(2020-04-23). 150 years after the birth of V.I. Lenin: Long Live Leninism! fightbacknews.org On April 22, 1870 the great Russian revolutionary Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was born in a small city of Simbirsk near the Volga River. Lenin stood at the forefront of Russia's revolutionary movement, at the helm of the world's first socialist country, and simultaneously brought into being the modern international communist movement. Lenin's thinking and the movement he helped create shook the world, and with our collective efforts, will shape the future. | Lenin's practical and theoretical contributions are legion. He was a profoundly practical person, who made major contributions to Marxist theory. In fact, Lenin to…
(2020-04-23). Forgotten War Crimes: NATO's 1999 Attack on Serbia's State TV Headquarters "Wiped from the Record" globalresearch.ca This article was originally published in 2018 following its 19th anniversary. Slight modification is made below for its 21st anniversary. | Twenty-one years ago, on 23 April 1999, a NATO missile attack on Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) headquarters killed …
(2020-04-23). Monitoring the Public After Coronavirus. globalresearch.ca It is too early to say when or even whether the siege initiated by the coronavirus will end, but many Americans and Europeans are speculating over what kind of countries will emerge on the other side. National Security Agency (NSA) …
(2020-04-23). 'I strongly disagree': Trump says Georgia lifting Covid-19 lockdown 'too fast,' but governor REFUSES to back down. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump said Georgia is scaling back its coronavirus lockdown measures too quickly, voicing disapproval for the state's aggressive timetable for reopening, but Governor Brian Kemp held firm to his plan. | "I told the governor of Georgia that I disagree strongly with his decision to reopen certain facilities… which are in violation of the federal phase one guidelines," Trump told reporters at a White House briefing on Wednesday, adding that the state should "wait a little longer." | Although the president took issue with the Republican governor's decision, which has drawn major backlash from…
(2020-04-23). Hungary's lockdown rules to be in effect until May 3, as govt plans 'restart of economy'. rt.com 
The Hungarian government will decide next week on the future of lockdown measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus, as Budapest prepares for a restart of the economy, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff said on Thursday. | Current lockdown rules will be in effect until May 3, and a new set of rules will be implemented thereafter to incrementally allow the economy to get back to normal, Gergely Gulyas said. | The new set of restrictions after May 3 will ensure that those who are the most endangered by the virus are protected when economic activity is recommenced, Gulyas said. The restart of the…
(2020-04-23). 'Can't offer help with one hand & smother with the other': Russia slams West & its allies after anti-sanction draft fails at UNGA. rt.com 
Moscow has blasted the decision by a group of countries, including the US, to block a draft resolution calling for an end to unilateral sanctions on developing countries gripped by the coronavirus pandemic. | The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) rejected two draft resolutions on Wednesday, aimed at supporting the battle against the Covid-19. Both of the Russia-sponsored and the Riadh-championed drafts received at least one "nay" after they were circulated among the body's members on Wednesday. A single objection is enough for a draft to be defeated in line with the special voting protocol in effect at th…
(2020-04-23). Rescue of refugees in the Mediterranean Sea halted. wsws.org The COVID-19 pandemic has become a wretched excuse to halt aid to refugees and abolish the fundamental right to asylum in the European Union.
(2020-04-23). European Union summit argues over corona bonds. wsws.org A bitter struggle is raging between the EU member states over how the trillions should be distributed and who will pay for it.
(2020-04-23). As US governors rush to reopen businesses, "Excess death" counts begin to reveal true toll of pandemic. wsws.org A series of reports have shown that the real death toll from the coronavirus in many parts of the United States and Europe is likely at least twice what has been officially reported.
(2020-04-23). Unrest spreads in France in response to police brutality. wsws.org While sparked by the latest act of wanton police violence, the riots are more fundamentally driven by popular anger over social inequality and the right-wing policies of the Macron administration.
(2020-04-23). Germany's right-wing Bild newspaper agitates against China. wsws.org The accusation serves to divert attention away from the ruling elite's failure to deal with the pandemic, while at the same time whipping up public opinion for war with China.
(2020-04-23). 'Hug Me' goes to Italy's Patologico film festival. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 23 (MNA) — Iranian short film 'Hug Me' directed by Ahmad Seyedkeshmiri has been accepted into the International Festival of Cinema Patologico in Italy.
(2020-04-23). COVID-19: Mayo Clinic expert on what it's going to take to reopen the US. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Widespread stay-at-home efforts have forced many businesses to close during the COVID-19 pandemic. As talk of reopening the economy ramps up across the U.S., Dr. Gregory Poland, a Mayo Clinic COVID-19 expert, answers questions about what it's going to take to get to that point. Watch: Dr. Gregory Poland answers questions on reopening after COVID-19 …
(2020-04-22). Chileans Who Took to Streets Against Inequality & Climate Crisis Say Virus Lockdowns Won't Stop Them. democracynow.org 
Months ago, the streets of Santiago and other Chilean cities were alive with a vibrant mass protest movement that drew hundreds of thousands and even led the U.N. climate summit to be relocated to Madrid, Spain, last December. Now the public spaces of Santiago are largely empty as citizens shelter in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But the protest movement against austerity and right-wing President Sebastián Piñera lives on as activists find new ways to organize online. We go to Santiago, Chile, to speak with Angela Valenzuela, a 350.org organizer who has been active both in the country's uprising and in…
(2020-04-23). German court opens first Syria torture trial. yenisafak.com Two suspected members of President Bashar al-Assad's security services had charges of torture and sexual assault read out against them on Thursday in a German court, in what lawyers say is the first trial for war crimes by Syrian government agents.Anwar R., a former intelligence officer who applied for asylum in Germany six years ago after leaving Syria, is charged with 58 murders in a Damascus prison where prosecutors say at least 4,000 opposition activists were tortured in 2011 and 2012.Grey haired, with a bald patch and wearing a moustache, glasses and a dark sweater, he sat calmly behind a glass cubicle erect…
(2020-04-23). Iran's coronavirus death toll reaches 5,481. yenisafak.com With 90 new deaths reported in Iran, the death toll from the coronavirus surged to 5,481, state media said on Thursday.A total of 1,030 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total infections to 87,026, Iran's state broadcaster reported, citing a statement Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour.Jahanpour said 64,843 people have recovered so far and were discharged from hospitals, while 3,105 patients are in critical condition.After originating in China last December, COVID-19 has spread to at least 185 countries and regions. Europe and the U.S. are currently the worst-hi…
(2020-04-23). Glad to be helping: refugee Syrian film-maker turns London hospital cleaner. yenisafak.com On a coronavirus ward in an east London hospital, award-winning film-maker Hassan Akkad, a refugee from Syria, is working as a cleaner, joining the fight against the pandemic in his adopted home."I'm so glad to be helping," Akkad said in an interview on Zoom.The 32-year old refugee has lived in London for four years. His footage of the journey he made surviving a sinking dinghy from Turkey into Europe and on to the UK, was part of a documentary series which in 2017 won BAFTA and International Emmy awards.With the outbreak of the disease, he saw a way to thank the community that had welcomed him and become "like h…
(2020-04-23). Traffic light for bathroom break is new normal in coronavirus Italy. yenisafak.com And he feels lucky to have a job. Only 200 of the 800 workers at the ISA company, which makes refrigerated display cases for bars, restaurants and supermarkets, have so far been able to return to the factory in Italy's Umbria region.The gradual return has been made possible through a combination of solutions ranging from simple to innovative to high tech.Strips taped on the floor create walking lanes and delineate work areas.A yellow and green traffic light system was installed to keep the bathrooms safe. Workers flick a switch as they enter or leave the bathroom and the colour of the light tells those who want t…
(2020-04-23). Spain: COVID-19 continues decline amid 440 more deaths. yenisafak.com Spain reported 440 new deaths on Thursday related to the novel coronavirus, bringing the total number of fatalities in the country to 22,157, according to the Ministry of Health.The number of official daily deaths is slightly up from the previous two days, but far below the peak of 950 in early April.Spanish health officials also registered more than 4,600 new contagions on Thursday. The total number of confirmed cases is now 214,535. Nearly 90,000 people have recovered.Despite the numbers, the worst of the crisis appears to have passed in Spain. A general decrease in pressure in both hospitals and funeral servic…
(2020-04-23). Head of EU delegation to Turkey marks Children's Day. yenisafak.com The head of the EU delegation to Turkey marked the National Sovereignty and Children's Day Thursday, wishing for a world that ensures the rights and well-being of children.Ambassador Christian Berger and his wife recorded a video message for Anadolu Agency to observe the 100th anniversary of the Turkish parliament on behalf of the delegation.They also shared two "very special" childhood photos of themselves that were taken in Vienna and Athens.Highlighting the importance of the centennial celebrations, Berger said: "A day that was dedicated by the founder of the Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatàºrk, to all child…
(2020-04-23). 'Turkey will have a voice in the new world's order'. yenisafak.com Turkey will make its voice heard in the new world order after the novel coronavirus outbreak, the country's parliament speaker said on Thursday.Turkish Parliament held a special sitting on the centenary of the first session of the Grand National Assembly National, which coincides with the country's National Sovereignty and Children's Day.In an opening speech, Mustafa Sentop told the lawmakers following the pandemic, countries would discuss how to "evolve" the world, adding that Turkey would protect its rights in the making of the "new world order."Stressing that the global COVID-19 outbreak exposed that the curre…
(2020-04-23). Turkey's | cutting-edge drones rock military power dynamics in Libya. yenisafak.com Turkey's cutting-edge drones have shifted the strategic balance of military power since the beginning of 2020 in Libya, weakening the eastern-based forces of warlord Khalifa Haftar, French newspaper Le Monde reported.Speaking to the newspaper's correspondent Frédéric Bobin, experts pointed out that Turkish-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and advanced technology have had a crucial impact on the military power dynamics in the region."The reason is that Turkish drones and anti-aircraft defense systems installed by Ankara in Tripoli have had an impact on preventing Emirati flights from reaching Tripoli or Misrata…
(2020-04-23). Turkey donates emergency food for 3,000 Bangladeshis. yenisafak.com Turkey on Thursday donated emergency food aid for 3,000 poor households in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka on the eve of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan amid the novel coronavirus pandemic."We stand by our brothers and sisters in Bangladesh, who are the most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic consequences," said Mustafa Osman Turan, Turkish Ambassador in Bangladesh, in an address to the recipient families at a ceremony.The South Asian nation of more than 165 million has so far reported 127 deaths from COVID-19 so far, with 4,186 confirmed cases and 108 recoveries.The Turkish Cooperation and Co…
(2020-04-23). Ex-Concentration Camp Prisoners Ask Investigation Committee to Deal With Actions of Finnish Invaders. sputniknews.com Former prisoners of Finnish concentration camps in Karelia have asked Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the Investigation Committee, to look into the actions of the occupation authorities during the Great Patriotic War.
(2020-04-23). German Government Says UK Requests for Full Europol Database Access 'Not Possible' – Reports. sputniknews.com Britain left the European Union on 31 January but UK and EU officials are still negotiating about trade and other matters post-Brexit. One of the issues up for discussion is how much access UK law enforcement agencies will have to EU-wide databases.
(2020-04-23). 'I Really Screwed Up': World's Biggest Wealth Fund CEO Apologises for Private Jet Flight. sputniknews.com A high-profile seminar that numerous Norwegian public figures attended has left Norway's Oil Fund in trouble, as both its outgoing and incoming CEOs are facing ethical scrutiny.
(2020-04-23). Ex-USSR President Gorbachev Reveals Why He Thinks Perestroika Failed to Achieve Its Goals. sputniknews.com MOSCOW, April 23 (Sputnik) – Perestroika was disrupted as a result of the State Committee on the State of Emergency's actions and those who made use of the situation emerging after the 1991 August coup to tear the country apart, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev said on Thursday.
(2020-04-23). Differences Around WHO's Coronavirus Response Undermine G7 Format – Moscow. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The G7 format is undermined dramatically by differences on the World Health Organization's (WHO) COVID-19 response, with some leaders first pledging full support to the WHO and then making opposite statements, the deputy head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's foreign policy planning department said on Thursday.
(2020-04-22). Turkey launches new attacks on Kurdish refugee camps. greenleft.org.au 
(2020-04-23). EU censures US for refusing to ease sanctions on Iran. iranian.com The European Union has censured the United States for refusing to ease sanctions on the Islamic Republic and blocking an International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan to Iran to help it fight the COVID-19 pandemic. "We supported first to soften the sanctions and second, the request by Iran to the International Monetary Fund for financial help," EU foreign …
(2020-04-22). Video: Russian Fighter Jets Buzz US Spy Planes Off Syrian Coast. globalresearch.ca On April 20, gunmen attacked a vehicle of the US-led coalition moving along the road near the village of Roueished in the province of al-Hasakah. Syrian state media reported that the vehicle was destroyed and several US service members were …
(2020-04-22). France finds smoking may help you RESIST Covid-19… if you don't mind dying of something else. rt.com 
In a reversal of prevailing Covid-19 wisdom, a French study appears to show smokers are less at risk from the virus, affirming the results of an earlier Chinese study. The data aren't conclusive — but they're certainly surprising. | Nicotine may protect smokers against the coronavirus, according to a paper published on Tuesday in the French Academy of Sciences' Biology Reports. Studying 482 patients hospitalized with Covid-19 in Paris's Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital, the researchers found just 5 percent were daily smokers — far lower than the 25.4 percent of the French population wh…
(2020-04-22). UK coronavirus deaths may have reached 41,000, study finds. thecanary.co 
Deaths linked to coronavirus (Covid-19) in the UK may have already reached 41,000, according to new analysis.The Financial Times estimate is more than double the latest total announced by the Department of Health, which stood at 17,337 at 5pm on 20 April.The government's figure is based almost entirely on the deaths of hospital patients who tested positive for Covid-19.Differences in reporting mean this total can include a small number of deaths outside hospital that occurred in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.The Financial Times has used separate figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS)…
(2020-04-22). RAF plane returns from Turkey PPE mission. thecanary.co 
An RAF plane, believed to be carrying a delayed consignment of personal protective equipment (PPE) for NHS staff, has landed in the UK.Flight tracker RadarBox showed the Airbus A400-M registered ZM416 depart Istanbul and land just after 3.30am on Wednesday at RAF Brize Norton.The plane had been dispatched from the Oxfordshire base, where two other planes are on stand-by to pick up further kit from Turkey, late on Monday.It is not known if the consignment, which was ordered on Thursday and originally due to arrive on Sunday, includes 400,000 badly-needed surgical gowns. | The government has come in for mounting cr…
(2020-04-22). France and COVID-19: Incompetence and Conceit. counterpunch.org On December 31, 2019, the Chinese government informed the World Health Organization of an epidemic of animal origin in Wuhan, reporting similarities to SARS-CoV (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, originally appearing in 2002 in the province of Guangdong) and to MERS-CoV (Middle East Repiratory Syndrome, originally appearing in Saudi Arabia in 2012). On January 12, Chinese scientists shared the completely sequenced genome of this new coronavirus with the entire international scientific community.
(2020-04-22). South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee reopening as coronavirus deaths mount. wsws.org The actions amount to a death sentence for thousands of working people, and particularly the elderly.
(2020-04-22). It's Lenin 150th birthday, read his 'Letter to American Workers'. fightbacknews.org To mark the 150 birthday, April 22, of the outstanding revolutionary V.I. Lenin, Fight Back News Service is circulating his famous article 'Letter to American Workers.' | Comrades! A Russian Bolshevik who took part in the 1905 Revolution, and who lived in your country for many years afterwards, has offered to convey my letter to you. I have accepted his proposal all the more gladly because just at the present time the American revolutionary workers have to play an exceptionally important role as uncompromising enemies of American imperialism—the freshest, strongest and latest in joining in the world-wide sl…
(2020-04-22). Presidents of Russia, Iran and Turkey Discuss COVID-19 Crisis. telesurenglish.net Presidents Vladimir Putin, Russia; Hasan Rohani, Iran; and Racep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey, discussed a partnership to tackle COVID-19 in these countries on Tuesday during a telephone meeting. | RELATED: | The consolidation of efforts in the international community is essential to contain the spread of the virus, the leaders agreed. | During the telephone meeting, they agreed to intensify the in…
(2020-04-22). Delivery Workers Call for a 24-Hours Strike in Seven Countries. telesurenglish.net Delivery workers from Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Peru, and Spain Wednesday go on strike to demand that companies increase their wages, set stable work contracts, and provide security supplies amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | "Although our work is essential during this pandemic, we, the delivery workers, are in a difficult situation. Many of us have been forced to work longer…
(2020-04-22). Iran takes delivery of COVID19 test kits bought from France. iranian.com Iran took delivery of some six tons consignment of coronavirus test kits bought from France through Sari Su border market, the managing director of Bazargan Customs Office said. Speaking to IRNA, Sadeq Namdar said this is the third pharmaceutical consignment which arrived in Iran with the agreement of Iranian and Turkish border chiefs and through …
(2020-04-21). Murder or salvation? Southern US states to relax Covid-19 lockdowns amid outcry. rt.com 
Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina are saying they will start reopening some stores and public spaces shuttered by pandemic fears, triggering partisan outrage and accusations of having a racist death wish. | Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee announced on Monday that he will not extend his stay-at-home order past April 30 and may allow some businesses and state parks to open before that. Meanwhile, in South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster ordered access to public beaches and some retailers Also on rt.com…
(2020-04-21). Wilhelm Konrad Roentgen—The Centennial of His Birth. jamanetwork.com On March 27, 1845 Wilhelm Konrad Roentgen was born in Lennep, Germany. He received his early education in the Netherlands and then studied under Clausius, teacher of Willard Gibbs, in Zurich, Switzerland. At Wàºrzburg he became assistant to Kundt. In 1874 he became privatdozent at Strasbourg University. In 1875 Roentgen was made professor of mathematics and physics at the Agricultural Academy of Hohenheim. He returned to Strasbourg in 1876, where he became extraordinary professor. In 1879 he was appointed ordinary professor of physics and director of the Physical Institute of Giessen, and in 1885 he became p…
(2020-04-21). Iran, Russia, Turkey to Discuss Syria Situation. iranian.com The Iranian, Russian and Turkish foreign ministers plan to hold a meeting via video conference on Wednesday to discuss the latest developments in Syria. According to Russian foreign ministry, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Russian and Turkish counterparts Sergei Lavrov and Mevlut Cavusoglu will hold the online meeting on April 22, TASS reported. …
(2020-04-20). Headlines for April 20, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Fatalities Top 40,000; Nursing Homes Hit Hard as Death Tolls Soar | , Trump and Governors at Odds over Coronavirus Testing as Uneven Reopening of States Commences, Right-Wing Groups Organize Anti-Lockdown Protests Around the Country | , New Deal on Relief for Small Businesses Could Be Imminent But May Lack Key Democratic Provisions, Immigrant Prisoners at Otay Mesa Launch Hunger Strike, Denounce Inhumane Treatment | , Michael Cohen to Be Released from Federal Detention as Prisoners Nationwide Face Mounting Coronavirus Risk, Italy Records Lowest Daily Death Toll in a Week; Spain & France Also Show Signs of Pr…
(2020-04-20). 'The US Reaction to Pressure to Ease Sanctions Was to Double Down' – CounterSpin interview with Joe Emersberger on sanctions under Covid-19. fair.org 
"If there were an opposition movement in countries like Canada and the United States and Europe, the demand wouldn't just be, 'You gotta stop this'; the demand would actually be, 'Hey, we've got to prosecute the people involved with this. This is killing people. This is a crime. People should be facing legal consequences for this.'"
(2020-04-18). Where the Skripals Are Today. dissidentvoice.org 
On 4 March 2018, both Sergei Skripal and his daughter who was visiting from their shared home country of Russia, Yulia Skripal, were poisoned in Salisbury England, and — though both survived — neither of them has been allowed to communicate to the public except under the watch of their British court-appointed 'guardians'. They also …
(2020-04-14). "Terrified to Go to Work": Hundreds of Workers in Meat & Poultry Plants Test Positive for COVID-19. democracynow.org 
We look at the spike in coronavirus infections at meatpacking plants. In just one case, Smithfield Foods shut down a plant responsible for 5% of U.S. pork production after more than 350 workers at the facility tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, deaths of slaughterhouse workers have been reported in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Colorado. Many meat processing facilities employ large numbers of immigrants, including undocumented workers. We speak with Wenonah Hauter, executive director and founder of Food & Water Watch, and with Magaly Licolli, executive director of Venceremos, an advocacy group for poultry plant…
(2020-03-30). Infected or sick? Infected or ill? zcomm.org In Spain around 80.000 people are infected, or sick, and around 7000 have been cured. Deads are approximately 8000. There is a big gap between the number of ill people (80,000) and the rest. I don't understand why these 80.000 (infected/sick/ill) ) citizens have barely presence in the media. In my opinion, there should be
(2020-03-17). Coronavirus as a catalyst for change. zcomm.org In Spain the situation generated by the Coronavirus is disturbing. The government, backed by the Constitution, has declared a "state of alarm": bars and restaurants have closed, you can only go out for working, getting food or meds at the pharmacy, or walking your dog, and always alone. Police cars patrol the streets to ensure
(2020-02-20). Turkey Kills Over 50 Syrian Troops, Russian Warplanes Intervene to Halt Offensive. theantimedia.com Russia called the situation a "worst case scenario."