Scuffles in Paris, different demands on display at May Day rallies across France

"There are so many motivations for a revolt that are building up -- the management of Covid, the so-called reforms that are going to take away people's ability to live, job-seekers who are going to lose their benefits,"

Issued on: 01/05/2021 - 

Protesters near a burning trash bin at a May Day (Labour Day) rally in Paris on May 1, 2021. AFP - BERTRAND GUAY

Text by: NEWS WIRES
2 min

Police scuffled with protesters in Paris on Saturday, firing tear gas as thousands turned out across France for May Day workers' rights demonstrations.

A police source told AFP that far-left "black bloc" protesters had repeatedly tried to block the trade union-led march in the French capital, with 34 people detained.

Some protesters smashed the windows of bank branches, set fire to dustbins and threw projectiles at police, who responded with volleys of tear gas and stingball grenades. An injured policeman had to be evacuated, an AFP journalist saw.

The CGT union said nearly 300 May day protests were planned around the country, with authorities expecting around 100,000 demonstrators to join them in total.

The crowds held placards with different demands, ranging from the end of the nighttime curfew in place as part of coronavirus restrictions, to a halt to unemployment reforms due to come into force in July.

Members of the yellow vest anti-elite movement, which rocked Emmanuel Macron's presidency two years ago before largely fizzling out, could also be spotted at protests up and down the country.

Five people were arrested in the southeastern city of Lyon as black bloc protesters again clashed with police at the demonstration, which drew some 3,000 people despite the rain.

"There are so many motivations for a revolt that are building up -- the management of Covid, the so-called reforms that are going to take away people's ability to live, job-seekers who are going to lose their benefits," said a pensioner who gave her name as Patricia.

"We absolutely need to express ourselves," the 66-year-old said.

Newsmax settles Dominion lawsuit, issues apology over election conspiracy theories

The network apologized to a voting machine company executive after being sued for defamation

By BOB BRIGHAM
MAY 1, 2021 8:00AM (UTC)

Newsmax Media CEO Christopher Ruddy 

(BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

This article originally appeared on Raw Story

Newsmax has apologized to a voting machine company executive after being sued for defamation.

"An executive at Dominion Voting Systems moved to dismiss Newsmax as a defendant in a defamation lawsuit Friday after reaching a settlement with the right-wing media organization," Business Insider reported Friday. "It's the first such settlement from a news organization in a defamation lawsuit filed over 2020 election conspiracy theories."

"Coomer sued Newsmax in December in state court in Colorado over false claims that he took part in an 'Antifa conference call' to rig the 2020 presidential election against Donald Trump," the report explained. "He revised his lawsuit in February to bolster his claims against Newsmax, as Insider previously reported."

Newsmax posted an apology, saying there was "no evidence" to back up their conspiracy theories.

"Since Election Day, various guests, attorneys, and hosts on Newsmax have offered opinions and claims about Dr. Eric Coomer, the Director of Product Strategy and Security at Dominion Voting Systems," the statement read. "Newsmax would like to clarify its coverage of Dr. Coomer and note that while Newsmax initially covered claims by President Trump's lawyers, supporters and others that Dr. Coomer played a role in manipulating Dominion voting machines, Dominion voting software, and the final vote counts in the 2020 presidential election, Newsmax subsequently found no evidence that such allegations were true."
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"On behalf of Newsmax, we would like to apologize for any harm that our reporting of the allegations against Dr. Coomer may have caused to Dr. Coomer and his family," Newsmax said.

DOMINION IS A CANADIAN COMPANY OPERATING IN THE USA AS WELL AS CANADA

Judge: New Mexico must give at-home students fast internet


By CEDAR ATTANASIO
Updated: May 01, 2021 

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico judge has ordered education officials to provide computers and high-speed internet to students who still don’t have them in a landmark ruling that for the first time in the state has set a standard for internet speeds for public school children.

The ruling requires state officials to immediately determine which students covered by the sweeping lawsuit are still lacking quality internet, or devices, and to provide them with what they need, including transportation if they can’t get fast internet from home.


“Children who are lacking access to internet and technology for remote learning are not getting much of an education, if at all, let alone one that is sufficient to make them college and career ready,” said state District Judge Matthew Wilson in the ruling Friday morning. It’s unclear how the court might compel state officials to act on the ruling or when it might hold them in contempt.

The vast majority of New Mexico schools have opened to in-person learning this month after closures due to the pandemic. But school districts serving tribal areas, which were particularly hard-hit by COVID-19 cases and deaths, are still under lockdown orders and some are still in remote or partially remote learning.


About 10% of New Mexico children are Native American and often confront major barriers to online and in-person learning. When the pandemic first hit, 55% of Native American students could not connect to online courses, according to a Legislative Finance Committee report. Many teachers serving at-risk students also lacked at-home internet and computers.


Hispanic and Native American mothers sued over the lack of access, and their lawsuits were combined as the Martinez-Yazzie case in 2014, and won a favorable ruling in 2018. Their lawyers complained to the court about internet access in December after it learned that many plaintiffs were still offline a semester into mandated remote learning.

“This is a great day for New Mexico’s children,” said Melissa Candelaria, a senior attorney at the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty, which represents the Martinez-Yazzie plaintiffs. “Many students are not back at school and internet services are unavailable, especially in rural districts and districts serving predominantly Native American students. Even when students come back into the physical classroom, technology will continue to be a necessity.”

The ruling requires education officials to determine the internet speeds of the students covered by the lawsuit, including low-income students, disabled students, and English language learners. Altogether, that’s more than three-quarters of K-12 students in the state. That monitoring is technically complex, and no state agencies have published comprehensive data on the quality of students’ at-home internet connections.

The Public Education Department declined to address the decision Friday, saying it needed to review the written ruling, which won’t be published until Monday.

“However, it is worth noting that PED and school districts have worked hard over the past year to expand highspeed internet access and put digital devices in the hands of students most in need so they could fully access their guaranteed public education. That work continues,” said department spokeswoman Judy Robinson.

On the Navajo Nation alone, over 6,000 laptops were distributed and 1,250 were added and 380 miles of fiber optic cable were laid.


Some homes are simply too far for wireless towers that send internet to WiFi hot spots, and state officials have estimated a full extension of the state’s broadband system would cost around $5 billion; larger than its entire annual education budget.

Schools have had to make do. One school serving Native American students without internet even hand-delivered homework and lessons on USB sticks. Over the past year, many families have had to drive students to parking lots at libraries, churches, and fast-food restaurants to upload and download homework assignments.

The order establishes for the first time in the state a required level of internet access for students. Wilson said it must be “high-speed service sufficient to reliably download and upload assignments, stream instructional videos and participate in individual and/or group video conferencing.”

Many of rural hot spots will fall short of that requirement because they are not strong enough to enable video chatting.

___

Attanasio is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. Follow Attanasio on Twitter.

 HE'S BAAAAAAACK, KISSING THE RING 

AND KISSING ASS ; TRUMP'S SHMOO

  

Mike Pence sucks up to Trump and hits ‘far-left agenda’ of Biden administration in first speech since leaving office

The former vice president re-enters politics with a speech to an evangelical organisation in South Carolina

from the Independent UK

 

Mike Pence is declaring he’s “had enough” of Biden administration. But no one’s listening.

If an ex-VP gives a speech in front of an anti-LGBTQ group that less than a hundred people are around to hear, does it make a difference? Not to Mike Pence's former base or colleagues.

By Juwan J. Holmes Saturday, May 1, 2021


Vice President Mike PencePhoto: Shutterstock

Ahead of giving a speech on April 29 in front of an anti-LGBTQ group, former Vice President Mike Pence (R) criticized the Biden-Harris administration for ending the Trump administration-sanctioned 1776 Commission and declared that “we will reject Critical Race Theory” and “we will CANCEL Cancel Culture.”

Yet, at the much-touted event and the ex-veep’s first major appearance since leaving office, Pence’s speech praising former President Donald Trump (R) and rallying for “traditional values” was ignored. It was not broadcast on any television networks and was only watched live by a “few dozen” people.

Related: The Trump administration scrambled to support this hate group’s lawsuit. A judge just threw it out.

Pence said in multiple tweets that he’s “had enough” of the agenda being pursued by the Biden-Harris administration.






Yet, at the event where “Pence debuted the type of lines and arguments that could serve to relaunch him politically in the months ahead,” Politico reported that “Trumpworld has moved on,” because “as Pence spoke, no cable channel picked up his remarks. Just a few dozen people at any given time watched him live on Facebook, including roughly 55 when the speech ended.”

During the speech, Pence nearly avoided anything that seem to relate to the storming of the U.S. Capitol building on January 6 by a pro-Trump mob that sought to overturn the 2020 election. Pence was inside, presiding over both chambers of Congress, when he and others had to be rushed out. Trump cheered and claimed that Pence lacked the “courage” to not certify the election.

Since, Trump and Pence reportedly have barely spoken, with aides reporting that the pair talked more times in April than the last three combined. A former Trump administration official said they’re “cordial but not intimate.”

For Pence’s part, he reportedly did not share with his former President that he was having heart surgery last month, and Trump only found out from watching television. He reportedly called and offered his well wishes to Pence after.

Still, Trump is openly flirting with the idea of running for a second term with other running mates instead of Pence. He hasn’t mentioned his former Vice President publicly and aides report that they’re not even keeping tabs on him, and many found out about Pence’s post-office debut from reporters.

“A lot of people like that… they love that ticket,” Trump said on Fox News about running with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) the same day as Pence’s speech. “But certainly, Ron would be considered. He’s a great guy.”

Pence hasn’t entered into the 2024 presidential campaign yet, and neither has Trump. But Trump’s associates are not worried about Pence messing with Trump’s chances.

A former Trump aide told Politico, “would it surprise me to see Mike Pence heading up Heritage instead of running for president or being the GOP nominee in 2024? No.”

Instead of focusing on his 2024 prospects, those in political circles are observing the end of his scandal-filled years as Vice President and the issues that have plagued him since.

For example, a report that a vacation Pence took in December to go to Colorado cost over $750,000 in taxpayer dollars have raised more than a few eyebrows.

“It’s miraculous how Republicans only ever seem to have an issue with the national debt when it comes to combating child poverty or hunger but say absolutely NOTHING about lavish million dollar ski trips for career politicians paid for by tax payers,” March For Our Lives founder David Hogg tweeted.

Meanwhile, outrage continues to ensue regarding book publisher Simon & Schuster’s decision to publish or distribute Pence’s upcoming book. The publisher is standing behind the decision for now, but some believe that pressure from hundreds within the company’s own ranks may make a difference. The same company did cancel a book deal with Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) after January 6.

Pence’s speech was at an event for the Palmetto Family Council, a state-level affiliate of the anti-LGBTQ group Focus on the Family.




Mike Pence spent nearly 500 words praising Donald Trump at his speech last night.

He spent exactly 5 talking about Jan. 6:

"tragedy at our nation's capital."

— S.V. Dáte (@svdate) April 30, 2021

His only reference to the storming of the Capitol came as part of a review of what “we’ve all been through a lot over the past year.”

“A global pandemic, civil unrest, a divisive election, tragedy at our nation’s capital,” Pence said, “and a new administration intent on further dividing our country as they advance the agenda of the radical left.”

Pence’s next stop is at a fundraising event in Texas on May 7, hosted by former Bush administration advisor and GOP strategist Karl Rove. Trump, who has long criticized Rove included in recent weeks, is not believed to be on the itinerary.

May Day protests: Turkey arrests hundreds as rallies sweep globe

Turkish police have arrested more than 200 people for holding unauthorised protests on May Day, which has seen rallies across the world despite the continued spread of Covid-19.


Demonstrators clash with Turkish police, at a May Day rally in Besiktas, a district of Istanbul. Photo: AFP

The protesters in Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, were caught breaching restrictions imposed to curb a third wave of coronavirus.

Marches led by workers and unions are held on the 1 May every year as part of International Labour Day celebrations in many countries.

This year, the rallies took place once again against the backdrop of a pandemic that has destroyed livelihoods and upended economies worldwide.


Protesters walk through Berlin, where protests were held in defiance of Covid-19 restrictions. Photo: AFP

In many countries, police were deployed in large numbers to deal with possible disorder and ensure coronavirus restrictions were observed.

Scaled-back rallies were held in Germany, Russia, Spain, Sweden, the UK, the Philippines, Indonesia and many other countries. Most demonstrations were peaceful.


Turkish police detain demonstrators as they attempted to march on Taksim Square in Istanbul. Photo: AFP

But Turkey was among several countries where police were embroiled in May Day protests that turned violent on Saturday.

The office of Istanbul's governor said 212 people had been arrested after they broke away from marches and tried to enter Taksim Square, a symbolic area of protest.

Pictures showed chaotic scenes in which police used their shields to push back crowds and dragged some protesters away from the square.

The country went into its first full pandemic lockdown earlier this week, in a bid to curb a surge in infections and deaths.


Protesters and police clashed at the beginning of a May Day march in Paris. Photo: AFP

In France, at least 34 people were arrested in the capital, Paris, after some marchers threw objects and clashed with riot police.

About 300 rallies were organised in Paris and other French cities, including Lyon, Nantes, Lille and Toulouse.

The protesters voiced their opposition to government plans to change unemployment benefits and demanded economic justice.

Similar demands were heard in Germany, where May Day protests were held nationwide, despite the introduction of tougher Covid-19 rules last week.

In the capital Berlin, thousands of police were deployed to monitor multiple demonstrations, including one organised by a group that opposes the government's coronavirus strategy.


A May Day protest in the street in Jakarta, for International Workers' Day. Photo: AFP

Coronavirus was on the agenda in Indonesia as well.

At one rally, protesters in the capital of Jakarta laid mock graves on the street to symbolise the human toll of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, a proposed law that would give police extra powers to curb protests was one of the main subjects of grievance at protests in the UK.

Hundreds gathered in London to protest against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts bill, which activists fear would be used to curb dissent.

-BBC

Myanmar’s economic woes may help persuade ruling military to end crisis


PUBLISHED 30 APRIL 2021
THE JAKARTA POST / ANN

Three months on from the Feb. 1 military coup in Myanmar, Japan's diplomatic efforts to persuade the Southeast Asian country's junta to reverse course have yet to bear fruit.

Myanmar security forces have killed some 750 peaceful protestors and other citizens, according to an activist monitoring group, a sign that Japan's suspension of new aid projects, alongside sanctions by the United States and other Western powers on senior generals and the companies they control, have not been effective in addressing the crisis.


Referring to his meeting April 24 with Association of Southeast Asian Nations leaders in Jakarta, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing said he would carefully consider suggestions from ASEAN on steps to end the turmoil, but only after the situation stabilizes -- signaling the junta is unlikely to stop using force, receive an ASEAN envoy or hold dialogue with rival groups anytime soon. Myanmar is a member of 10-member ASEAN.

Citing the general's thinking, some scholars say the Myanmar military has been so preoccupied with beating its political enemy, detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, that it has no intention -- at least for now -- of listening to what foreign governments and the United Nations have to say.


"At this stage, there is a limit to what diplomatic efforts Japan and other countries can make to get the military to change course, as its immediate priority is not to lend an ear to what they say but to consolidate its grip on power by getting rid of NLD forces," said Yoshihiro Nakanishi, a Myanmar expert at Kyoto University.

Min Aung Hlaing seized power after detaining Suu Kyi and senior NLD members, alleging fraud in a November election that gave the NLD a landslide victory. The election commission, however, said the vote was fair.


On Feb. 1, the Tatmadaw, as the military is known, declared a yearlong state of emergency and said a "free and fair" general election will eventually be held.

This has led analysts to suspect the junta may call an election without Suu Kyi and the NLD and that it believes that once a government that includes generals is elected, the international community would have no choice but to recognize it as a "democratic" entity.

Nakanishi, an associate professor of the university's Center for Southeast Asian Studies, said in an interview that the standoff between the junta and the National Unity Government, set up in opposition to military rule and led by Suu Kyi associates, may last for a year or longer.

Launched April 16 by NLD parliamentarians, anti-coup protest leaders and representatives of ethnic minority groups, the NUG is demanding that the junta immediately cease its violent crackdowns on demonstrators, release Suu Kyi and other detainees, and restore the democratically elected government.

Nevertheless, Nakanishi argues, factors such as economic paralysis and a full conflict with ethnic minority insurgents in border areas may propel the generals to change their mind.

In fact, the sharp contraction in the Myanmar economy -- triggered by strikes by workers and civil servants, as well as the halt of aid by foreign donors and the suspension of trade and investment by foreign businesses -- could create such a possibility.

Some analysts even say the crisis-hit country stands on the verge of becoming a failed state.

Before the military takeover, the World Bank had forecast Myanmar's economy would expand 5.9 percent in 2021, but it now estimates the economy will shrink 10 percent. Similarly, the UN World Food Program estimates up to 3.4 million more people will go hungry in the next six months.

Citing recent remarks by Min Aung Hlaing, Nakanishi said, "The commander-in-chief appears concerned about economic development."

"The military is now preoccupied with domestic affairs, but I suspect there will be a time when the international community can play a role in ending the crisis in Myanmar," he said.

Under such circumstances, Japan, while keeping channels of communication open to the Tatmadaw, is considering halting ongoing official development assistance projects as part of international pressure on the generals.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Japan extended ODA totaling about 190 billion yen ($1.7 billion) to Myanmar in the year to March 2020, by far the largest contributor other than China, which does not disclose corresponding data.

In parliament, a group of nonpartisan lawmakers, led by Gen Nakatani, a former defense minister, is seeking to enact a law enabling the government to impose sanctions on foreign individuals and entities over human rights violations.

Pro-NLD Myanmar residents in Japan are calling on parliament to pass the sanctions bill as soon as possible. They are also pushing Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's government to immediately suspend all non-humanitarian aid projects that benefit the junta and lobby the United Nations to impose a global arms embargo on the Tatmadaw so as to block weapons supply from China and Russia.

Foreign policy experts say Japan should continue to engage with the junta while keeping the suspension of ongoing ODA projects and invocation of the envisaged sanctions law as policy options.

With the United States and European countries stepping up targeted sanctions on Myanmar, the experts suggest Japan, in partnership with ASEAN, broker talks between the junta and the NUG as the country, unlike Western powers, has ties with both sides.

"Japan should insist on dialogue but always with the goal being the restoration of democracy, with a price to be paid if the junta does not move substantively in that direction," said Brad Glosserman, deputy director of the Center for Rule-making Strategies at Tama University in Tokyo.

"Japan should apply pressure in concert with the West, but it can do so in a different mode and means," Glosserman said in an email, suggesting that Tokyo persuade the generals while avoiding publicly humiliating the Tatmadaw.

Along with such a division of labor with the Western powers, former diplomats recommend that Japan deal with the Myanmar crisis in coordination with ASEAN, China and South Korea in the so-called ASEAN-plus-three framework.

The recommendation is part of policy proposals over Myanmar a group of former Japanese diplomats including Yasushi Akashi, a former UN undersecretary general, filed with the Foreign Ministry on April 23.

But skeptics warn that under the shadow of a great power rivalry between the United States and China, Japan must conduct careful diplomacy with China over Myanmar because of Beijing's desire to boost its clout and gain access to the Indian Ocean via its strategically important neighbor as a major arms supplier, aid donor and trading partner.

Half of Myanmar's population risks falling into poverty by 2022: UN

This handout photo taken and released by Dawei Watch on April 6, 2021 shows a protester holding a sign during a rally against the military coup in Launglone township in Myanmar's Dawei district. (Dawei Watch via AFP/Handout)

PUBLISHED 1 MAY 2021
THE JAKARTA POST / ANN

The dual impacts of the pandemic and Myanmar's political crisis triggered by a military coup could result in nearly half the population, or as many as 25 million people, dropping into poverty by 2022, the United Nations Development Programme warns.

In a report released on Friday, UNDP said the effect of the crises could push millions more people into poverty.


"COVID-19 and the ongoing political crisis are compounding shocks which are pushing the most vulnerable back and more deeply into poverty," UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Kanni Wignaraja, told Reuters.

"The development gains made during a decade of democratic transition, however imperfect it may have been, is being erased in a matter of months," she said, adding the country's progress may be set back to 2005, when it was also under military rule and half of the population was poor.


The study showed that by the end of last year, on average, 83 percent of households had reported their incomes had been cut almost in half due to the pandemic.

The number of people living below the poverty line is estimated to have increased by 11 percentage points due to the socio-economic effects of the pandemic.


Meanwhile, the report says a deteriorating security situation, as well as threats to human rights and development, in Myanmar since the Feb. 1 coup could drive the poverty rate up by a further 12 percentage points by early next year.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military overthrew the elected government of Aug San Suu Kyi, detained her and other civilian politicians, then cracked down with lethal force on anti-coup protesters.

Security forces have killed more than 750 civilians in the demonstrations, an activist group says.

The report says women and children are set to bear the heaviest burden of the crises.

"Half of all children in Myanmar could be living in poverty within a year," said Wignaraja, adding already vulnerable internally displaced people also faced more pressure.

The report said urban poverty is expected to triple, while the security situation was fracturing supply chains and hindering the movement of people, services, and commodities, including agricultural goods.

Pressure on Myanmar's currency, the Kyat, has also increased the price of imports and energy, the report said, while the banking system remains paralysed.

"As stated by the UN secretary-general, the scale of the crisis requires an urgent and unified international response," said Wignaraja.

Burma

Illegal Rare Earth Mines on China Border Multiply Since Myanmar’s Coup

A convoy of trucks loaded with Ammonium Sulphate.

Photo-Mines Department in Kachin State

Rare earth mining in Pangwa Township, Kachin State, in 2019. / Myitkyina Journal

By THE IRRAWADDY 26 April 2021

Illegal rare earth mining has surged in northern Kachin State on the Chinese border following Myanmar’s Feb. 1 coup in areas controlled by a junta-sponsored militia.

Environmental groups say mining has increased at least five times in Pangwa and Chipwi townships amid Myanmar’s political turmoil, with a rapid influx of Chinese workers.

“Before the coup, we only saw one or two trucks per day. Now there is no proper inspection we are seeing 10 to 15,” an activist in Chipwi told The Irrawaddy.

He said the trucks are loaded with ammonium sulphate fertilizer bags filled at illegal mines.

“The Chinese authorities have tightened border security for imports from Myanmar due to COVID-19. But materials for the mining move across the border easily,” he added.

Myanmar is China’s largest rare earth source, accounting for over half of its supplies. In 2016, Chinese mining companies entered Pangwa looking for rare earth as Beijing cracked down on illegal mining within China.

According to Chinese customs data, China is heavily dependent on medium and heavy rare earth from Myanmar. Myanmar became China’s largest importer in 2018. In 2020, rare earth imports from Myanmar rose by 23 percent year on year to around 35,500 tons, accounting for 74 percent of imports, according to the Global Times government mouthpiece.

Ja Hkaw Lu of the Transparency and Accountability Network Kachin (TANK) told The Irrawaddy: “Under the civilian government, if we complained about illegal rare earth mining, officials immediately visited and investigated. [Illegal miners] stayed away but now it is totally out of control.”

She added: “Currently, vehicles carrying heavy rare earth leave day and night. The situation is getting worse. There has been an influx of Chinese miners.”

Heavy rare earth from Kachin State is exported to China for refining and processing and then sold around the globe, according to environmental protection groups.

According to TANK, around 10 rare earth mines have opened near the border in Zam Nau, which is controlled by the military-affiliated New Democratic Army Kachin (NDAK).

Kachin environmental groups estimate that there are over 100 rare earth mines in Pangwa and Chipwe townships controlled by the militia and Chinese investors.

The Chinese media has reported that some Chinese companies are facing rising logistical costs exporting rare earth from Myanmar since the military takeover.

But Chinese buyers have not seen any significant decline in imports since the coup, the Chinese media reported.

According to the Kachin State Mining Department, only the union administration can give permission for rare earth mining in Pangwa and Chipwi. The department said it found several illegal mines and Chinese workers in 2019 and 2020 after a series of inspections. The department has said the involvement of armed groups makes regulating the industry challenging.

Brang Awng of the Kachin State Working Conservation Group told The Irrawaddy that the mines cause environmental destruction, polluting waterways and groundwater.

“Illegal digging is on the rampage since there are no checks by government officials since the military coup. More digging will further damage the environment,” he said.

The group said more than 20 villages were suffering from polluted soil and water from rare earth mining. In 2020 and 2019, the Chipwe river twice turned red due to mining waste, according to environmental groups.

Troops pullout marks failure of U.S.-led war on terror in Afghanistan, say analysts

PEOPLES DAILY, CHINA

(Xinhua) 09:02, May 02, 2021

KABUL, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Local observers describe the U.S.-led war on terror in Afghanistan as a "failure", and they say the upcoming troops withdrawal marks a "clear defeat" of the United States and the U.S.-led coalition forces in the Afghan war.

"No doubt, it is clear defeat of the U.S.-led coalition forces in the Afghan war as both the Taliban and al-Qaida network and like-minded militant groups are still active and operational in Afghanistan," political analyst Nazari Pariani told Xinhua on Saturday.

U.S. President Joe Biden announced in April that the U.S. and NATO troops will begin to pull out from Afghanistan from May 1, and that the withdrawal will be completed by September 11, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

There are roughly 3,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and about 7,000 NATO troops in the country relying on U.S. logistics and security support.

The United States invaded Afghanistan and dethroned the Taliban regime which is accused of providing shelter to former al-Qaida network chief Osama Bin Laden, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 terror attacks on New York and Washington in 2001.

Thousands of members of the U.S.-led forces and countless Afghans including civilians, security personnel and the Taliban militants have been killed in the so-called war on terror but the outcome, Pariani said, is zero as the brutal fighting has been continuing, claiming lives every day.

"The U.S. has labeled both the Taliban and al-Qaida as terrorist groups 20 years ago and invaded Afghanistan to destroy the terrorists' havens but after 20 years, the U.S. has taken a U turn and given recognition to the Taliban outfit as a political force and inked a peace agreement with the group in order to pull out its troops from Afghanistan," Pariani observed.

The renowned political analyst, who is also editor-in-chief of the popular daily newspaper Mandegar, said he believes that the United States will have to do its best to keep a minimum military and intelligence presence in Afghanistan or its neighboring countries in Central Asia.

"The failure of the U.S. in the war on terror can be gauged from that in 2001 there were only the Taliban and al-Qaida network in Afghanistan but presently (there are) more than 20 terrorist groups," Pariani said.

Retired army general Atequllah Amarkhil, who is a political and military analyst, also observed that the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan has led to the emergence of more terrorist groups and the continuation of war in the Asian country.

"Before the U.S. invasion of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, there were al-Qaida and the host Taliban hierarchy, but currently several terrorist groups such as Islamic State, Jandullah, Al-Jihad, Lashkar-e-Tyeba and a few more are fighting in Afghanistan which clearly speaks of the U.S. failure in the war against radical groups," he said.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Bianji

THIRD WORLD USA
How 'good news' stories hide healthcare woes

By Max Matza
BBC News, Washington

Mindie Hoolie and her son DillonMAY DAY 2021

A doctor in San Francisco speaks to homeless people about their health


US headlines abound of average Americans crowd sourcing funds for their medical treatment, or selflessly forgoing necessary medicine in order to save money for their families. Why are these stories so popular?


Dillon Hooley was a 17-year-old high school senior when he began cutting back on insulin, a life-saving drug necessary to manage his diabetes. The decision nearly caused him to die in his sleep.


"I wasn't thinking right, but my parents work so hard to give me what I need, and I didn't want to put more financial stress on them," he told CNN in a 2019 article about the skyrocketing costs of insulin.


The family's insurance deductible required them to spend $5,500 (£4,000) before receiving any benefits, forcing them to pay $800 per month for Dillon's insulin. The coverage was provided by his father's job at a steel mill in Utah.

Cutting back his dosage to life-threatening levels was an illustration of how the teen "wanted to help out any way he could," said the article's introduction.


"My son really didn't like the CNN story and how he was portrayed," says his mother, Mindie Hooley, who saved his life by waking him up and bringing him to hospital after he almost slipped into a coma due to a lack of insulin in his blood.



"The story made him seem like a 'hero' who rationed his insulin to save his family and this wasn't the case at all. He felt he had no other choice other than to ration," she says, describing how the family had suffered financially.


"Our family wishes that the article would have emphasised more about why he felt he had to ration. We wish that the emphasis was on why so many are to blame for why insulin is so expensive," Mrs Hooley told the BBC.


Manufacturers have raised costs sky high in order to give steep discounts to middlemen acting on behalf of insurance companies, says Mrs Hooley, who now advocates for affordable insulin access with the group T1 International.


The family's insurance company does not pay for Dillon's continuous glucose monitor, test strips, or other supplies, also costing him thousands of dollars each month. To save money, he orders insulin through an online pharmacist, leading to batches that sometimes arrive late or spoiled.


Now 20, Dillon has gone to work at the same company as his father, doing 12-hour graveyard shifts to earn enough money to fill in the gaps that health insurance will not cover.


Dillon's story of medical financial struggle being painted as a positive is not unique. Critics say it misses the point - but some say it can be life-saving if the appeal resonates.

 Diabetic Americans sometimes turn to the black market for insulin

Researcher Alan MacLeod refers to these types of stories, depicting triumph over adversity, as "perseverance porn".

MacLeod, who is based in Scotland and represents the group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, says stories of working-class people persevering against all odds have been told throughout history, and speak to the public's desire for human interest stories that put their own lives into perspective.

"These sorts of stories about persevering through tough times are really sort of relevant to pretty much anyone," he says, adding that they are growing in popularity as people struggle amid the global pandemic.

'I hope I make it'

The story of a seven-year-old girl from Birmingham, Alabama, selling lemonade to fund her brain surgeries went viral earlier this year.

Liza Scott's appeal raised nearly $400,000 (£290,000), allowing her to fly to Boston for a series of potentially life-saving operations.

Her mother, Elizabeth Scott told the BBC in an email that "it's amazing that [her story] has reached folks around the world".

MacLeod says that "kids selling lemonade are a classic example" of the "perseverance porn" that he has documented.


He has seen several cases of children setting up lemonade stands to pay for their parents' or their own medical treatment.


"It's never truly acknowledged that if these children lived in a more humane society, their perseverance would not even be necessary."


"If that girl lived in Nova Scotia, Norway or New Zealand she wouldn't have to desperately try to sell lemonade on the street to afford her medical bills."


Crowd-sourcing website GoFundMe says that at least one third of its fundraisers are for medical treatments. Healthcare costs are also the leading cause of bankruptcy in the US.

'My TikTok fans saved my life'


Jescenia Ramos is a type-one diabetic with multiple chronic illnesses who uses TikTok to spread awareness about disabilities - and stay alive.


Whenever Ramos been kicked off private insurance, which has happened repeatedly and for varied reasons, the 21-year-old jewellery designer has relied on TikTok followers to help pay for insulin.


"If it wasn't for the fact that I had a really large TikTok following, I would have been dead. Because nobody would have seen that GoFundMe," Ramos tells BBC News.

The human cost of insulin in America

The lengths Americans go to for cheap medicine


Ramos identifies as two-spirited, a third gender in Native American tradition, and uses they/them pronouns.


They have around 60,000 followers under the name @quiibunnie, and says that being a "failure of the foster system" is the most recent reason that they lost their healthcare coverage.

Jescenia Ramos relies on GoFundMe for her medications

Ramos' non-biological parents, who raised them since 17-months-old, did not ever legally adopt them despite being their legal guardians.

For that reason, the family's insurance company decided that Ramos is not considered a dependent - not actually their child - and must purchase a separate coverage plan.

Ramos, who uses a wheelchair, now pays about $375 per month to the insurance company, and still has to pay another $700 per month for medications. That is still cheaper than buying the insulin without any insurance.


After their most recent fundraising campaign, the third they've been forced to do, Ramos felt pressured to lie and tell their followers: "It's okay, guys. I'm fine."


"My story got shared around on TikTok and people had been asking for a positive update on the story, and I wish I could give them a positive update on the story, but I really can't," Ramos says.


"Because I'm still definitely struggling incredibly financially," they continue, adding that diabetes will probably cause further health problems in their future.


"I don't know if I'm going to be able to tell my platform, like, 'Oh this will never happen again. I'll never need your help again'."


"But the reality of the situation is I will. I will always need help again," Ramos says, adding that "the reality of medical care in America is you have money or you die."


"I am exhausted from trying to get people on the internet to care enough about my life to donate five dollars," says Ramos.

Laura Marston shows the insulin she needs to live

Laura Marston says that stories of diabetic Americans losing their insulin access or being forced to ration the life-saving medicine are extremely common across the country.

"If you really think down to the bare bones of the concept of paying for insulin, its very akin to this: If three companies own all of the world's oxygen and every breath you needed you had to pay for," says Marston, who is also diabetic.

The 38-year-old IT lawyer lost her own health insurance after her employer died expectantly and the law firm where she started her career was dissolved.


"It always kind of baffles me that people who are dealt a genetic hand - in this country at least - are told to work harder and make more money to pay not just the cost of our medical care but to prop up the industries like pharma," she says.

'This is awesome!'


Even for families with employer-provided health insurance, the benefits may not sufficiently provide for the medical need, and the system often seems designed to be as confusing as possible.


When two-year-old Logan Moore's medical condition made it impossible for him to walk, his family decided that the boy couldn't wait for a needed medical device to be approved by the family's insurance provider.


So they did it themselves.


One afternoon in 2019, Logan and his mum went to Home Depot hardware store in Georgia and asked where to find the parts they would need to build a walker, which they had researched how to make themselves on YouTube.


Instead, the employees told the family to get some ice cream while they assembled a personalised walker for Logan on the company's dime.

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The image of young Logan was widely shared online, but many found the story to be heartbreaking and "dystopian".


"This is awesome!" tweeted a Fox TV affiliate in Washington DC, alongside a picture of the smiling boy.


"This is horrific," one person responded.


"This isn't heart-warming. It's an indictment of the US healthcare system," replied another.


"Regular people being lovely, generous, and creative is good. Making marginalised people depend on them for basic survival is not," tweeted another user.