Mauritania, Sudan, and Algeria.

RHM/5040383

News Code 164339

Iranian Realtors in Canada, US

 IRAN IS A CAPITALIST REGIME, SURROUNDED BY FUEDALIST SUNNI PETRO STATES

TEHRAN, Oct. 04 (MNA) – Hearing the name of a realtor, many people remembered intermediaries. Most people think that realtors' role in the transaction can be eliminated, and their role can be ignored.

Some people also think that paying a realtor is an extra and unnecessary expense.

Providing honest advice when pricing and registering a property among real estate advertisements is the first Iranian Realtor's task. These people are good at advising and justifying their customers to buy and sell the property.

Pricing the property is not an easy task. The Iranian Realtors must do this expertly with the seller to be sold at a reasonable price or advertised for mortgage and rent.

One of the Iranian Realtor's duties is to inspect the property thoroughly and, while recording the exact details, inform the seller or the owner if there is a problem.

Iranian Realtors in the United States and Canada

The United States and Canada are among the world's largest countries, which is why buying and selling homes is so important.

The two countries have made it possible for the rest of the world to migrate by investing in real estate and purchasing a home. The property market and its sales in these two countries are very complex, and if you are not familiar with this market, you will undoubtedly face problems when buying.

Iranian Realtors in these two countries, with their high knowledge in buying and selling property, property prices in these two countries, home buying and selling laws, and other things, can help you on the path to becoming a homeowner.

The Best Iranian Realtors in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is one of the largest cities in the United States and California. Due to its excellent climate and excellent quality of life, this coastal city is an excellent choice for living. Many Iranians choose this city to live in, but they do not know that it has difficulties and advantages. One of those difficulties is facing the complex market of buying and selling houses in this city. An excellent Iranian Realtor can help Iranians find the home they want without fear of having a poor English language. Good Iranian Realtors in Los Angeles help you learn how to buy and sell a home to make the most of it. You can be sure to sell your property at the best possible price and buy a house at the best price by Finding the Best Iranian Realtors in Los Angeles.

 The Best Iranian Realtors in California

California is one of the largest states in the United States and has a large population. Many Iranians have chosen this state to live in and buy a home in this large state. The first thing Iranians need to do before moving to California is to find the best place to live in California and research the cost of living and buying a home in that city.

Finding the best city in California to live in and a cheap city to buy a home may require some expertise. An Iranian Realtor in California will help you buy a home, find the best home for your budget, and get the job done. Finding the Best Iranian Realtors in California who know the area and the house's price can benefit you.

The Best Iranian Realtors in Montreal

With over 4 million, Montreal is one of Canada's largest and most populous cities, with a large Iranian population. It is one of Canada's most important cities for business and economy and is, therefore, the best destination for finding work.

One of the most important things to keep in mind when moving to Canada and Montreal is buying a home. This process certainly requires an expert in this field, and with his help, you can find out the prices in the real estate market. Most Iranians may think they can do this independently, but buying and selling a home in a big country like Canada is not as easy as we think.

In Montreal, Iranian Realtors are aware of current knowledge and know what is going on in the real estate market. Find the Best Iranian Realtors in Montreal, leave the job of buying and selling a house to them, and continue your life in this city safely.

The Best Iranian Realtors in Toronto

With a population of 2.7 million, Toronto is the most populous city in Canada, where you can see different cultures and languages.

This city hosts more than 100 different languages ​​and different cultures, among which you can see many Iranians.

If you have moved or immigrated to this city and are unfamiliar with the Canadian real estate market, be sure to consult with Iranian Realtors and get help from them. Iranian Realtors in Toronto, Canada are among the best in this market. You can find the best home for yourself and your family by Finding the Best Iranian Realtors in Toronto.

How to find the best Iranian Realtors in the USA and Canada? 

With access to the best facilities in today's advanced world, Finding the Best Iranian Realtors in Canada and the United States will no longer be difficult. You can have a list of the best Iranian Realtors in the United States and Canada at any place and at any time by visiting www.iranianrealtor.org and go to them to buy and sell a house.

News Code 164309

 

No evidence suggests 9/11 was a conspiracy

TEHRAN, Sep. 12 (MNA) – I have seen absolutely no credible evidence to suggest that the 11 September 2001 attacks were a result of any kind of conspiracy by the US governments or anyone outside of the Al-Qaeda network.

It was indeed a terrorist attack planned and carried about exclusively by Al-Qaeda.

There were major intelligence failures by the Bush administration that they have tried to cover up. There were also disingenuous efforts to try to blame the attacks on Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq and other efforts to take advantage of the tragedy to advance Washington’s imperialist agenda in the Middle East. The insistence on portraying the efforts to counter the threat from Al-Qaeda as a US-led “war” rather than an international anti-crime effort allowed the U.S. government to dramatically increase military spending at the expense of needed domestic programs and dramatically extend the US military presence in the greater Middle East.

Al-Qaeda was largely driven out of Afghanistan by the end of 2001, but US troops remain in that country to this day.  The administration took advantage of the fear from the 2001 attacks to build up support for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, despite the fact that Iraq had nothing to do with it, that Saddam was a strong opponent of Al-Qaeda, and the US invasion and occupation not only took attention away from fighting Al-Qaeda but created conditions for the dramatic growth of Salafist extremism in Iraq and elsewhere. Furthermore, the United States maintains close ties to Saudi Arabia despite the regime’s support for Salafist extremists, again underscoring the United States’ lack of seriousness is challenging such dangerous tendencies in the region.

First Time Published in Tehran Times

 

Who were main arms suppliers to Saddam in war against Iran

TEHRAN, Sep. 22 (MNA) – During the eight years of the Imposed War (1980-88) against Iran, many countries provided financial and military aid to former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, with US, France, and Germany as major contributors.

The following is the list of the countries which aided Iraq during the (1980-88) Imposed War against Iran: 

The United States:

The United States was Saddam's most important encourager to attack Iran. With the fall of the imperial regime in Iran, the Americans had no more access to the vast oil resources of our country, and immediately after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, they started their hostile campaigns and attacks against Iran. The failed Tabas Military attack, the Nojeh coup, and dozens of other plots were some of the US government's anti-Iran moves at the time.

When the Americans failed in all these plots, they encouraged the then Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to attack Iran.

In the second year of the war, when the Islamic army ousted the occupying forces, the US government simultaneously launched four operations in support of Saddam and against Iran:

1) Operation Staunch: Diplomatic attempts to identify the entry points of weapons into Iran and prevent the shipment of military equipment to the country

2) Financial operations: Efforts to meet the financial needs of Iraq through American companies

3) Intelligence operations: Providing military information on Iran to Iraq

4) Anti-Iranian operations in international organizations: Condemnation of Iran in these organizations and preventing Iranian officials from conveying their rightful messages to other countries.

The Soviet Union:

A major part of the weapons Iraqis needed during the war was supplied by the Soviet Union. The country greatly assisted Saddam in the war by providing him with modern equipment and weapons.

The most advanced warplanes, helicopters, tanks, and other such equipment were delivered to Iraq by the Soviet Union during the eight-year war.

Russian military commanders also trained Iraqi commanders and taught them ways to counter the Iranian army and the best methods and tactics to attack Iran.

Europe:

France and Germany aided Iraq more than any other European country. Super Étendard carrier-borne strike fighter aircraft and laser missiles – one of the latest achievements of the French military industry – were provided to the Iraqi army. Due to their high cost, Super Étendard aircraft were leased to the Iraqi army so that Iraqi pilots could easily use them to bomb Iranian soldiers and cities.

When all this aid failed to save Saddam's defeated army, Germany rushed to Saddam's aid by sending chemical weapons, enabling Saddam to use 6,000 tons of chemical bombs against the Iranian people. Saddam's army killed 1,100 people in Sardasht and other parts of Iran and 5,000 others in Halabja using chemical weapons.

Italy and Belgium were other supporters of Iraq in the war against Iran by providing the country with advanced anti-tank missiles and helping Iraq build long-range artillery and strengthen other parts of its military.

Arab countries:

Home to the world's largest oil and gas resources, these Arab countries were Iraq's main financial and manpower aid.

These Arab countries also deployed war prisoners from Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Sudan, Somalia and the Persian Gulf Arab states to fight in the Iraqi army.

The airspace of these countries was also under the control of Iraq during the war, and Iraqi planes used their airspace to attack critical areas in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the southern provinces of our country.

Other countries:

Countries such as Brazil and Argentina, which were relatively advanced in the military industry at the time, supplied weapons to Iraq. Some others such as Latin American and African countries either lacked the ability to aid Iraq or were neutral, such as Turkey and Pakistan.

During the war, 50 countries directly supported Saddam. I will give just a few examples to better clarify the situation: At the beginning of the war, the United States said that it did not directly support Saddam, but Imam Khomeini (r.a.) said from the beginning that Saddam was a lunatic and a US pawn – a fact that became clear after the presence of US bases in Iraq and Egypt was revealed.

In Karbala 4 and 5 operations, the Soviet Union provided 150 tanks to Iraq; the French delivered their first long-range aircraft to Iraq, and the Germans provided Iraq with both chemical and nuclear weapons and technology. Kuwait, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia all contributed $80 billion to Saddam, while Iran had an annual budget of only $7 billion during the war. These figures clearly show our situation during the war and show that it was only through our resistance spirit and ceaseless efforts that we managed to stand against the enemy and win the war.   

The excerpt is taken and translated from the Islamic Development Organization Information Database, The Role of Countries in the Iraq-Iran War, Hossein Eslafi, 22 Sep. 2009.

News Code 163845

As rats swarm California cities, Gov. Newsom bans popular poison to protect wildlife

by Ryan Sabalow, The Sacramento Bee 
SEPTEMBER 30, 2020
  

Credit: AskJoanne/Wikipedia

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Tuesday that seeks to protect mountain lions and other wildlife from being poisoned by a popular form of pesticide.

The move raises questions about how the state will manage its growing urban rat population, which some experts say is surging due to the spread of homeless camps across California.

Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1788, which bans, with few exceptions, the use of what are known as "second generation anticoagulant rodenticides" until state pesticide regulators develop plans to ensure they're not harmful to wildlife.

Just about every major environmental group supported the bill authored by Assemblyman Richard Bloom, a Santa Monica Democrat. They argued the toxins are being found in often lethal levels in birds of prey and predatory mammals, especially bobcats and mountain lions.

The toxins build up in their systems as the animals consume rodents that are dying from the poisons. Nine in every 10 dead mountain lions state scientists test have the toxins in their livers.

"By pulling these four highly toxic rat poisons from the hands of pest control operators, California is giving sensitive species like mountain lions a bit of a fighting chance," Debra Chase, chief executive of the Mountain Lion Foundation, said in a written statement..

Pest control companies, the California Chamber of Commerce, apartment management associations and other business groups opposed the bill. They say the poisons are critical to controlling a rat and mouse population that has exploded in some major California cities, often in low-income areas and around homeless camps that have poor sanitation and piles of trash.

In recent years, the megalopolis of Los Angeles County has seen skyrocketing cases of a rodent-borne disease called typhus.

State environment officials last year, meanwhile, faced a major public relations crisis when they announced they planned to set out the poisons to control rats that had taken over the Sacramento CalEPA building courtyard it shares with a daycare center's outdoor playground.

Environmental groups were furious, and in response, the state agreed to use another type of poison.

The building houses the Department of Pesticide Regulation, which in 2014 prohibited the use of the poisons to anyone but state-certified pest control operators.

Newsom signed the bill just weeks after the National Park Service announced that biologists in the Santa Monica Mountains had found a dead mountain lion and a dead bobcat that had been killed by the poisons.

The cougar was the sixth mountain lion wearing a GPS-tracking collar to die from the poisons in a years-long study in the region.

Rat poisons are part of the reason why state regulators are considering protecting Southern California and Central Coast cougars under the state's Endangered Species Act.

The bill provides some exceptions for the continued use of the poisons on farms, food storage and processing facilities, medical centers, or when needed to keep rodents like the non-native swamp rats called nutria from tearing up levees. A public health official also can order the poison set out to prevent or address a public health crisis.

Newsom's been an ardent supporter of the state's big cat population over the years. His father, Judge William Newsom, who died in 2018, was a founding board member of the Mountain Lion Foundation.

"My father was a naturalist and a strong advocate for the preservation of mountain lions, and I grew up loving these cats and caring about their well-being," Newsom said Tuesday in a press release. "He would be proud to know that California is taking action to protect mountain lion populations and other wildlife from the toxic effects of rodenticides."