(2020-03-26). Germany has 4,954 new Covid-19 cases & 49 deaths — RKI Health Institute. rt.com 
Nearly 5,000 new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Germany, the Robert Koch Institute has reported. Forty-nine fatalities over the past 24 hours have brought the death toll to 198. | The number of confirmed cases increased by 4,954 to 36,508 on Thursday. From Tuesday to Wednesday, Germany recorded 4,118 new cases and 35 deaths, according to the health institute. | Germany imposed strict lockdown measures last week in an effort to contain the virus. It currently has one of the highest numbers of confirmed cases in Europe, second only to Italy and Spain. | Cases worldwide have surpassed 470,000, with m…
(2020-03-26). Covid-19 deaths pass 4,000 in Spain as Europe passes chilling 250,000 mark of those infected. rt.com 
Spain has reported a sharp rise in fatalities from coronavirus since the outbreak began. The overall number of infections has also soared by more than 8,000 over the past 24 hours, officials revealed.
(2020-03-26). Moscow shuts down all non-essential shops & restaurants to stop spread of Covid-19. rt.com 
All restaurants, cafes, and shops, except food stores, will be closed in the Russia capital from March 28 to April 5. The mayor also advised Muscovites to refrain from visiting places of worship amid the Covid-19 epidemic. | Restaurants and cafes will still be able to provide take-away food and delivery service, the order by Mayor Sergey Sobyanin read. | The restrictions also include barber shops, spas, massage parlors, as well as baths and saunas. | Access to parks, including Gorky Park and the All-Russian Exhibition Center, will be barred during the upcoming week due to the epidemic. | "I understand the feel…
(2020-03-26). Moscow bans all regular, charter flights starting March 27, except those bringing Russians home. rt.com 
The Russian government is banning all regular and charter international flights starting Friday, except those bringing citizens home, as part of measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus. | . | Russia's aerial borders will go on lockdown starting Friday, so far without a resumption date. | The cabinet also requested that the Foreign Ministry assist Russian citizens abroad until their return home. Russian embassies around the world will receive additional funds to provide support. | So far, 652 Covid-19 cases have been registered in Russia, with more than half of those infected in Moscow. | The ban on flig…
(2020-03-26). Russia's unexpected advantage in the oil price war. rt.com 
The global economic downturn due to coronavirus and the breakup of OPEC+ has sent the ruble tumbling, which could give Russia an unexpected advantage in the oil price war. | While the ruble is now at its lowest level against the dollar in four years, the cheaper ruble has a silver lining for Russia's oil producers in the oil price war for market share with Saudi Arabia. The collapse of the OPEC+ deal and oil prices has hit Russia's financial markets and currency, leading to a sharp drop in the ruble versus the US dollar. The lower the ruble slides against the US dollar, the lower the production costs of Russia…
(2020-03-26). Russia confirms 182 new Covid-19 cases, bringing total to 840. rt.com 
Russia has 182 new cases of coronavirus, according to the country's official tally. Most of the new cases were recorded in Moscow. This, as Russia shutters international flights to stop the spread of the virus. | The new infections bring the nation's tally to 840. The vast majority of the new cases, 136, were reported in Moscow. | The Russian government announced on Thursday that it would ban all regular and charter international flights starting Friday. Only flights bringing citizens home from abroad will be allowed. | Non-essential businesses in the Russian capital, including restaurants and cafes, will be c…
(2020-03-26). Global stock markets down on expectations of negative US jobs data. rt.com 
Global market sentiment has declined ahead of the latest US jobless claims data that is expected to show a massive spike in unemployment claims after businesses stateside shut down in an attempt to slow the spread of coronavirus. | Some experts suggest record unemployment numbers in the US, with Citi as the most bearish, projecting roughly four million claims. | The pan-European Stoxx 600 dropped 1.5 percent in early trade on Thursday, with basic resources tumbling 2.7 percent to lead losses as all sectors and major bourses plunged into negative territory. | Britain's FTSE 100 index shed almost three percent a…
(2020-03-26). The Corona Virus & Immigration. zcomm.org How Austerity and Anti-immigrant Politics Left Italy Exposed…
(2020-03-26). Germany: IG Metall union agrees an industrial truce with the corporations. wsws.org Last week, the IG Metall in North Rhine-Westphalia agreed to a wage freeze, which is to be extended into all areas of the economy.
(2020-03-26). How Austerity and Anti-Immigrant Politics Left Italy Exposed. counterpunch.org Italy has the fourth largest economy in the European Union, and in terms of health care, it is certainly in a better place than the US. Per capita, Italy has more hospital beds—so-called "surge capacity"—more doctors and more ventilators. Italians have a longer life expectancy than Americans, not to mention British, French, Germans, Swedes and Finns. The virus has had an especially fatal impact on northern Italy, the country's richest region. There are a number of reasons why Italy has been so hard-hit, but a major one can be placed at the feet of former Interior Minister Matteo Salvini of the xenopho…
(2020-03-26). Warnings that hundreds of thousands of Indonesians may already have COVID-19. wsws.org There are fears that the archipelago may become "the Italy of south-east Asia," with experts warning that 135 million may be infected by mid-May.
(2020-03-26). 8 Nations Address Letter to UN Chief Urging Sanctions Be Lifted. telesurenglish.net Venezuela has joined Wednesday China, Russia, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Cuba, and Nicaragua in their plea to United Nations (U.N.) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to urge the United States (U.S.) to remove its illegal economic sanctions on these countries amid the coronavirus global pandemic. | RELATED: | "Today we have a common enemy. As you've already recognized, it's a time to prepare, to step up and incre…
(2020-03-26). Who will win the US presidential election 2020: A prediction as to the winner through surveys and other data analytic tools. nationofchange.org There is no doubt that Bernie will give a tough competition to Trump but if Russia provides any kind of data support to trump, he will outplace Bernie.
(2020-03-26). Strikes mount across Europe against official response to coronavirus pandemic. wsws.org There is growing mistrust and social anger among workers against governments, trade unions and financial markets trying to force them back to work amid the pandemic.
(2020-03-26). Black Rock Profits in a Time of Crisis. counterpunch.org With little government support and corporate accountability, humanitarian aid workers are scrambling to address the refugee crisis in the wake of the global pandemic, COVID-19 (coronavirus). The outbreak of the coronavirus comes at a time when there is a great influx of war and economic refugees migrating to Europe. Despite Turkey's efforts to host millions
(2020-03-26). UN sends humanitarian aid to Idlib, NW Syria. yenisafak.com The UN on Thursday dispatched a total of 51 truckloads of humanitarian aid to Idlib, a northwestern Syrian city where millions of people are in desperate need of assistance.Trucks entered the city through the Cilvegozu border gate in southern Hatay province of Turkey bordering Idlib.The humanitarian aid items are going to be distributed to the needy people struggling to live in Idlib and nearby rural areas.Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests.Hundreds of thousands of people have since been killed and more than 10 mil…
(2020-03-26). INFOGRAPHIC: Over 487,600 coronavirus cases recorded globally. yenisafak.com Confirmed cases from the novel coronavirus across the world have reached 487,648 on Thursday, according to figures compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.The virus known as COVID-19, which emerged in Wuhan, China last December, has spread to at least 175 countries and regions around the globe, while a total of 21,571 people have died.In all, 117,749 people diagnosed with COVID-19 have recovered from the disease.Italy, Spain, China and Iran continue to be the most affected countries.Although China has the most confirmed cases with 81,782, Italy recorded the most deaths with 7,503 fatalities in over 74,300…
(2020-03-26). Nearly 2,000 people under quarantine after returning from Europe set to go home in Turkey. yenisafak.com Nearly 2,000 Turkish nationals put under two-week quarantine after returning from Europe are set to go home on March 30, barring any signs of coronavirus.The group of 1,955 arrived in Turkey on March 17 from various European countries and was placed in three student dormitories in Istanbul to guard against any spread of the virus.Next Monday, the group is set to go through a final checkup before going home if they face no medical problems.With checkups every day, so far reportedly no problem has come up.In Turkey, COVID-19 has so far claimed 59 lives, while 2,433 have tested positive.After first appearing in Wuha…
(2020-03-26). 'Bonebreaker' vultures get a new lease on life. yenisafak.com A captive breeding program to protect one of the four European vulture species is continuing successfully, according to the head of an international organization working on vulture conservation. "Our captive breeding program for the bearded vulture species currently has 178 birds and 70 pairs. It is unique in the sense that it is managed entirely for conservation purposes so that the birds can be reintroduced into the wild," Jose Tavares, head of the Vulture Conservation Foundation, told Anadolu Agency.Founded in 2009, the foundation is an international nongovernmental organization working for the conservation of…
(2020-03-26). COVID-19: Belgium's death toll at 220, cases top 6,000. yenisafak.com The coronavirus death toll in Belgium has risen to 220 after 42 more fatalities were reported across the country, health authorities said on Thursday. | A total of 1,298 COVID-19 cases were confirmed over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 6,235, according to a statement by the Federal Public Service of Health. | It said 536 people were hospitalized over the past 24 hours. | In a radio show, Health Minister Maggie De Block said Belgium's National Security Council will convene on Friday to discuss further measures to stem the virus' spread. | Meanwhile, a Belgian company announced that it has developed a rap…
(2020-03-26). Turkey holds first tender related to Istanbul canal project. yenisafak.com Turkey held its first tender on Thursday to prepare to build a huge canal on the edge of Istanbul, a Transport Ministry spokesman said, signaling progress on the project despite widespread criticism over its cost and environmental impact.The tender was for the planning phase of reconstructing two historic bridges located in the area where the 45-km (28 mile) Kanal Istanbul, championed by President Tayyip Erdogan, is expected to run.The canal will connect the Black Sea north of Istanbul with the Marmara Sea to the south and is estimated to cost 75 billion lira ($11.6 billion). The government says it will ease ship…
(2020-03-26). Official warns of virus' impact on global community. yenisafak.com Coronavirus outbreak across the world should not be allowed to impede cooperation and transform countries into isolated structures, the communications director of Turkey said on Thursday.Fahrettin Altun on Twitter commented on the possible effects of coronavirus on the international community and what sort of steps should be taken into consideration in a bid to minimize its damage."We must not allow this virus to push countries to erect new borders that would impede global cooperation. We must not allow it to turn nations into isolated societies," Altun said."President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan has been working very…
(2020-03-26). Syrian volunteers make masks for Turkey. yenisafak.com The women are working at a vocational training center in the southeastern Sanliurfa province which is operated by the Turkish charity Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH).They are using silk fabric in the masks which can be reused."Our brothers and sisters in Turkey so far have done a lot for us. This is a small gesture of our thankfulness," said Muhammed Saha, who heads the center.Turkey is hosting more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees, more than any other country in the world.Elif Musa, one of the volunteers working at the center, said they spend a lot of time working with other women."We voluntarily produce as…
(2020-03-26). COVID-19: 'Sleep deprivation reduces killer cells'. yenisafak.com Sleep deprivation reduces the number of natural killer cells which fight tumors and viral infections, a Turkish professor said, adding that a healthy immune system is your best bet against coronavirus."Healthy sleep is key for the proper functioning of immune system," said Levent Ozturk, a physiology expert at Trakya University in Turkey's Edirne province."Staying up for even only one night reduces the number and activity of the natural killer lymphocytes, which are crucial for the fight against viruses," Ozturk stressed.Ozturk added that the natural killer cells provide defense against the infections and they do…
(2020-03-26). European Parliament Holds Extraordinary Session on COVID-19 Pandemic – Video. sputniknews.com As the COVID-19 continues to spread worldwide, Europe has become a hotspot for the deadly virus, with Italy and Spain being hit the hardest.
(2020-03-26). Russian Military Doctors to Start Treating Coronavirus Patients in Bergamo From 27 March. sputniknews.com The day before, Russian military specialists arrived in the Italian city of Bergamo to start deploying the Italy-Russia coronavirus response centre in a move to slow the spread of COVID-19.
(2020-03-26). Putin: Russia May Defeat Coronavirus in Less Than 3 Months. sputniknews.com Russia enacted a series of comprehensive measures to tackle the COVID-19 outbreak in recent weeks, instituting travel restrictions, quarantine for infected individuals, and efforts to make an effective vaccine available following testing.
(2020-03-26). No Need for Hard Quarantine in Russia So Far – WHO. sputniknews.com There are currently less than 900 officially confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia, but the country's government has recently introduced a number of self-isolation measures to prevent the rapid spread of the disease.
(2020-03-26). Aerobatic Group Takes to the Skies in Moscow to Support Fight Against COVID-19 – Video. sputniknews.com The team will skytype messages such as "stay at home" and "resist this" to morally support people during the global fight against the new coronavirus pandemic.
(2020-03-26). Watch Russian Biological, Chemical Protection Troops Conduct Training. sputniknews.com As the coronavirus continues to spread worldwide, the Russian Defence Ministry has put all its efforts into dealing with the deadly virus in Russia. Thus, earlier in the day, the Russian Defence Ministry stated that it would build 16 modular-type centres for treating infectious diseases by 15 May.
(2020-03-26). 84-Year-Old Man is First UK Prisoner to Die of COVID-19 – Report. sputniknews.com The president of the Prison Governors Association recently warned that prisoners will start dying from COVID-19 due to the overcrowded and supbar conditions throughout the prison estate in England and Wales. Meanwhile WHO Europe released new guidelines which warn that prisoners are especially vulnerable to the illness.
(2020-03-26). Iraq: France withdraws forces in anti-ISIS coalition. iranian.com France has withdrawn its troops from Iraq, deployed as part of a U.S.-led coalition against the Daesh/ISIS terror group, according to local Iraqi media. The French forces' departure came after agreements with Baghdad, Iraq's official news agency INA quoted Abdel-Karim Khalaf, a spokesman for Iraq's caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, as saying. Khalaf did not …
(2020-03-25). Madrid's Ice Rink Turned to Morgue as Spain Exceeds China in Coronavirus Deaths. democracynow.org 
We go to Madrid, Spain, one of the epicenters of the pandemic in Europe, where health workers account for nearly 14% of the country's infections. Many face limited availability of protective equipment. So many people have died that Madrid's municipal funeral home has stopped collecting bodies. A large ice rink is now being used as a makeshift morgue, and the government plans to extend the state of emergency by another 15 days in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus. "If Madrid was a country, it would actually be fifth in terms of death rate in the entire world," says María Carrión, journalist and former De…
(2020-03-25). Pompeo's focus on blaming China for coronavirus derails joint G-7 statement. rt.com 
G-7 leaders reportedly balked at US insistence that Covid-19 be called the 'Wuhan virus' and blaming China for a "disinformation campaign" about it, letting the group's conference call end without a joint statement. | Following the hours-long teleconference with the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the UK — since the physical meeting of the group has been canceled due to the pandemic — US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo assured reporters that everyone was on board with his view of things. | "Every one of the nations that were at that meeting this morning was deeply aware of the di…
(2020-03-25). Italian workers to strike after bosses put profits over health with coronavirus loopholes. peoplesworld.org 
Metalworkers in Italy's Lombardy region are set to walk out for 24 hours on Wednesday. The region's three main metalworker unions—FIOM, FIM, and UILM—warned that bosses are exploiting loopholes and exceptions in a government decree that forces businesses to close due to the coronavirus. They said that the government list "has been excessively extended, covering …
(2020-03-25). Volkswagen reaches for brass ring of coronavirus virtue-signaling with 'social distancing' ad (but no cars). rt.com 
Volkswagen has coopted "social distancing" for an ad, complete with a cutesy "distant" VW logo. Struggling to sell cars amid coronavirus-related factory shutdowns, the company seems to hope corporate virtue will find more buyers. | Appealing to its customers to "follow the rules of conduct and hygiene with a lot of discipline," the car company posted a 55-second spot earlier this week, glossing over exactly whose rules the viewer ought to follow in the spartan-looking ad. The company began shutting down its factories in Europe last week, and its Chinese plants are only now coming back online, so it's not clear…
(2020-03-25). Headlines for March 25, 2020. democracynow.org Senate and White House Reach Agreement on $2 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Bill, NY Governor Blasts Trump's Coronavirus Response, Asking "Where Are the Ventilators?", Two Georgia Medical Workers Die of COVID-19 Amid Critical Shortage of Protective Gear, California Seeks to Add 50,000 Hospital Beds Ahead of COVID-19 Peak, Washington to Inspect Nursing Homes After 37 Die of Coronavirus at Life Care Center, Minnesota Lt. Gov.'s Brother Dies of COVID-19; Sen. Klobuchar's Husband Hospitalized, Defying Medical Advice, Trump Calls for Return to Normal and "Packed Churches" on Easter Sunday, U.S. Immigration Agencies Quara…
(2020-03-25). Video: SDF Releases Tens of ISIS Members in Eastern Syria. Turkey, Russia Struggle with Idlib De-escalation. globalresearch.ca On March 23, Russian and Turkish forces carried out a second limited joint patrol in southern Idlib. The patrol involved six armoured vehicles and took place along a short chunk of the M4 highway west of the government-controlled town of …
(2020-03-25). Poland Sabotages Russian Coronavirus Relief Efforts for Italy. globalresearch.ca Russia has encountered problems in delivering humanitarian aid to Italy, with assistance struggling to be reached quickly due to the hostilities of many European Union/NATO countries towards Russia. Yesterday it was revealed that Poland did not let Russian planes pass …
(2020-03-25). France to Withdraw Forces From Iraq Due to COVID-19. telesurenglish.net UPDATE 4: 00 pm | France will withdraw all stationed troops in Iraq until further notice due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Armed Forces Ministry said Wednesday. | "France has taken the decision to repatriate until further notice its personnel deployed in operation Chammal in Iraq," the ministry said, adding about 100 hundred soldiers were concerned. | The army said it would continue air operations against Islamic State. | The Iraqi military said Wednesday that the French forces within the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State (IS) militant group had withdrawn from Iraq, official Iraqi News Agency (I…
(2020-03-25). To Confront Coronavirus, We Need an Emergency Wealth Tax. truthout.org It's very hard to predict how long the coronavirus is going to be with us and how much money is going to be needed to defeat it. | The number of confirmed cases in Italy, Spain, the U.K., the United States and Iran are all on the same exponential growth trajectory; they have just started their first infections on different dates. | The easiest way to describe how steeply cases are accelerating is to say that, generally speaking, each country at least doubles its number of cases every four days. | In the early day…
(2020-03-25). Spain's COVID-19 Death Toll Overtakes China's. telesurenglish.net Spain's coronavirus death toll surpassed Wednesday that of China, where the disease originated, as the country struggles to cope with an accelerating health crisis. | RELATED: | With 3,445 deaths, Spain now has the second-highest number of deaths globally after Italy's 7,503. The country has reported over 47,000 cases, with Madrid and the semi-autonomous region of Catalonia becoming the hotspots of the virus. | "There has been a 20 pe…
(2020-03-25). Madrid's Ice Rink Turned Into Morgue as Spain Exceeds China in COVID-19 Deaths. truthout.org We go to Madrid, Spain, one of the epicenters of the pandemic in Europe, where health workers account for nearly 14% of the country's infections. Many face limited availability of protective equipment. So many people have died that Madrid's municipal funeral home has stopped collecting bodies. A large ice rink is now being used as a makeshift morgue, and the government plans to extend the state of emergency by another 15 days in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus. "If Madrid was a countr…
(2020-03-25). Russia Suspends Constitutional Referendum to Fight Covid-19. telesurenglish.net Russia's President Vladimir Putin Wednesday postponed the referendum on the amendments to the constitution and called on the people to stay home to quickly curb the Covid-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | "It is now extremely important to abort the threat of a rapid spread of the disease," Putin said in a televised message to the nation. | Although Russia closed its border with China in late January, the coronavirus has managed to sne…
(2020-03-25). The Coronavirus and the Urgent Need to Redefine National Security. counterpunch.org For far too long, the United States has been wastefully spending its precious budgetary resources on a nineteenth-century military strategy and a strategic arms policy that has brought no advantages to the American people. For the past three decades, our national security policies have been ineffectual and irrelevant to the genuine threats we face today. These threats do not emanate from Russia or China. Rather, they stem from an underfunded and highly vulnerable public health system, a cyber world that is out of control, and a crumbling infrastructure. In 2017, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave a grad…
(2020-03-25). 21 Years Since the Beginning of NATO Aggression against Yugoslavia. globalresearch.ca On the occasion of the 21st anniversary of the beginning of NATO's armed aggression against Serbia (the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), representatives of the Belgrade Forum for a World of Equals and the Club of Generals and Admirals of …
(2020-03-25). Turkey Prosecutor Indicts Saudi Suspects for Khashoggi Killing. telesurenglish.net Istanbul prosecutors said Wednesday they had prepared an indictment against 20 suspects over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, including a close aide to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and a former deputy head of general intelligence. | RELATED: | The indictment accuses former deputy head of Saudi Arabia's general intelligence Ahmed al-Asiri and former royal court adviser Saud al-Qahtani…
(2020-03-25). Spanish state: Amid spiralling COVID-19 death toll, demands grow for complete lock down. greenleft.org.au 
(2020-03-25). Doctor Strangelove Takes Care of Our Health. The Real Scenario is Nuclear War? "Senator, I am a Fan of Flexible First-use Policy" globalresearch.ca The real purpose of Defender Europe 20 was to sow tension and feed the idea of the enemy. The exercise prospected scenario could never occur, because an armed clash between NATO and Russia would also be inevitably nuclear. This is the real scenario which US forces are training in Europe for.
(2020-03-25). Nowruz: A season of renewal, and the time to get counted. iranian.com Every spring, Iranians around the globe join with family and friends to invite the coming of a New Year or Nowruz. Nowruz is the first day of spring, historically rooted in Zoroastrianism but celebrated by Iranians of all religious persuasions as well as Afghans, Uzbeks, Tajiks, Azerbaijanis, Kurds, and many others. The celebrations on and …