Frontex agency sends more guards to Greece to help protect EU's border
rt.com | 2020-03-13
The European border protection agency, Frontex, says it has deployed another 100 guards to Greece to help protect the EU's frontier there from the pressure of migrants. | Warsaw-based Frontex said on Friday the deployment of guards from 22 member states is part of a rapid border intervention requested by Athens. The assistance will also include vessels, maritime surveillance aircraft and thermal-vision Vehicles, for the Frontex maritime Rapid Border Intervention task, Aegean 2020, AP reports. | Greece has been trying to stop a massive wave of migrants pushing in from Turkey, in a crisis that erupted last month…
rt.com/newsline/483073-frontex-greece-eu-border/

Saudi's Brave Women Pull Back the Curtain on Crown Prince MBS
Medea Benjamin, Ariel Gold | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-13
This week, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS), Saudi Arabia's 34-year-old de facto ruler, was on a tear. He arrested members of his own royal family and initiated an oil price war with Russia that has sent the price of oil–and the world's stock markets–plummeting. Behind the headlines, however, another critical event will take place…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/13/saudis-brave-women-pull-back-the-curtain-on-crown-prince-mbs/

Nurses protest weakening of coronavirus (Covid-19) guidance by CDC
Lynda Carson | indybay.org | 2020-03-13
The impeached President Donald J. Trump just held a national press conference and declared that he is suspending all travel from Europe to the United States starting tomorrow for the next 30 days, but the restrictions will not apply to the United Kingdom for some reason. The Trump administration sees the coronavirus as a PR disaster for his administration, instead of a health crisis and has been trying to downplay the seriousness of the spreading pandemic. The impeached President Trump has also just falsely claimed that the US is better prepared to fight against the coronavirus than any other nation on the planet…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/03/11/18831446.php

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa
wsws.org | 2020-03-13
The Efling union has sold out a three week strike by municipal workers in Iceland while hospital workers in Lebanon protest the government's inept response to the coronavirus pandemic.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/13/work-m13.html

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa
wsws.org | 2020-03-13
The Efling union has sold out a three week strike by municipal workers in Iceland while hospital workers in Lebanon protest the government's inept response to the coronavirus pandemic.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/13/work-m13.html

Spain: An emergency social and political plan against COVID 19
Anticapitalistas | zcomm.org | 2020-03-13
The goal of these measures is to win the war against the coronavirus, empower the people and the working classes, strengthen their rights, weight the financial effort on those who have the most, lead and provide a political solution to popular anger and protest and cut off right-wing populist demagoguery.
zcomm.org/znetarticle/spain-an-emergency-social-and-political-plan-against-covid-19/

Germany Launches Plan Against the Economic Impacts of Covid-19
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-13
Germany's Finance Minister Olaf Scholz Friday indicated that his government will implement an "unlimited" loan program to avoid liquidity problems in companies, a tax reduction to avoid bankruptcies, and a "safety net" to help maintain employment levels. | RELATED: | Canada: Trudeau Isolated After Wife Tested Covid-19 Positive | "We are going to put all the weapons on the table from the beginning," Scholz said when presenting the plan against the economic consequences of Covid-19…
telesurenglish.net/news/Germany-Launches-Plan-Against-the-Economic-Impacts-of-Covid-19-20200313-0002.html

Denmark & Poland close borders to combat coronavirus
rt.com | 2020-03-13
Denmark and Poland said they will close their borders to all non-citizens in a bid to curb the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. | The move comes as Denmark recorded its 800th case of the deadly illness on Friday, and Poland its 68th. Elsewhere in Europe, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Ukraine have closed their borders to foreigners, while a number of other countries – the latest among them Albania – have restricted travel to and from virus hotspots like Italy and Spain. Cyprus joined the list on Friday, denying entry to non-Europeans. | Germany and France, however, have stuck by their commitment to keep…
rt.com/newsline/483097-denmark-poland-borders-coronavirus/

Crypto AG leaks: German and American spy agencies snooped on 120 countries
wsws.org | 2020-03-13
Under the code names "Rubicon" and "Minerva," Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND) together with the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had monitored the encrypted government communications of almost half the countries on earth for decades.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/13/cryp-m13.html

Crypto AG leaks: German and American spy agencies snooped on 120 countries
wsws.org | 2020-03-13
Under the code names "Rubicon" and "Minerva," Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND) together with the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had monitored the encrypted government communications of almost half the countries on earth for decades.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/13/cryp-m13.html

Russia restricts air travel to EU over coronavirus, leaving only select few flights open
rt.com | 2020-03-13
Russia is limiting flights to and from EU member countries, Norway and Switzerland over the COVID-19 pandemic now raging in Europe, exempting only regular flights from Moscow to their capital cities and charter evacuation trips. | Temporary flight restrictions will go into effect starting March 16, said the government's center for combating the spread of the infection. | However, regular flights to capitals of EU member nations, as well as Oslo and Geneva, will continue through Terminal F of Moscow's Sheremetyevo international airport. Charter flights bringing Russians back to the homeland and repatriating the…
rt.com/russia/483090-russia-restricts-flights-europe-coronavirus/

Venezuela: Two Covid-19 Cases Are Confirmed
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-13
In the early hours of Friday, two cases of coronavirus in Venezuela were confirmed, according to Vice President Delcy Rodriguez. | RELATED: | Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro is Covid-19 Positive | The affected people are a 42-year-old woman who was traveling through the European Union and a 52-year-old man who was in Spain. | The two infected patients, who reside in the Miranda state, are duly isolated and in mandatory quarantine. | The epidemiological fence around their direct contac…
telesurenglish.net/news/Venezuela-Two-Covid-19-Cases-Are-Confirmed-20200313-0007.html

Editorial: Fed takes action to save Wall Street, not the people
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-03-13
The U.S. Federal Reserve has pledged $1.5 trillion to calm Wall Street's worries as the COVID-19 pandemic rattles stock markets and wealthy investors. | But what the people need is more testing done for free, and health care for all. What workers need are unemployment benefits and income support for the self-employed. Working people need protection from eviction and relief from debts. What nurses and other medical workers need is more masks and other protective equipment. | With more than 1500 confirmed infections in the United States, the novel coronavirus is not a foreign threat from Europe, as Trump seems to b…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/3/12/editorial-fed-takes-action-save-wall-street-not-people

Solar system mystery finally solved, thanks to salty space rock
rt.com | 2020-03-13
A space puzzle that has long left scientists scratching their heads has finally been solved thanks to the salty surface of a comet and to some diligent researchers. | Investigations have long shown that comets appear to have 10 times less nitrogen than they ought to, based on scientific understanding of how they form. This has confounded boffins and sparked a search for the missing element. | The secret was given up by a comet named 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko which was orbited by the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft. The probe captured a trove of pictures from the comet and an analysis found that some…
rt.com/news/483089-nitrogen-comet-mystery-solar-system/

Global stock markets' wild ride continues after historic collapse
rt.com | 2020-03-13
Equities around the world traded wildly on Friday after suffering one of the worst crashes of all time as global panic over the coronavirus outbreak spread to investors. | Asian stock markets were mixed with Indian and Australian stocks showing the biggest rebound with gains of over four percent. China's Shanghai Composite Index and Hong Kong's Hang Seng were down over one percent, while Japan's Nikkei was closed after dropping over six percent on Thursday. | After suffering the worst crash in history, with losses of 10 to 12 percent, European markets opened mixed on Friday with the London FTSE up over two per…
rt.com/business/483017-stock-markets-wild-ride/

'Europe Is Now Epicenter of Coronavirus Pandemic', WHO Warns
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-13
The World Health Organization (WHO) director Tedros Adhanom Friday declared Europe the epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic, as it is no longer increasing exponentially in China. | RELATED: | Brazil's Bolsonaro is Covid-19 Positive in His First Test | The WHO official commented that more cases are reported on the European continent every day than were confirmed in China…
telesurenglish.net/news/Europe-Is-Now-Epicenter-of-Coronavirus-Pandemic-WHO-Warns-20200313-0012.html

Stock market crushed after Trump's speech
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-03-13
San José, CA – U.S. stocks fell almost 10% Thursday, March 12, the day after President Trump called for a travel ban on Europe. This was the largest drop since the stock market crash of October 1987 and put the broader S&P 500 as well as the tech heavy NASDAQ stock market indices in bear market territory as all three major indices are down more than 20%. | Trump did nothing to address the growing economic worries as more and more industries are being affected by COVID-19, now officially a pandemic. In fact, his travel ban only added to economic and social disruption as Americans tried to return and plane tickets…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/3/12/stock-market-crushed-after-trump-s-speech

Watch Labour legend Tony Benn nail the US medical system's inadequacy to deal with the coronavirus
Peter Bolton | thecanary.co | 2020-03-13
The World Health Organization has declared the coronavirus outbreak is a global pandemic. While the US seems to be less affected than Europe, the Trump administration's response has so far been almost comically inept. But having a semi-literate buffoon in the White House is not the only problem; the US has a structural problem that long predates Trump's election to the presidency. And from b…
thecanary.co/trending/2020/03/13/watch-labour-legend-tony-benn-nail-the-us-medical-systems-inadequacy-to-deal-with-the-coronavirus/

Italy sees a one-day record of 250 Covid-19 DEATHS, officials say
rt.com | 2020-03-13
Italy has reported 250 new deaths due to the Covid-19 virus

Friday the 13th strikes as Snapchat down across Europe and eastern US
rt.com | 2020-03-13
Hundreds of users on both sides of the Atlantic are reporting that popular multimedia messaging app Snapchat has stopped working, with snapchatters unable to send and receive messages or update their feeds. | According to crowdsourcing outage tracker DownDetector.com, the outages began shortly after 2: 30pm GMT (9: 30am ET). Within a matter of minutes the number of reports spiked to over 500. | | © DownDetector | The areas worst affected appear to be north-western Europe and the UK, and the area surrounding New York City. | | © DownDetector | Irate users took to Twitter to vent their frustration at…
rt.com/news/483065-snapchat-outage-us-europe/

The Rise of the Far Right in France's Poorest Cities
Cole Stangler | thenation.com | 2020-03-13
The Rise of the Far Right in France's Poorest Cities…
thenation.com/article/world/france-perpignan-national-rally-election/

France bans gatherings of over 100 people as government battles to stem coronavirus outbreak
rt.com | 2020-03-13
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has announced that all gatherings of more than 100 people are now prohibited in France in an attempt to delay a spike in the Covid-19 pandemic. | PM Phillipe said on Friday that the latest government measure was being implemented to try to slow down the spread of the deadly virus. He warned that more measures could follow. | It's because we are at the beginning of the acceleration that we take measures to slow it down. Our aim is to postpone as long as possible the spike and we have hope. | The move comes a day after President Emmanuel Macron announced that all schools wo…
rt.com/news/483047-france-bans-gatherings-coronavirus/

Patients denied care as Macron announces coronavirus lockdown in France
wsws.org | 2020-03-13
French health authorities have already announced that they will try to deny testing and care to many of those they suspect to be infected with the coronavirus.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/13/macr-m13.html

Romania's interim PM Orban to enter quarantine after coronavirus contact
rt.com | 2020-03-13
Romania's Interim Prime Minister Ludovic Orban will place himself in quarantine, after coming into contact with one of his party's senators who was later confirmed Covid-19-positive. | Orban, the leader of the Liberal Party, was supposed to attend consultations with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis later on Friday in a new attempt to form a government and get parliament's approval next week, Reuters reported. | Orban, his cabinet and Liberal Party leaders were entering self-quarantine and testing was underway, he said. | Earlier this month, Romania shut down all schools and suspended flights to and from Italy…
rt.com/newsline/483026-romania-pm-quarantine-party/

Ankara switches migration summit to teleconference, Erdogan to hold talks with French & German leaders
rt.com | 2020-03-13
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will hold talks about solving a brewing migration crisis, with French and German leaders next week, by teleconference rather than at a summit as originally planned, according to a Turkish official. | The decision comes as countries grapple with the spread of Covid-19. Erdogan has postponed his own foreign visits for an unspecified period of time, Reuters reported, citing his spokesman. | Earlier this week, Erdogan said he would convene a summit on the migrant issue, to be held in Istanbul on March 17 with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron…
rt.com/newsline/483060-turkey-migration-erdogan-eu/

'We'll come through this': Homebound residents across Italy sing together to stave off virus lockdown blues (VIDEO)
rt.com | 2020-03-13
The prospect of a coronavirus-induced lockdown is a truly daunting one but, through the magic of the internet, we have seen some truly inspirational moments, including beautiful, communal singalongs from across an Italy in crisis. | With more than 1,000 killed and 12,400 infected, Italy has been the country hardest hit by Covid-19 outside China. The country has been on lockdown since March 10, with police patrolling the streets to ensure the rate of infection slows as people self-isolate. | To stave off boredom and cabin fever, Italians across the country have taken to their balconies and begun singing to and…
rt.com/news/483028-italian-residents-sing-during-lockdown/

Life in lockdown Italy
Claire Provost | zcomm.org | 2020-03-13
Reading the news, you'd think that everything is closed, that everyone is sick or scared. The reality where I live, in Turin, is more confusing…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/life-in-lockdown-italy/

Sports stars vs coronavirus: What are famous athletes doing amid the pandemic? (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
rt.com | 2020-03-13
After swathes of international sports events were canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak, sport stars have taken to social media to share videos to battle the doom and gloom caused by the pandemic. | Many athletes whose competitive schedule has been seriously affected by the spread of the deadly Covid-19 disease continue to train in the hopes that the pandemic will be over soon. | READ MORE: 'Ready to lend a hand': Russia willing to host more games at Euro 2020 as coronavirus pandemic threatens tournament…
rt.com/sport/483081-sport-stars-coronavirus-outbreak/

Flares & crazy moves: Russia's Little Big disco-inspired Eurovision clip becomes most viewed among all contenders (VIDEO)
rt.com | 2020-03-13
Disco vibes, flare pants, a chorus in Spanish and serious faces, while performing the freakiest of dance moves

Bulgaria bans travel to Iran, raises risk on travels to 11 countries
yenisafak.com | 2020-03-13
Bulgaria's foreign ministry on Friday banned all travel to Iran and advised Bulgarians to cancel all non-urgent travel to Spain and South Korea in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus.Bulgarians were to avoid any non-urgent travel to certain areas in France, Germany and Japan. Travel to Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United States should be undertaken only after careful checks of the situation there.The Balkan country has already banned Bulgarians from travelling to China and told them to avoid visiting Italy.
yenisafak.com/en/news/bulgaria-bans-travel-to-iran-raises-risk-on-travels-to-11-countries-3513909

France to close all public institutions from Monday
yenisafak.com | 2020-03-13
France will close all churches, kindergartens, schools, high schools, colleges, and universities for an indefinite period starting Monday in order to stem the coronavirus outbreak.The announcement came during a televised address by President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday night where he sent a strong message of support to the nation.France has so far reported 61 deaths from coronavirus, with 2,860 confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).Macron thanked the health workers calling them "heroes in white coats"."Health is priceless. The government will take all necessary means, whatever the cost…
yenisafak.com/en/news/france-to-close-all-public-institutions-from-monday-3513905

Turkey postpones domestic, int'l trade fairs
yenisafak.com | 2020-03-13
Turkey on Friday announced postponement of all domestic and international trade fairs in the country scheduled between March 16 and April 30 amid coronavirus fears.The decision was made in line with Turkey's scientific commission recommendations in Thursday's meeting, chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to a press release issued by the Trade Ministry.
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-postpones-domestic-intl-trade-fairs-3513900

Traffickers behind Syrian toddler death get 125 year jail sentence in Turkey
yenisafak.com | 2020-03-13
Three organizers of the human trafficking ring which led to the death of Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi, in a case which made headlines worldwide, were sentenced in Turkey Friday to 125 years in prison each.The 2015 death of 3-year-old Kurdi, and five other refugees who shared a boat on the Aegean with him, shocked the international community and came to symbolize the plight of desperate Syrian refugees.The traffickers, fugitives from justice, had been captured by Turkish security forces this week in the southern province of Adana.The lifeless body of Kurdi ≠– one of 14 Syrian refugees, including eight chil…
yenisafak.com/en/news/traffickers-behind-syrian-toddler-death-get-125-year-jail-sentence-in-turkey-3513897

Turkey says agreed with Russia on details of Idlib ceasefire
yenisafak.com | 2020-03-13
Turkish and Russian officials have agreed on the details of a ceasefire in northwest Syria's Idlib region and joint patrols along the key M4 highway will begin on Sunday, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar was cited as saying on Friday.State-owned Anadolu news agency quoted him as saying there were signs that migration in the region had stopped and returns had begun. He said Turkey and Russia will establish joint coordination centres to monitor implementation of the agreement after the conclusion of talks with Russian officials in Ankara.
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-says-agreed-with-russia-on-details-of-idlib-ceasefire-3513910

Death toll from coronavirus climbs to 514 in Iran
yenisafak.com | 2020-03-13
The death toll from the novel coronavirus outbreak in Iran rose to 514, state TV reported on Friday.Authorities said 85 people had died in the last 24 hours, while 1,289 new cases emerged, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 11,364, Iran's state TV quoted Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour as saying.A total of 3,529 people have been discharged from hospitals after recovering from the virus, Jahanpour added.Most of the new cases, he added, were in the provinces of Tehran, Qom, Gilan, Isfahan and Mazandaran.Turkey, which has only two confirmed cases of coronavirus, closed its land borders and…
yenisafak.com/en/world/death-toll-from-coronavirus-climbs-to-514-in-iran-3513906

Romania's Interim Prime Minister Enters Quarantine After COVID-19 Contact
sputniknews.com | 2020-03-13
CHISINAU (Sputnik) – Romania's interim Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said on Friday he had decided to enter quarantine due to contacting a lawmaker who had tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
sputniknews.com/europe/202003131078557159-romanias-interim-prime-minister-enters-quarantine-after-covid-19-contact/

Greek Olympic Committee Cancels Olympic Torch Relay Within Greece
sputniknews.com | 2020-03-13
On 11 March, Japanese organising committee board member Haruyuki Takahashi told The Wall Street Journal that the 2020 Summer Olympics may be postponed for one or two years over the COVID-19 outbreak, but not cancelled.
sputniknews.com/sport/202003131078558078-greek-olympic-committee-cancels-olympic-torch-relay-within-greece/

4.8-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Mongolia Near Russian Border
sputniknews.com | 2020-03-13
A 4.8-magnitude earthquake was registered on 13 March in northern Mongolia near the Russian border, the regional branch of the Geophysical Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences reported.
sputniknews.com/asia/202003131078556995-48-magnitude-earthquake-hits-mongolia/

Russian Health Ministry Says 8 Discharged After Recovering From Coronavirus
sputniknews.com | 2020-03-13
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Eight people who had been diagnosed with coronavirus in Russia have been discharged completely recovered, Russian Health Ministry said in a statement Friday.
sputniknews.com/russia/202003131078558233-russian-health-ministry-says-8-discharged-after-recovering-from-coronavirus/

EU to Offer Migrants in Greece US$2,225 to Voluntarily Go Home
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-12
The European Union (EU) announced Thursday it would offer US$2,225 (‚Ǩ2,000) to each migrant in overpopulated camps on the Greek islands if they decide to go back to their home countries voluntarily. | RELATED: | Greece Blocks 35,000 Migrants in a Week, Will Deport Hundreds | EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said the scheme was "a window of opportunity for a targeted group," adding that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) would handle t…
telesurenglish.net/news/EU-to-Offer-Migrants-in-Greece-US2225-to-Voluntarily-Go-Home-20200312-0021.html

EU to Offer Migrants in Greece US$2,225 to Voluntarily Go Home
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-12
The European Union (EU) announced Thursday it would offer US$2,225 (‚Ǩ2,000) to each migrant in overpopulated camps on the Greek islands if they decide to go back to their home countries voluntarily. | RELATED: | Greece Blocks 35,000 Migrants in a Week, Will Deport Hundreds | EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said the scheme was "a window of opportunity for a targeted group," adding that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) would handle t…
telesurenglish.net/news/EU-to-Offer-Migrants-in-Greece-US2225-to-Voluntarily-Go-Home-20200312-0021.html

Greece: Covid-19 Case in Lesbos Spreads Fear Among Migrants
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-12
Greece's health authorities reported a first Covid-19 case on the Lesbos island where thousands of refugees are overcrowded in unsanitary conditions. | RELATED: | Turkey to Keep Its Border Open for Refugees to Go to the EU | The infected patient is a 40-year-old woman who had recently traveled to Israel and Egypt as a member of a pilgrimage group to the Holy Land. | Over the last week, more than 1,700 new ‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚&Auml…
telesurenglish.net/news/Greece-Covid-19-Case-in-Lesbos-Spreads-Fear-Among-Migrants-20200312-0012.html

Saudi's Brave Women Pull Back the Curtain on Crown Prince MBS
Medea Benjamin and Ariel Gold | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-03-12
This week, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS), Saudi Arabia's 34-year-old de facto ruler, was on a tear. He arrested members of his own royal family and initiated an oil price war with Russia that has sent the price of oil–and the world's stock markets–plummeting. Behind the headlines, however, another critical event will take place …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/03/saudis-brave-women-pull-back-the-curtain-on-crown-prince-mbs/

Video: Great Idlib "Rebranding" and Al Qaeda "Turkish Victories" over Russian Air Defense
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-12
Terrorist groups operating in Idlib are preparing for a new rebranding under Turkish patronage. According to Syrian sources, Hayat Tarir al-Sham (formerly the official Syrian branch of al-Qaeda), the Turkistan Islamic Party (an al-Qaeda-linked group), the National Front for Liberation …
globalresearch.ca/video-great-idlib-rebranding-turkish-victories-russian-air-defense/5706145

Video: Great Idlib "Rebranding" and Al Qaeda "Turkish Victories" over Russian Air Defense
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-12
Terrorist groups operating in Idlib are preparing for a new rebranding under Turkish patronage. According to Syrian sources, Hayat Tarir al-Sham (formerly the official Syrian branch of al-Qaeda), the Turkistan Islamic Party (an al-Qaeda-linked group), the National Front for Liberation …
globalresearch.ca/video-great-idlib-rebranding-turkish-victories-russian-air-defense/5706145

The Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic: The Real Danger is "Agenda ID2020"
Peter Koenig | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-12
WHO has most likely received orders from "above", from those people who also manage Trump and the "leaders" (sic) of the EU, European Union. The final decision to go ahead NOW with COVID-19 pandemic, was taken in January 2020 at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos – behind very much closed doors.
globalresearch.ca/coronavirus-causes-effects-real-danger-agenda-id2020/5706153

Trump Calls COVID-19 "Foreign Virus" as Lack of Universal Healthcare Makes the Pandemic Worse
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-12
After downplaying the threat of coronavirus for days, President Donald Trump addressed the nation Wednesday from the Oval Office, calling COVID-19 a "foreign virus" and announcing an unprecedented travel ban from most of Europe to the U.S. He also said he will expand sick leave. This comes as Senate Republicans blocked paid sick leave legislation. Robert Pollin, distinguished university professor of economics and co-director of the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, says the lack of universal healthcare in the U.S. is exacerbating the coronavirus crisis due to "the ab…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/12/coronavirus_medicare_for_all

Italy's "Darkest Hour": Life Grinds to a Halt Amid COVID-19 Lockdown, as Death Toll Spikes
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-12
We get an update from Italy, where 60 million people are under an unprecedented nationwide lockdown and the death toll has increased to at least 827, rising by 31% in just 24 hours. Authorities ordered all shops closed except food markets and pharmacies. Italy's economy has all but ground to a halt, with Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte describing the outbreak as the country's "darkest hour." Italian journalist Antonella Serrecchia joins us from Milan, where she is a reporter for the online magazine The Vision.
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/12/italy_coronavirus_lockdown

Dow Sinks 8% as Sell-Off Slamming Global Markets Deepens
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-03-12
NEW YORK

New U.S. Travel Restrictions Drop Oil Prices by More Than 5%
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-12
Oil prices fell by more than 5% on Thursday after the United States announced without warning restrictions on most flights from Europe to contain the spread of the new coronavirus in the country. | RELATED: | Oil Falls 30% As Saudi Arabia Slashes Prices, Sparks Price War | The sudden decision "caused a loss of confidence in governments and increased uncertainty about the real impact of the virus on the economy," the head of oil markets at energy consulting firm Rystad Bjoernar T…
telesurenglish.net/news/new-us-travel-restrictions-drop-oil-prices-by-more-than-5–20200312-0014.html