(2020-04-17). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org Fiat Chrysler in Italy has set May for the resumption of partial production while nurses in Ireland, South Africa and Malawi stage protests against lack of personal protective equipment.
(2020-04-17). EU lockdown exits will need more open borders, jobs chief says. rt.com 
European Union countries will need to ease border restrictions to let in cross-border and seasonal workers as they gradually pull out of lockdowns and relaunch their economies, the bloc's commissioner for jobs said on Friday. | The EU Commission issued guidelines to the 27 member states in March, urging them to let critical frontier workers, such as in the health or food sectors, cross borders. Some 1.5 million people live in one EU country and work in another. The situation improved after many countries' initial reflex to close frontiers but problems remained, Jobs and Social Rights Commissioner Nicolas Schmi…
(2020-04-17). Major automakers to jump start European production from next week. rt.com 
After a month-long shutdown due to Covid-19, major car manufacturers will gradually reopen plants in Europe. The outbreak has been a huge blow for the auto industry, sending it into the worst tailspin since the financial crisis. | Germany's Volkswagen (VW) which employs about 490,000 people in Europe (the majority of its global workforce of around 670,000) said that production of its passenger car brands will resume at plants in Zwickau, Germany and Bratislava, Slovakia starting the week of April 20. Other plants in Germany, Portugal, Spain, Russia and the United States will restart production the following we…
(2020-04-17). UK could have the highest death rate in Europe because government was 'too slow', doctor warns. thecanary.co 
Britain will face "further waves" of coronavirus and will probably have the highest death rate in Europe because the government was "too slow" to act, a leading physician has warned.Professor Anthony Costello, of University College London's Institute for Global Health, told a committee of MPs that the "harsh reality" is that "we were too slow with a number of things"."If we're going to suppress the chain of transmission of this virus in the next stage we all hope that the national lockdown and social distancing will bring about a large suppression of the epidemic so far — but we're going to face further wave…
(2020-04-17). Austria to let museums, some cultural spaces reopen from mid-May. rt.com 
Austrian museums and some other cultural spaces will be allowed to reopen from mid-May as part of the step-by-step loosening of its coronavirus lockdown, Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler said on Friday. A specific date has not yet been set, Kogler told reporters, adding that large events involving many people close together, such as festivals, would remain banned until August 31. | On Tuesday, the Alpine republic started loosening its lockdown, letting DIY stores, garden centers and smaller shops reopen. Larger shops and hairdressers are due to follow from May 1. | The country will be on the lookout for any accel…
(2020-04-17). Almost HALF of French Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier group tested positive for Covid-19. rt.com 
Some 1,081 servicemen of the 2,300-strong Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier group have tested positive for Covid-19, the French defense minister said. France's only carrier was forced to return to port after the outbreak. | The Charles de Gaulle coronavirus tally surged by over 300 confirmed cases on Friday when the country's military revealed new official figures. | Speaking to the country's National Assembly via video link, Defense Minister Florence Parly said that 2,010 tests had been carried out within the carrier group and 1,081 sailors tested positive. Some 545 of them have shown symptoms and 24 remain…
(2020-04-17). Putin & Macron discuss minimizing negative economic consequences of pandemic in telephone conversation. rt.com 
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron have discussed by telephone measures aimed at minimizing the negative socio-economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, the Kremlin's press service said on Friday. | During the conversation, which was initiated by the French side, the two leaders spoke about measures which are being taken in Russia and France. Macron thanked Putin for "helping France with the return of French citizens to their homeland and ensuring conditions for shipments of medical supplies and equipment through Russia to France," the press service said. | Int…
(2020-04-17). Sadiq Khan's call for compulsory face masks on London transport provokes both fury and praise. rt.com 
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has urged the UK government to make wearing face masks on public transport in the capital compulsory during the Covid-19 crisis, putting him at odds with UK health advisers and dividing public opinion. | During an interview with Sky News on Friday, the mayor of London claimed that "the evidence around the world is that this [face masks] is effective." He referenced countries such as the USA, Canada, Germany and South Korea, all of whom are currently advising their citizens to wear face masks during the coronavirus pandemic. | What I'm lobbying for is for when it comes to those circumsta…
(2020-04-17). German health minister says coronavirus outbreak is now 'manageable again'. rt.com 
The coronavirus outbreak in Germany has become manageable again, Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Friday. The number of patients who have made a recovery has been higher than the number of new infections every day this week, the minister noted. | "The outbreak has — as of today — become controllable and manageable again," Spahn told reporters, adding that the health care system had "at no time been overwhelmed so far." | Earlier, Spahn said a coronavirus contact tracing app will be ready for Germans to download and use on their smartphones in three to four weeks. Berlin has been more cautious than…
(2020-04-17). Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft with 3 crew members lands safely after completing mission on International Space Station (VIDEO). rt.com 
Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka and NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Andrew Morgan returned from the International Space Station (ISS) and landed safely in Kazakhstan. | All three space explorers were part of the Expedition 62 aboard the ISS. Skripochka and Meir arrived at the space station in September of last year, while Morgan had been working at the ISS since July 2019. | –ï–°–¢–¨ –ü–û–°–ê–î–ö–ê! | ´–°–∞—Ä–º–∞—Ç…
(2020-04-17). 'There were polar bears on the street': Did former England captain John Terry's DAUGHTER scupper 2018 move to Spartak Moscow? rt.com 
John Terry rejected a move to Spartak Moscow at the last minute after his daughter voiced her fears that polar bears roamed the streets and the Chelsea legend would "never return", Italian agent Marco Trabucchi has revealed. | Terry had completed a medical with Spartak in Rome at the start of the 2018/19 season before a family summit made the free agent decide that a switch to Russia was "not the right move". | He had been expected to sign a lucrative two-year contract to join his first club outside of the UK at the age of 37, but later issued a public apology to Spartak chairman Leonid Fedun in an about-turn…
(2020-04-17). Oil market will not start to see recovery before June despite historic production cuts. rt.com 
Major oil-producing nations struck a historic deal this month aimed at curbing global output in a bid to stabilize the market. RT spoke to experts to find out whether the deal could really solve the falling demand. | The agreement reached by members of OPEC+ and their allies, including Russia and Mexico, represents a drop in production of 9.7 million barrels per day in May and June — the deepest cut ever agreed to by the world's oil producers. After that, the group will steadily ramp up production until the agreement expires in April 2022. | Despite the record reduction, oil prices continued to slide, wit…
(2020-04-17). Denmark will allow small businesses to reopen on Monday, borders remain closed. rt.com 
Denmark will allow certain small businesses, such as hairdressers, beauty salons and driving schools, to reopen on April 20, the government said on Friday. The order follows a lockdown imposed last month to curb the spread of coronavirus. | The move also comes after the Nordic country, one of Europe's first to shut down, began reopening day care centers and schools this week in a first step towards gradually easing the lockdown. | "No one wants to keep Denmark closed a day longer than is absolutely necessary," Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Facebook. "But we must not proceed faster than we can still…
(2020-04-17). As US Shale Oil Plunges, Trump Admin Takes Aim at Venezuela. mintpressnews.com WASHINGTON DC ( Despite the president's rosy tone, most analysts have called the agreement — which presumably will freeze the Saudi-Russian oil price war that broke out…
(2020-04-17). Curtiz: A film about the filming of Casablanca in 1942. wsws.org Michael Curtiz was one of the most prolific, talented directors in history, with some 180 films to his credit—a third of them made in his native Hungary and other European countries by the time he emigrated to the US in 1926.
(2020-04-17). India and the Coronavirus. counterpunch.org While the corona virus has focused much of the world on Europe and the United States, India promises to be the greatest victim of the disease. But other than a slick public relations campaign, the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done little to confront the crisis. Indeed, a number of policy moves by
(2020-04-17). European states demand return to work as COVID-19 cases top 1 million. wsws.org By preparing to order workers back to work amid a raging pandemic, European governments are risking the lives of millions of workers and those close to them.
(2020-04-17). Talks underway to return stranded Iranians from Italy: FM spox. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 17 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi said talks are underway with Italy to bring home the Iranian students stranded in the country after the coronavirus outbreak.
(2020-04-17). Russia stresses formation of anti-sanctions campaign. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 17 (MNA) — Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov reiterated Moscow's opposition to the US' unilateral sanctions against Iran, calling for the formation of an anti-sanctions campaign amid the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
(2020-04-17). Coronavirus death toll in Belgium tops 5,000. yenisafak.com At least 313 more deaths from the coronavirus were seen in Belgium over the past 24 hours, health officials announced on Friday, bringing the tally to date to 5,163.According to the latest data from the Federal Public Service of Health, as many as 1,329 new cases were reported.Both the Flanders and Wallonia regions saw 44-44% of the new patients, while 11% of recent cases are from the capital, Brussels.So far, six out of 10 patients have been from Flanders.In total, 36,138 people have been infected in the country since the outbreak.A total of 320 people were recently taken to hospital, while healthcare facilities…
(2020-04-17). Turkey sends planeload of medical aid to Somalia. yenisafak.com A Turkish military cargo plane carrying medical supplies to assist Somalia's fight against the coronavirus pandemic has departed from the capital Ankara on Friday.The aircraft is set to land in Somalia's capital Mogadishu.In line with its policy of helping countries in need, Turkey has dispatched aid to Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo, as well as Libya, Italy, and Spain, among others.After originating in Wuhan, China last December, COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has spread to at least 185 countries and regions across the world.The pandemic has killed over 146,…
(2020-04-17). Ireland considering tougher airport checks against coronavirus. yenisafak.com Ireland may have to bring in more stringent checks at its airports to ensure the coronavirus remains contained whenever the country eases stay-home restrictions, Health Minister Simon Harris said on Friday."I would not rule out the fact that we may need to be more stringent in relation to our airports, particularly as we move out of the very, very, very serious restrictions that are in place," Harris told the Newstalk radio station in an interview."There may then be a need for more stringent checks to make sure that while we're all doing what we're meant to be doing here, that we don't have other people coming in…
(2020-04-17). Spain struggles with data as contagions continue. yenisafak.com Spain's Ministry of Health readjusted its official data today, reporting 585 new deaths between Thursday and Friday.The official death total is now 19,478
(2020-04-17). PKK terrorist ammunition seized in SE Turkey, N Iraq. yenisafak.com Turkish security forces seized a large number of weapons and ammunition belonging to the PKK terror group during operations in southeastern Turkey and in northern Iraq.The National Defense Ministry said on Twitter on Friday that security forces busted and destroyed PKK shelters during anti-terror operations in Cukurca, Hakkari, southeastern Turkey, and northern Iraq's Haftanin region.In operations, security forces destroyed three binoculars, including two night vision ones, two grenades, five detonators, two 60 mm mortar ammunition and 287 bullets, three RPG-7 rocket launcher ammunitions, four RPG-7 propelling ca…
(2020-04-17). Sharing is caring: Turkish baker distributes free bread. yenisafak.com A baker in southeastern Turkey has taken upon himself the task of distributing 1,000 loaves of bread daily to families in need amid the coronavirus lockdown.Cetin Dogru, who has a bakery in Kayapinar district of Diyarbakir province, started this charitable act 10 days ago.He said many businesses have temporarily shut down due to measures the government has taken to curb the spread of the virus.The baker also hired four people who had been affected by recent lay offs."After we started giving free bread, we had to up our produce. So we bake 2,000 loaves in two shifts every day."He said he will continue this initiat…
(2020-04-17). Italy to Launch App That Traces Coronavirus Contacts – Official. sputniknews.com ROME (Sputnik) – Italy will launch a smartphone application that will trace the contacts of users and warn about the risk of being infected, a government official in charge of coronavirus response has said.
(2020-04-17). Polish Lawmakers File Motion to Extend Presidential Term Amid Deadlock Over Election. sputniknews.com WARSAW (Sputnik) – The incumbent president Andrzej Duda has occupied his post since 6 August 2015. In October 2019, he received the official backing of the largest political party Law and Justice ahead of his re-election campaign…
(2020-04-17). Moscow Aware of US Offer to Tbilisi to Expand Military Research in Lugar Biolab. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Moscow is aware of Washington's offer to Georgia to expand military research in the Richard Lugar biological laboratory, located not far from Tbilisi, the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said on Friday.
(2020-04-17). Medvedev Sees COVID-19 Response Measures in Big Russian Cities as Tough Yet Adequate. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 that are currently in place in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other big cities across Russia are tough but adequate for the existing situation, Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev has said in his first interview with Sputnik held through a teleconference.
(2020-04-17). Russian Foreign Ministry Reveals How US Helped Push Moscow to Create Hypersonic Weapons. sputniknews.com After the US withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty last August, Moscow has expressed concern that Washington may allow the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) to lapse, and warned that doing so may trigger a new arms race.
(2020-04-17). Moscow: US Accusing Russia of Missile Tests to Distract From Deployment of American Weapons in Space. sputniknews.com US Space Command accused Russia of testing a direct-ascent anti-satellite (DA-ASAT) missile on Wednesday, claiming that the test was "another example that the threats to US and allied space systems" were " real, serious and growing."
(2020-04-17). Outrage Online as 'Terminally Stupid' Westminster Crowd Breaks Distancing Rules to Clap for Carers. sputniknews.com The government of the United Kingdom has introduced social distancing measures restricting the public from leaving their homes with the exception of essential travel and exercise. This has coincided with large-scale public displays of support for key workers fighting the epidemic.
(2020-04-17). WATCH smoke from Chernobyl & dust turning Kiev sky gray. rt.com 
Apocalyptic-looking scenes were aplenty on Friday in the Ukrainian capital, when smoke from wildfires and dust borne by strong winds briefly lent Kiev the label of the world's most polluted city. | Kiev's skies remained grey in the morning, and residents had to shut their windows to keep out the nauseous stench of burning, according to complaints on social media platforms. | Air pollution spiked in the city starting late Thursday. Some of it came in the form of dust carried by heavy winds. Ukraine had an unusually dry winter and spring, which led to the large amount of dust, local weather officials explained.
(2020-04-16). Coronavirus Pandemic Has Shown that Mediterranean Europe Does Not Need THE EU. globalresearch.ca Germany's long history of wanting to rule the entirety of Europe extends back to both World Wars in the 20th Century, and perhaps even earlier. The German political structures believed that through war and conquest it could dominate the continent …
(2020-04-16). The Russians Get Blamed Again, but Who Is Really Subverting American Democracy? globalresearch.ca It is perhaps inevitable that a major health panic like the coronavirus will have political ramifications based on whether those most affected by the illness will perceive that the government performed well or poorly in the crisis. The government for …
(2020-04-16). "World War C" Presents a Host of Challenges for Central Asia. globalresearch.ca Central Asia is at risk of collapse if the socio-economic consequences of World War C aren't addressed after much-needed remittance flows from Russia were abruptly cut off as a result of that country's emergency quarantine measures, which in turn could …
(2020-04-16). Positive signs in Europe over coronavirus 'tempered by UK', WHO says. thecanary.co 
The UK is among a handful of countries singled out by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for having "tempered" the "positive signs" that Europe is passing the peak of the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.Dr Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said that while there have been "optimistic signs" in countries worst affected by coronavirus, others, such as the UK, demonstrated "sustained or increased levels of incidents". | Latest figures from the Department of Health said a total of 12,868 patients died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on 14 April — an increase of…
(2020-04-16). 'Mao-style social controls' or benign citizen 'armies'? NYT flip-flops on Covid-19 contact tracers — because now it's not China. rt.com 
The same citizen virus-tracing corps the New York Times decried in China as Maoism incarnate is being tried in Massachusetts and San Francisco, and the outlet has decided that what's bad for Beijing is good for democracies. | Massachusetts and San Francisco — as well as the Republic of Ireland — are deputizing citizens to track down contacts of people infected with coronavirus, the Times
(2020-04-16). 'Flawless work': Italian doctors thank Russian colleagues for help in tackling Covid-19 epidemic. rt.com 
Doctors working in Bergamo, one of the epicenters of the coronavirus outbreak in Italy, thanked Russian specialists for their help in treating some of the most difficult cases. | The work of the Russian medical staff has been "extremely effective," said Oliviero Valoti, chief medical officer at one of the hospitals in the northern Italian city. Valoti added that he and his colleagues had to entrust some patients in "quite grave condition" to the Russian physicians, who have done their job "flawlessly." | Moscow sent 15 transport planes with 100 military virologists and epidemiologists to Italy in late March, a…
(2020-04-16). 29-year-old man among 14 new victims of Covid-19 in Moscow. rt.com 
Fourteen more people diagnosed with the novel coronavirus have died in the Russian capital over the last 24 hours, the Covid-19 crisis center has confirmed, adding that the deceased were aged between 29 and 88. | The youngest victims, aged 29 and 39 respectively, were diagnosed with hemorrhagic pneumonia. Five other patients suffered from diabetes. | The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia has topped 27,900. The disease has also claimed 232 lives nationwide. More than 2,300 patients have recovered.
(2020-04-16). Some oil producing nations agree to cut production 10%. mronline.org 
Oil-producing nations led by Russia, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia reached an unprecedented agreement on Sunday to cut oil production by 9.7 million barrels per day, or nearly 10 percent of what is currently produced, as The New York Times reported.
(2020-04-16). COVID-19 storm strengthens across Europe, controlling transmission everywhere, essential: Tedros. news.un.org The storm clouds of COVID-19 still hang heavily over Europe, a senior World Health Organization (WHO) expert said on Thursday, with reported cases in the last 10 days alone, doubling to nearly 1 million. The continent now accounts for 10 per cent of the global total.
(2020-04-16). France summons Chinese ambassador after embassy criticizes "herd immunity" policy. wsws.org Paris called in Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shaye on Monday to criticize his embassy's statements that European countries abandoned "their citizens to face the viral onslaught."
(2020-04-16). Visà£o Factual Epidemiológica: Portugal é um dos países mais perigosos do mundo na Covid-19. globalresearch.ca Os portugueses està£o entre os povos mais afetados e em maior risco do mundo em casos confirmados de infectados de Covid-19 e mortes no mundo pelo SARS-Cov-2, considerando o tamanho da populaàßà£o. | Sou cientista fármaco-epidemiologista formado em Harvard e a …
(2020-04-16). Iran sends plane to Russia to return stranded students. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 16 (MNA) — Spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Organization (CAO) of Iran Reza Jafarzadeh confirmed the transfer of Iranian students from Moscow to Tehran amid the outbreak of coronavirus global pandemic.
(2020-04-16). "Something Has Gone Wrong": UK Government, Banks Screw Up Coronavirus Loans, Small Firms Near Collapse. Better Results in Other Countries. globalresearch.ca Thanks to its Brexit planning, the UK should have been better positioned to help its small businesses through the coronavirus crisis than most of its European peers. In early 2019, the UK treasury, together with the business department and the …
(2020-04-16). What is Socialist Psychology: Child Development, History Shaping, Therapy and Revolutionary Situations: Part II. dissidentvoice.org 
Orientation In Part I of this article I discussed how when Vygotsky's work was exported to the United States it was narrowly defined as encompassing his work in child-development and cooperative learning. His interest in art history, European history and his commitment to Marxian political economy is barely mentioned. Secondly, I contrasted the differences between …
(2020-04-15). In Pictures: Bluebells bloom for woodland walkers. thecanary.co 
Anyone lucky enough to be able to take their daily exercise in woodland could be greeted this week by the spring arrival of bluebells.The perennial plant is found from north-west Spain to the UK and Ireland and its delicate blue flowers have already been spotted across the South East. Here they are pictured in early morning light at Micheldever wood in Hampshire.(Andrew Matthews/PA)(Andrew Matthews/PA)(Andrew Matthews/PA)Earlier in the week, walkers could enjoy the floral carpets in Wanstead Park in north-east London as it put on its own show of bluebells.(Stefan Rousseau/PA)(Stefan Rousseau/PA)(Stefan Rousseau/P…
(2020-04-15). Relaxing lockdowns without boosting care could lead to new COVID spike: WHO. news.un.org As some European countries begin to relax lockdown measures following weeks of confinement introduced to halt the spread of the new coronavirus, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of a potential "second wave" of COVID-19 infections.
(2020-04-15). First Person: The power of art in a time of coronavirus crisis. news.un.org In Italy, impromptu concerts, performed from apartment balconies, have become one of the features of life under lockdown. On UNESCO World Art Day, which falls on April 15, a professional violinist told UN News how he is using his talent to help others through the crisis.