Daily Archives: May 13, 2020

2020-05-13: News Headlines

Andrew Korybko (2020-05-13). Soros Thinks That Germany Is A Greater Threat To His Plans Than COVID, Trump, Or China. thealtworld.com Billionaire philanthropist and infamous Color Revolution financier George Soros recently elaborated on his views of International Relations in the midst of World War C during an interview with the UK's "Independent", unexpectedly concluding that Germany's recent court ruling against the European Central Bank's purchase of national bonds poses an "existential threat" to the bloc and therefore also to his "precious" vision of an "open society", even more so than the alleged ones posed by COVID, Trump, or China that he previously fearmongered about. | International Relations are in the midst of multitudinous paradig…

South Front (2020-05-13). A Close Look at Efforts of Pro-NATO Propaganda Units Behind the Scenes of South Front Censorship. globalresearch.ca Pro-NATO propaganda units have broadcasted a new episode of their censorship excuse series. | On May 5th, the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab), published a new piece designed to label SouthFront as official Russian propaganda. (

Denijal Jegiƒá (2020-05-13). In banning Hezbollah, Germany responds to far-right, U.S. and Israeli pressure — not any security threat. thegrayzone.com Hezbollah has never been charged with any crimes in Germany nor does it have an official presence in the country….

Jesse Jackson (2020-05-13). The Murder of Ahmaud Arbery—And Our Continuing Terror. commondreams.org People stand six feet apart before participating in a 2.23 mile walk for Ahmaud Arbery on May 8. Arbery was shot and killed while running in Brunswick, Georgia on Feb. 23. (Photo: Nicole Hester/Mlive.com) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-05-13_at_12.06.02_pm.png

teleSUR (2020-05-13). Russia Ready to Assist the US in the Taliban Peace Agreement. telesurenglish.net Russia's RELATED: | "We salute the agreement, although we warn of the importance of involving neighbors more actively so that thei…

RT (2020-05-13). Quarantine for travelers may become compulsory in Ireland — PM Varadkar. rt.com Ireland may introduce a legally enforceable 14-day quarantine for people arriving in the country, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Wednesday. The move could replace the current system, under which a 14-day isolation period is merely advised. | "We may need to tighten it up a bit, because at the moment it is advisory, it is not enforceable by the law. We may have to do that," Varadkar told Today FM radio. The PM spoke days after the United Kingdom announced plans for a quarantine. | Restrictions on entering Ireland, which is part of a Common Travel Area with the UK but not a member of the European Union's Sc…

RT (2020-05-13). Belgium to partially reopen schools, markets, museums & zoos from Monday. rt.com Belgian schools will partially reopen and markets, museums and zoos will also be allowed to operate again from next Monday, PM Sophie Wilmes said on Wednesday. | With a population of 11.5 million, Belgium is among the European nations worst hit by Covid-19, but it began a phased easing of the restrictions at the start of May. Belgium has so far reported 53,981 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 8,843 deaths, according to Reuters. | Wilmes said the reopening of non-food shops this week had proceeded smoothly even if there were now queues outside some stores. "Improvements are coming, but we must be patient. We can…

Kenneth Surin (2020-05-13). "Making It Up As They Go Along:" Boris Johnson and COVID-19. counterpunch.org As I write (the weekend of 9-10 May), the UK's death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic has reached 31,855. The UK, unlike the US, has started counting deaths in care homes. This toll is the highest in Europe, and the second in the world after the US. The UK has a fifth of the US's population, so translating the UK figure into US terms would amount to 160,000 US deaths from the virus (the US's death toll as of this weekend is a little more than 80,000).

RT (2020-05-13). Czech Republic could open borders with Austria, Slovakia in June — Prague. rt.com The Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria could open their mutual borders as soon as June 8, allowing residents of the three countries to travel between them, PM Andrej Babis said in Prague on Wednesday. | The neighbors are thinking about how to open their borders at the start of the summer tourist season after making similar progress in controlling the coronavirus pandemic, Babis said. | "I think it could somehow work out that on June 8 or 15, our three countries would open together," Babis said in an online interview with the Blesk newspaper website. | The three states are among at least 17 members of the Sch…

Adrien Welsh (2020-05-13). Communists lead class struggle at local level in France's "Red Cities" peoplesworld.org France has a long tradition of electing communists locally. As Georges Marchais noted in his 1980 book L'espoir au present (Hope in the Present), "The French Communist Party has 28,000 elected officials—1,500 mayors, nearly 500 councilors. One in five French people lives in a communist-controlled municipality." Forty years later, the French Communist Party (PCF) has certainly faded, …

Dianne Mathiowetz (2020-05-13). A 21st century lynching: Justice for Ahmaud Arbery! workers.org May 11— In the early afternoon of Feb. 23, shots rang out on the tree-lined streets of Satilla Shores, a predominantly white neighborhood bordering the port city of Brunswick on Georgia's Atlantic coast, some 40 miles north of Jacksonville, Fla. Afterward, a 25-year-old Black man, Ahmaud Arbery, lay dead on . . . |

RT (2020-05-13). Merkel cites 'hard evidence' she was victim of 'Russian hackers', says it doesn't help mend ties with Moscow. rt.com Germany's chancellor has lamented what she claimed was irrefutable proof of a Russian "hacking attack" on her Bundestag office but said she is working day and night to fix relations with Moscow despite the "painful" incident. | Chancellor Angela Merkel accused Russia of carrying out an online intrusion into her Bundestag constituency office back in 2015, as she spoke to MPs on Wednesday. | "I can honestly say that it hurts me," she

RT (2020-05-13). Germany to keep quarantine requirement in place for non-EU visitors as border control measures relaxed from May 16. rt.com German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has advised his country's states to keep quarantine restrictions in place for non-EU visitors as national border control measures are set to ease from May 16. | Berlin will begin relaxing national border controls implemented to curb the spread of Covid-19 from Saturday, with measures expected to be completely lifted by June 15. | As it stands, guidelines from Berlin are that anyone returning to Germany must spend 14 days in self-isolation when they re-enter the country. That rule will now be lifted for EU visitors. | Speaking on Wednesday, Seehofer said border crossings…

RT (2020-05-13). Poland to reopen hairdressers, restaurants on May 18 as 'epidemic contained to some extent'. rt.com Poland will reopen restaurants and hairdressers on May 18 as it begins easing coronavirus-linked restrictions, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Wednesday. | "At least to some extent we have contained the epidemic, therefore we can gradually unfreeze the economy," Morawiecki told reporters. | The statement came a day after Poland saw its largest spike in coronavirus cases in a single day, Reuters reported. | Schools will partially reopen to provide day care for children in the first three years of primary school, the prime minister added.

RT (2020-05-13). Flynn 'unmasking' documents show involvement of senior Obama administration officials, including Joe Biden. rt.com A newly published list of US officials who were interested in National Security Agency (NSA) records on Trump adviser Michael Flynn includes President Barack Obama's chief of staff, as well as Vice President Joe Biden. | Biden is listed as requesting the unmasking on January 12, 2017, the same day the Washington Post published a story claiming that Flynn had misreported his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, based on leaked NSA information. | Flynn unmasking documents f… by

RT (2020-05-13). Chechen leader Kadyrov BANNED from Instagram AGAIN, loses account with 1.4 MILLION followers. rt.com For many in the 21st century, losing social media access would be a devastating blow. However, for Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, it's just another day. For the third time in three years, Kadyrov has been banned from Instagram. | According to Instagram's owners, Facebook, the ban was in relation to US sanctions against the Chechen leader. | Since 2017, Kadyrov has been sanctioned by the United States under the terms of the Magnitsky Act. Signed by President Barack Obama in 2012, and later expanded in 2016, the Magnitsky Act enables the US government to sanction foreign government officials implicated in allege…

RT (2020-05-13). Russian Arctic sea route shipping exceeds 10 million tons in Q1. rt.com Freight transportation via Russia's Northern Sea Route (NSR) grew 4.5 percent year-on-year from January to April, exceeding 10 million tons, the Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transportation, Rosmorrechflot, said. | The agency's representative, Nikolai Monko, earlier told TASS that the growth of freight transportation would be moderate in 2020. | According to Rosmorrechflot, 31.5 million tons were transported in 2019, up from 21.1 million tons in the previous year. Transit carriages rose by almost 41.9 percent last year to 697,200 tons. Cargo handling was mainly conducted at the ports of Sabetta (20.5 m…

RT (2020-05-13). 'Example of infodemic': Moscow slams FT & NYT reports that put Russian Covid-19 death toll 70 percent higher than official data. rt.com Russia's Foreign Ministry will send letters to the Financial Times and New York Times demanding they retract reports which claim the actual death toll from Covid-19 in the country is much higher than the official figures. | The editors-in-chief of those outlets will be handed the letters on Thursday through the Russian embassies in the UK and the US, ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during a briefing. | Moscow will also address the UN, OSCE and UNESCO on the situation, as the reports in the FT and NYT represent "an example of that very 'infodemic' that the UN General Secretary, Antonio Guterres, urged…

RT (2020-05-13). 'What are those white crosses?': Badges to 'scare off' coronavirus cause dress-code debate in Russian parliament. rt.com With the Russian State Duma in session despite the Covid-19 pandemic, some MPs went beyond the obligatory face masks and rubber gloves, leaving their colleagues and citizens baffled by unusual means to fend off the virus. | "For several sessions in row, I've seen MPs wearing white crosses on their chests," Igor Molyakov of the Fair Russia party said on Wednesday, asking his colleagues to clarify the unusual accessory. State Duma deputies usually wear an official badge, which is shaped as a Russian tricolor. | Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin stepped up to educate his colleague and dispel the "white cross" mystery fo…

RT (2020-05-13). US anti-ISIS chief says his goal in Syria is to create a 'quagmire' for Russia, not battle terrorism. rt.com James Jeffrey, the US special envoy for Syria and defeating the Islamic State, has made quite a frank confession of how he sees his job and that of US troops there: to create a new Vietnam or Afghanistan for Moscow. | "Our military presence, while small, is important for overall calculations. So we urge the Congress, the American people, the president to keep these forces on, but again this isn't Afghanistan, this isn't Vietnam, this isn't a quagmire," Jeffrey said on Tuesday, during a video event hosted by the Hudson Institute. | My job is to make it a quagmire for the Russians. | Asked why the American publ…

RT (2020-05-13). Break or retirement? Russia's 'Angelina Jolie' of curling Anastasia Bryzgalova puts competitive career on hold. rt.com Russian curling stunner Anastasia Bryzgalova who became a viral hit during the 2018 PyeongChang Games, drawing comparisons with Angelina Jolie, has put her competitive career on ice. | The 27-year-old curling star who is taking a break from competitions will focus on training mixed-double duets serving as a second team coach in the Russian national team. | "I wanted to take a break right after the Winter O…

RT (2020-05-13). US 'knocks on closed door' seeking to extend arms embargo against Iran — Russia's UN envoy. rt.com The US cannot demand the extension of an arms embargo against Tehran since it is no longer a party to the Iran nuclear deal, Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told reporters via a video link-up. | "I do not see any reasons why [an] arms embargo should be imposed on Iran. It expires on 18 October. It was temporary," TASS quoted Nebenzia as saying. "It was not in fact even an embargo. It is the provision where Iran is allowed to export/import armaments on the consent of the [UN] Security Council," he noted. | Two years ago, the US "proudly announced" that it withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Act…

RT (2020-05-13). Lifting lockdowns may cause new Covad-19 spike, but now we know how to respond — WHO envoy to RT. rt.com Countries should be able to swiftly identify and quarantine coronavirus hotspots instead of putting their whole societies on lockdown, but people must accept this 'new reality' for it to work, said WHO's envoy to Russia. | "I do believe that there might be a surge [in Covid-19 cases], but we'll be able to respond to it much quicker, having all the experience that we've got, unfortunately, over the last four months," Dr Melita Vujnovic, who represents the World Health Organization in Russia, told RT when asked about the impact of the gradual lifting of lockdowns — that has begun in many countries — on…

RT (2020-05-13). Russia BANS usage of ventilators suspected of causing deadly fires killing six Covid-19 patients. rt.com Russia has indefinitely suspended the usage of Aventa-M artificial lung ventilation machines. The recently produced ventilators are suspected of causing two deadly fires in the past week, killing six people. | The ventilators, made in Ural's Instrument Making Plant, have been manufactured since April 1, 2020, in response to Russia's ever-growing number of Covid-19 patients. | According to Russia's health watchdog Roszdravnadzor, the ventilators were used to provide medical care to patients at the S. I. Spasokukotsky City Clinical Hospital in Moscow and St. George's Hospital in St. Petersburg, where fires occur…

RT (2020-05-13). NASA quietly buys additional Soyuz seat as SpaceX prepares for historic manned space flight. rt.com NASA has inked a deal with Russia's space agency Roscosmos to allow a US astronaut to travel into space aboard a Soyuz rocket in the fall, even as SpaceX gears up for its first manned launch later this month. | "A contract was signed today on providing a seat for a US astronaut onboard a Soyuz MS manned spaceship to be launched to the ISS in the autumn of 2020," Roscosmos told Tass on Tuesday. | Though the agency refused to disclose the sum Washington paid for the seat, calling it "a commercial secret," NASA spokespeople told reporters the deal was valued at $90.25 million, which includes the cost of the fligh…

RT (2020-05-13). Swedish PM says face masks for Covid-19 offer 'false sense of security' to wearers. rt.com The Prime Minister of Sweden Stefan Lofven has advised against wearing face masks to ward off Covid-19, as they may lead people to assume they are safe from the virus when there is still a risk of transmission. | Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Lofven said donning masks could lead the wearer to neglect social distancing guidelines and become complacent about safety precautions. | "There is a risk of a false sense of security, that you feel you can't be infected if you have a face mask," he said. He advised those displaying even very mild symptoms to stay at home, stay socially distant, and to cont…

RT (2020-05-13). UK's Health Ministry says confirmed Covid-19 death toll has risen by 494 to 33,186. rt.com A total of 33,186 people who tested positive for the new coronavirus have died in the United Kingdom, a rise of 494 in a 24-hour period, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday. | Those figures reflect the situation as of 5pm (1600 GMT) on May 12. Including deaths due to suspected cases, Britain's fatality count is over 40,000, according to Reuters. | Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday that increasing rates of infection in other countries which have relaxed some rules to tackle the coronavirus outbreak were a warning to Britain not to move too fast. | "It is very notable that in some other countries…

Donald Monaco (2020-05-13). Fifty Years Ago: The Lessons of Kent State. Open Fire on Unarmed Student Anti-War Protesters. globalresearch.ca May 4, 2020 was the 50th anniversary of the Kent State University massacre that saw Ohio National Guardsmen open fire on a group of unarmed student anti-war protestors killing 4 and injuring 9 on campus. Not satisfied with the …

Jastra Ilic (2020-05-13). Survey on COVID-19 Economic Impacts: More than 50% of German Companies Expect Major Revenue Drop in 2020. globalresearch.ca The coronavirus outbreak has caused a significant impact on European companies, confronting them with the worst market declines in the last few decades. As one of the most-affected countries in Europe, Germany is set to witness a significant collapse in …

WSWS (2020-05-13). Georgia autopsy report shows Ahmaud Arbery shot three times. wsws.org Reports also emerged Tuesday that the one of the men involved in the killing, a retired investigator for the local district attorney's office, helped prosecute Arbery in the past.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-13). Iran, Georgia seek improvement of customs coop. amid coronavirus pandemic. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 13 (MNA) — In a trilateral video call among Iran's Ambassador to Georgia Javad Ghavam Shahid, Head of Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) Mehdi Mirashrafi and an official from Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia the two countries conferred on improving customs cooperation under the coronavirus pandemic.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-13). Iran delivers homegrown corona diagnostic kits to Germany: IRICA. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 13 (MNA) — Spokesman for the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) said that COVID-19 serology diagnostic kits, made by the Iranian scientists, were delivered to Germany over the past two days.

Aidan O'Brien (2020-05-13). German Foreign Policy Is a CIA Front. globalresearch.ca On March 30 Germany declared the important Lebanese political group, Hezbollah, to be a "terrorist" organization and banned it from German soil. By doing so it gratuitously increased the tension in the eastern Mediterranean and exposed Berlin's lack of credibility …

en.mehrnews (2020-05-13). Trade exchange vol. between Iran, Germany to hike by 15% in coming months. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 13 (MNA) — It is predicted that trade volume exchange between Islamic Republic of Iran and Germany will rise by 15% in the coming months.

teleSUR (2020-05-13). 78 Percent of Mountain Areas Are Undergoing a Snow Decline. telesurenglish.net Italy's applied research center EURAC holds that the snow surface of the world's mountain areas has decreased by 78 percent as a result of global warming. | RELATED: | Using data from 2000 to 2018, this scientific institution created a map of global snow coverage using high-resolution satellite imagery, field measurements, and simulation models. | The result reveals a worrying situation because the duration of the snow s…

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-13). Spring cleaning takes on a new importance during COVID-19 pandemic. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released reopening guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting public spaces, workplaces, businesses, schools and homes. Dr. Gregory Poland, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases expert, suggests taking a practical approach to spring cleaning. If no one in your household has been infected, he says standard spring cleaning practices …

Justinas Baltrusaitis (2020-05-13). Only Three Countries Control Over 80% of Global Diamond Reserves. globalresearch.ca Only three countries are in control of more than three quarters of the world's diamond reserves globally. Data gathered and calculated by Learnbonds.com indicates that Russia, Congo, and Botswana combined account for at least 80.6% of the world diamond reserves….

en.mehrnews (2020-05-13). Iran to give harsh response to any military escapade by US: Envoy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 13 (MNA) — Iran will give a harsh response to any military escapade that US President Donald Trump may resort to, Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali has said in an interview, commenting on Trump's veto of a congressional resolution limiting his ability to conduct military operations against Iran without congressional approval.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-13). Conflict between Russia, Iran over Syria psychological war: Nasrallah. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 13 (MNA) — Secretary General of Lebanese Resistance Movement Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah told reports on the conflict between Russia and Iran over Syria is part of the psychological warfare against Syria and its allies.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-13). Lavrov slams US' baseless accusations against Russia, China amid coronavirus pandemic. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 13 (MNA) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov slammed on Wednesday Washington's accusations against Russia and China as baseless, stressing that unilateral sanctions could only hinder humanitarian assistance amid the coronavirus pandemic.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-13). Ulyanov reacts to US allegations of Moscow's support for JCPOA. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 13 (MNA) — Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov has reacted sarcastically to the US allegations of Moscow's support for JCPOA and prevention from the extension of Iran's arms embargo.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-13). Russia may start talks with Iran in future over selling armament to country: Kabulov. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 13 (MNA) — The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Second Asia Department Zamir Kabulov said Wednesday that Russia may commence talks with the Islamic Republic over selling weaponry to the country after the removal of Iran's arms embargo, i.e. October 2020.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-13). Russia, S Arabia agree to stabilize oil market. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 13 (MNA) — Russia and Saudi Arabia's energy ministers agreed to stabilize the oil market.

Tony Cartalucci (2020-05-13). Holding Healthcare Hostage: The Making of a Ventilator Crisis. globalresearch.ca When coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) began dominating headlines, it was accompanied by fears of potential shortages of critical medical equipment including personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators. | Nations like Russia had large stockpiles of affordable ventilators on hand — so …

en.mehrnews (2020-05-13). Iran, Russia stress coop. in fight against coronavirus. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 13 (MNA) — Iranian Minister of Health and Medical Education Saeed Namaki and his Russian counterpart Mikhail Murashko held a videoconference on Tuesday, stressing cooperation between two countries in the fight against coronavirus.

WSWS (2020-05-13). Failure to halt COVID-19 spread leads to mass deaths in Swedish elder care homes. wsws.org Sweden's high fatality rate is due to official opposition to a lockdown and mass testing, and to decades-long austerity policies that devastated health care and other key services.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-13). Iranian, Turkish researchers carry out 22 joint projects. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 13 (MNA) — Iranian and Turkish researchers are conducting some 22 projects under the agreement inked between Iran's Ministry of Science, Research and Technology and Iran-Turkey Scientific Cooperation Working Group at Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey [TàúBƒ∞TAK].

en.mehrnews (2020-05-13). Iranian photographer goes to Kharkiv Fest in Ukraine. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 14 (MNA) — The Deputy of Art and Cinema in the Department of Culture and Islamic Guidance in Bushehr announced that the work of Babak Mansurian has reached the final stage of the Kharkiv International Festival of Arts in Ukraine.

Andrew Korybko (2020-05-12). Germany Wants to Replace Poland's "Patriotic Government" with "Europhile Puppets"? globalresearch.ca The former Polish Minister of Defense accused Germany of conspiring with a few other foreign actors to replace the patriotic Polish government with Europhile puppets, arguing that the country's latest political controversy over the date of its presidential elections is …

Staff (2020-05-12). Headlines for May 12, 2020. democracynow.org Dr. Fauci to Warn Lawmakers of "Needless Suffering and Death" If Lockdowns End Too Soon, European Countries Report New Spikes as They Reopen Economies, Trump Makes False Claim About Testing Capacity, Tells Reporter Weijia Jiang to "Ask China" About Coronavirus, PA Plant Canceled Trump Visit over Concern for Worker Health, New Study Finds Hydroxychloroquine Does Not Help COVID-19, Can Cause Heart Attacks, China Threatens "Countermeasures" for U.S. Journalist Visa Restrictions, Meatpacking Union Condemns Reopening of Factories Amid Pandemic, India Starts to Ease Lockdown as Cases Mount, Coronavirus Cases Mount in W…

2020-05-13: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media! (Copy the text of the postee below, then paste it on social media and the story images will also appear.)

The Murder of Ahmaud Arbery—And Our Continuing Terror
Jesse Jackson | commondreams.org | 2020-05-13
People stand six feet apart before participating in a 2.23 mile walk for Ahmaud Arbery on May 8. Arbery was shot and killed while running in Brunswick, Georgia on Feb. 23. (Photo: Nicole Hester/Mlive.com) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-05-13_at_12.06.02_pm.png
commondreams.org/views/2020/05/13/murder-ahmaud-arbery-and-our-continuing-terror?cd-origin=rss

A Close Look at Efforts of Pro-NATO Propaganda Units Behind the Scenes of South Front Censorship
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-13
Pro-NATO propaganda units have broadcasted a new episode of their censorship excuse series. | On May 5th, the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab), published a new piece designed to label SouthFront as official Russian propaganda. ( LINK…
globalresearch.ca/efforts-pro-nato-propaganda-units-south-front-censorship/5712741

Russia Ready to Assist the US in the Taliban Peace Agreement
telesurenglish.net | 2020-05-13
Russia's Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Lavrov said his country is ready to help the United States and the Taliban overcome difficulties in implementing the Doha Peace Agreement. | RELATED: | At Least 14 People Killed in Afghanistan Hospital Attack | …
telesurenglish.net/news/Russia-Ready-to-Assist-the-US-in-the-Taliban-Peace-Agreement-20200513-0001.html

Soros Thinks That Germany Is A Greater Threat To His Plans Than COVID, Trump, Or China
Andrew Korybko | thealtworld.com | 2020-05-13
Billionaire philanthropist and infamous Color Revolution financier George Soros recently elaborated on his views of International Relations in the midst of World War C during an interview with the UK's "Independent", unexpectedly concluding that Germany's recent court ruling against the European Central Bank's purchase of national bonds poses an "existential threat" to the bloc and therefore also to his "precious" vision of an "open society", even more so than the alleged ones posed by COVID, Trump, or China that he previously fearmongered about. | International Relations are in the midst of multitudinous paradig…
thealtworld.com/andrew_korybko/soros-thinks-that-germany-is-a-greater-threat-to-his-plans-than-covid-trump-or-china

Fifty Years Ago: The Lessons of Kent State. Open Fire on Unarmed Student Anti-War Protesters
Donald Monaco | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-13
May 4, 2020 was the 50th anniversary of the Kent State University massacre that saw Ohio National Guardsmen open fire on a group of unarmed student anti-war protestors killing 4 and injuring 9 on campus. Not satisfied with the …
globalresearch.ca/lessons-kent-state/5712734

"Making It Up As They Go Along:" Boris Johnson and COVID-19
Kenneth Surin | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-13
As I write (the weekend of 9-10 May), the UK's death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic has reached 31,855. The UK, unlike the US, has started counting deaths in care homes. This toll is the highest in Europe, and the second in the world after the US. The UK has a fifth of the US's population, so translating the UK figure into US terms would amount to 160,000 US deaths from the virus (the US's death toll as of this weekend is a little more than 80,000).
counterpunch.org/2020/05/13/making-it-up-as-they-go-along-boris-johnson-and-covid-19/

Belgium to partially reopen schools, markets, museums & zoos from Monday
rt.com | 2020-05-13
Belgian schools will partially reopen and markets, museums and zoos will also be allowed to operate again from next Monday, PM Sophie Wilmes said on Wednesday. | With a population of 11.5 million, Belgium is among the European nations worst hit by Covid-19, but it began a phased easing of the restrictions at the start of May. Belgium has so far reported 53,981 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 8,843 deaths, according to Reuters. | Wilmes said the reopening of non-food shops this week had proceeded smoothly even if there were now queues outside some stores. "Improvements are coming, but we must be patient. We can…
rt.com/newsline/488561-belgium-reopen-schools-markets/

Survey on COVID-19 Economic Impacts: More than 50% of German Companies Expect Major Revenue Drop in 2020
Jastra Ilic | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-13
The coronavirus outbreak has caused a significant impact on European companies, confronting them with the worst market declines in the last few decades. As one of the most-affected countries in Europe, Germany is set to witness a significant collapse in …
globalresearch.ca/more-than-50-german-companies-expect-major-revenue-drop-2020/5712766

Communists lead class struggle at local level in France's "Red Cities"
Adrien Welsh | peoplesworld.org | 2020-05-13
France has a long tradition of electing communists locally. As Georges Marchais noted in his 1980 book L'espoir au present (Hope in the Present), "The French Communist Party has 28,000 elected officials–1,500 mayors, nearly 500 councilors. One in five French people lives in a communist-controlled municipality." Forty years later, the French Communist Party (PCF) has certainly faded, …
peoplesworld.org/article/communists-lead-class-struggle-at-local-level-in-frances-red-cities/

Georgia autopsy report shows Ahmaud Arbery shot three times
wsws.org | 2020-05-13
Reports also emerged Tuesday that the one of the men involved in the killing, a retired investigator for the local district attorney's office, helped prosecute Arbery in the past.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/13/arbr-m13.html

A 21st century lynching: Justice for Ahmaud Arbery!
Dianne Mathiowetz | workers.org | 2020-05-13
May 11– In the early afternoon of Feb. 23, shots rang out on the tree-lined streets of Satilla Shores, a predominantly white neighborhood bordering the port city of Brunswick on Georgia's Atlantic coast, some 40 miles north of Jacksonville, Fla. Afterward, a 25-year-old Black man, Ahmaud Arbery, lay dead on . . . | Continue reading A 21st century lynching: Justice for Ahmaud Arbery! at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/05/48575/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-21st-century-lynching-justice-for-ahmaud-arbery

Iran, Georgia seek improvement of customs coop. amid coronavirus pandemic
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-05-13
TEHRAN, May 13 (MNA)

German Foreign Policy Is a CIA Front
Aidan O'Brien | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-13
On March 30 Germany declared the important Lebanese political group, Hezbollah, to be a "terrorist" organization and banned it from German soil. By doing so it gratuitously increased the tension in the eastern Mediterranean and exposed Berlin's lack of credibility …
globalresearch.ca/german-foreign-policy-cia-front/5712571

Trade exchange vol. between Iran, Germany to hike by 15% in coming months
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-05-13
TEHRAN, May 13 (MNA)

Merkel cites 'hard evidence' she was victim of 'Russian hackers', says it doesn't help mend ties with Moscow
rt.com | 2020-05-13
Germany's chancellor has lamented what she claimed was irrefutable proof of a Russian "hacking attack" on her Bundestag office but said she is working day and night to fix relations with Moscow despite the "painful" incident. | Chancellor Angela Merkel accused Russia of carrying out an online intrusion into her Bundestag constituency office back in 2015, as she spoke to MPs on Wednesday. | "I can honestly say that it hurts me," she said of the alleged hack attack, claiming…
rt.com/news/488541-merkel-russia-hacking-evidence/

Iran delivers homegrown corona diagnostic kits to Germany: IRICA
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-05-13
TEHRAN, May 13 (MNA)

Germany to keep quarantine requirement in place for non-EU visitors as border control measures relaxed from May 16
rt.com | 2020-05-13
German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has advised his country's states to keep quarantine restrictions in place for non-EU visitors as national border control measures are set to ease from May 16. | Berlin will begin relaxing national border controls implemented to curb the spread of Covid-19 from Saturday, with measures expected to be completely lifted by June 15. | As it stands, guidelines from Berlin are that anyone returning to Germany must spend 14 days in self-isolation when they re-enter the country. That rule will now be lifted for EU visitors. | Speaking on Wednesday, Seehofer said border crossings…
rt.com/news/488535-germany-easing-travel-restrictions/

78 Percent of Mountain Areas Are Undergoing a Snow Decline
telesurenglish.net | 2020-05-13
Italy's applied research center EURAC holds that the snow surface of the world's mountain areas has decreased by 78 percent as a result of global warming. | RELATED: | Hole in the Ozone Layer Over Arctic Is Closed, WMO Confirms | Using data from 2000 to 2018, this scientific institution created a map of global snow coverage using high-resolution satellite imagery, field measurements, and simulation models. | The result reveals a worrying situation because the duration of the snow s…
telesurenglish.net/news/78-Percent-of-Mountain-Areas-Are-Undergoing-a-Snow-Decline-20200513-0006.html

Poland to reopen hairdressers, restaurants on May 18 as 'epidemic contained to some extent'
rt.com | 2020-05-13
Poland will reopen restaurants and hairdressers on May 18 as it begins easing coronavirus-linked restrictions, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Wednesday. | "At least to some extent we have contained the epidemic, therefore we can gradually unfreeze the economy," Morawiecki told reporters. | The statement came a day after Poland saw its largest spike in coronavirus cases in a single day, Reuters reported. | Schools will partially reopen to provide day care for children in the first three years of primary school, the prime minister added.
rt.com/newsline/488556-poland-reopen-hairdressers-restaurants/

Spring cleaning takes on a new importance during COVID-19 pandemic
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-05-13
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released reopening guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting public spaces, workplaces, businesses, schools and homes. Dr. Gregory Poland, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases expert, suggests taking a practical approach to spring cleaning. If no one in your household has been infected, he says standard spring cleaning practices …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/spring-cleaning-takes-on-a-new-importance-during-covid-19-pandemic/

Flynn 'unmasking' documents show involvement of senior Obama administration officials, including Joe Biden
rt.com | 2020-05-13
A newly published list of US officials who were interested in National Security Agency (NSA) records on Trump adviser Michael Flynn includes President Barack Obama's chief of staff, as well as Vice President Joe Biden. | Biden is listed as requesting the unmasking on January 12, 2017, the same day the Washington Post published a story claiming that Flynn had misreported his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, based on leaked NSA information. | Flynn unmasking documents f… by
rt.com/usa/488579-flynn-unmasking-obama-administration/

'What are those white crosses?': Badges to 'scare off' coronavirus cause dress-code debate in Russian parliament
rt.com | 2020-05-13
With the Russian State Duma in session despite the Covid-19 pandemic, some MPs went beyond the obligatory face masks and rubber gloves, leaving their colleagues and citizens baffled by unusual means to fend off the virus. | "For several sessions in row, I've seen MPs wearing white crosses on their chests," Igor Molyakov of the Fair Russia party said on Wednesday, asking his colleagues to clarify the unusual accessory. State Duma deputies usually wear an official badge, which is shaped as a Russian tricolor. | Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin stepped up to educate his colleague and dispel the "white cross" mystery fo…
rt.com/russia/488587-covid-badge-state-duma/

Break or retirement? Russia's 'Angelina Jolie' of curling Anastasia Bryzgalova puts competitive career on hold
rt.com | 2020-05-13
Russian curling stunner Anastasia Bryzgalova who became a viral hit during the 2018 PyeongChang Games, drawing comparisons with Angelina Jolie, has put her competitive career on ice. | The 27-year-old curling star who is taking a break from competitions will focus on training mixed-double duets serving as a second team coach in the Russian national team. | READ MORE: Bryzgalova or Jolie? Hottest Russian curler takes up role of Tomb Raider (PHOTOS) | "I wanted to take a break right after the Winter O…
rt.com/sport/488576-curling-anastasia-bryzgalova-career-break/

Iran to give harsh response to any military escapade by US: Envoy
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-05-13
TEHRAN, May 13 (MNA)

Russia, S Arabia agree to stabilize oil market
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-05-13
TEHRAN, May 13 (MNA)

Russia BANS usage of ventilators suspected of causing deadly fires killing six Covid-19 patients
rt.com | 2020-05-13
Russia has indefinitely suspended the usage of Aventa-M artificial lung ventilation machines. The recently produced ventilators are suspected of causing two deadly fires in the past week, killing six people. | The ventilators, made in Ural's Instrument Making Plant, have been manufactured since April 1, 2020, in response to Russia's ever-growing number of Covid-19 patients. | According to Russia's health watchdog Roszdravnadzor, the ventilators were used to provide medical care to patients at the S. I. Spasokukotsky City Clinical Hospital in Moscow and St. George's Hospital in St. Petersburg, where fires occur…
rt.com/russia/488552-russia-ban-ventilator-fire/

Chechen leader Kadyrov BANNED from Instagram AGAIN, loses account with 1.4 MILLION followers
rt.com | 2020-05-13
For many in the 21st century, losing social media access would be a devastating blow. However, for Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, it's just another day. For the third time in three years, Kadyrov has been banned from Instagram. | According to Instagram's owners, Facebook, the ban was in relation to US sanctions against the Chechen leader. | Since 2017, Kadyrov has been sanctioned by the United States under the terms of the Magnitsky Act. Signed by President Barack Obama in 2012, and later expanded in 2016, the Magnitsky Act enables the US government to sanction foreign government officials implicated in allege…
rt.com/russia/488533-kadyrov-banned-instagram-again/

Holding Healthcare Hostage: The Making of a Ventilator Crisis
Tony Cartalucci | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-13
When coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) began dominating headlines, it was accompanied by fears of potential shortages of critical medical equipment including personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators. | Nations like Russia had large stockpiles of affordable ventilators on hand

Iran, Russia stress coop. in fight against coronavirus
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-05-13
TEHRAN, May 13 (MNA)

Conflict between Russia, Iran over Syria psychological war: Nasrallah
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-05-13
TEHRAN, May 13 (MNA)

Only Three Countries Control Over 80% of Global Diamond Reserves
Justinas Baltrusaitis | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-13
Only three countries are in control of more than three quarters of the world's diamond reserves globally. Data gathered and calculated by Learnbonds.com indicates that Russia, Congo, and Botswana combined account for at least 80.6% of the world diamond reserves….
globalresearch.ca/only-three-countries-control-over-80-global-diamond-reserves/5712816

Ulyanov reacts to US allegations of Moscow's support for JCPOA
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-05-13
TEHRAN, May 13 (MNA)

Russian Arctic sea route shipping exceeds 10 million tons in Q1
rt.com | 2020-05-13
Freight transportation via Russia's Northern Sea Route (NSR) grew 4.5 percent year-on-year from January to April, exceeding 10 million tons, the Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transportation, Rosmorrechflot, said. | The agency's representative, Nikolai Monko, earlier told TASS that the growth of freight transportation would be moderate in 2020. | According to Rosmorrechflot, 31.5 million tons were transported in 2019, up from 21.1 million tons in the previous year. Transit carriages rose by almost 41.9 percent last year to 697,200 tons. Cargo handling was mainly conducted at the ports of Sabetta (20.5 m…
rt.com/business/488519-northern-sea-route-freight/

NASA quietly buys additional Soyuz seat as SpaceX prepares for historic manned space flight
rt.com | 2020-05-13
NASA has inked a deal with Russia's space agency Roscosmos to allow a US astronaut to travel into space aboard a Soyuz rocket in the fall, even as SpaceX gears up for its first manned launch later this month. | "A contract was signed today on providing a seat for a US astronaut onboard a Soyuz MS manned spaceship to be launched to the ISS in the autumn of 2020," Roscosmos told Tass on Tuesday. | Though the agency refused to disclose the sum Washington paid for the seat, calling it "a commercial secret," NASA spokespeople told reporters the deal was valued at $90.25 million, which includes the cost of the fligh…
rt.com/news/488494-nasa-roscosmos-deal-soyuz/

Russia may start talks with Iran in future over selling armament to country: Kabulov
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-05-13
TEHRAN, May 13 (MNA)

US anti-ISIS chief says his goal in Syria is to create a 'quagmire' for Russia, not battle terrorism
rt.com | 2020-05-13
James Jeffrey, the US special envoy for Syria and defeating the Islamic State, has made quite a frank confession of how he sees his job and that of US troops there: to create a new Vietnam or Afghanistan for Moscow. | "Our military presence, while small, is important for overall calculations. So we urge the Congress, the American people, the president to keep these forces on, but again this isn't Afghanistan, this isn't Vietnam, this isn't a quagmire," Jeffrey said on Tuesday, during a video event hosted by the Hudson Institute. | My job is to make it a quagmire for the Russians. | Asked why the American publ…
rt.com/news/488491-us-syria-russia-quagmire/

Lavrov slams US' baseless accusations against Russia, China amid coronavirus pandemic
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-05-13
TEHRAN, May 13 (MNA)

'Example of infodemic': Moscow slams FT & NYT reports that put Russian Covid-19 death toll 70 percent higher than official data
rt.com | 2020-05-13
Russia's Foreign Ministry will send letters to the Financial Times and New York Times demanding they retract reports which claim the actual death toll from Covid-19 in the country is much higher than the official figures. | The editors-in-chief of those outlets will be handed the letters on Thursday through the Russian embassies in the UK and the US, ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during a briefing. | Moscow will also address the UN, OSCE and UNESCO on the situation, as the reports in the FT and NYT represent "an example of that very 'infodemic' that the UN General Secretary, Antonio Guterres, urged…
rt.com/russia/488577-coronavirus-death-toll-russia-nyt/

Swedish PM says face masks for Covid-19 offer 'false sense of security' to wearers
rt.com | 2020-05-13
The Prime Minister of Sweden Stefan Lofven has advised against wearing face masks to ward off Covid-19, as they may lead people to assume they are safe from the virus when there is still a risk of transmission. | Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Lofven said donning masks could lead the wearer to neglect social distancing guidelines and become complacent about safety precautions. | "There is a risk of a false sense of security, that you feel you can't be infected if you have a face mask," he said. He advised those displaying even very mild symptoms to stay at home, stay socially distant, and to cont…
rt.com/news/488567-sweden-pm-face-masks-coronavirus/

Failure to halt COVID-19 spread leads to mass deaths in Swedish elder care homes
wsws.org | 2020-05-13
Sweden's high fatality rate is due to official opposition to a lockdown and mass testing, and to decades-long austerity policies that devastated health care and other key services.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/13/swed-m13.html

Iranian, Turkish researchers carry out 22 joint projects
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-05-13
TEHRAN, May 13 (MNA)

Iranian photographer goes to Kharkiv Fest in Ukraine
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-05-13
TEHRAN, May 14 (MNA)

UK's Health Ministry says confirmed Covid-19 death toll has risen by 494 to 33,186
rt.com | 2020-05-13
A total of 33,186 people who tested positive for the new coronavirus have died in the United Kingdom, a rise of 494 in a 24-hour period, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday. | Those figures reflect the situation as of 5pm (1600 GMT) on May 12. Including deaths due to suspected cases, Britain's fatality count is over 40,000, according to Reuters. | Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday that increasing rates of infection in other countries which have relaxed some rules to tackle the coronavirus outbreak were a warning to Britain not to move too fast. | "It is very notable that in some other countries…
rt.com/newsline/488546-uk-confirmed-rises-johnson/

The US military is hell-bent on trying to overpower China
Vijay Prashad | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-05-12
On April 1, Admiral Philip Davidson–the head of the US Indo-Pacific Command–told the US Congress that he would like $20 billion to create a robust military cordon that runs from California to Japan and down the Pacific Rim of Asia. His proposal–titled "Regain the Advantage"–pointed to the "renewed threat we face from Great Power Competition. … Without a valid and convincing conventional deterrent, China and Russia will be emboldened to take ac…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/05/12/the-us-military-is-hell-bent-on-trying-to-overpower-china/

Germany Wants to Replace Poland's "Patriotic Government" with "Europhile Puppets"?
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-12
The former Polish Minister of Defense accused Germany of conspiring with a few other foreign actors to replace the patriotic Polish government with Europhile puppets, arguing that the country's latest political controversy over the date of its presidential elections is …
globalresearch.ca/germany-wants-replace-patriotic-polish-government-europhile-puppets/5712637

NATO Chief Urges Berlin to 'Protect Peace and Freedom' by Stationing US Nukes
sputniknews.com | 2020-05-12
The appeal comes as leaders from the SPD, Germany's second-largest party and member of Chancellor Merkel's governing coalition, demand the withdrawal of US nuclear weapons from the country's airbases.
sputniknews.com/military/202005121079280137-nato-chief-urges-berlin-to-protect-peace-and-freedom-by-stationing-us-nukes/

Germany: Far-Right Encourages Radical Anti-Confinement Protests
telesurenglish.net | 2020-05-12
Germany's Julius Gumbel Research Center (EJGF) Director Gideon Botsch Tuesday warned that far-right groups are benefiting from the potential radicalization of protests against confinement and physical distancing measures. | RELATED: | Germany to Fine up to $54 Million to Online Hate Speech | "While the mobilization effect goes far beyond the far-right's world, the Alternative for Germany party (AfD) is a major promoter of radical protests," Botsch said. | "The warming dynamic has been…
telesurenglish.net/news/Germany-Far-Right-Encourages-Radical-Anti-Confinement-Protests-20200512-0004.html

2nd virus wave in Denmark is 'unlikely' says expert, as govt plans increased testing
rt.com | 2020-05-12
Denmark is "very unlikely" to be hit by a second wave of coronavirus, the country's chief epidemiologist said on Tuesday. Kare Molbak made the statement after the government laid out plans for increased testing and a contact tracing system. | The Nordic country, which has suffered 533 coronavirus-related deaths, was the first in Europe to relax its coronavirus lockdown almost a month ago. The infection rate and the number of deaths have continued to drop. Denmark began the second phase of relaxing its lockdown this week, which will include reopening restaurants and shopping malls. | "No country has seen an act…
rt.com/newsline/488426-denmark-wave-unlikely-testing/

The Transformation of Societies on the Occasion of Covid-19 Heralds the Militarisation of Europe
Thierry Meyssan | thealtworld.com | 2020-05-12

| We reproduce a discussion between Thierry Meyssan and a group of students. He explains that the political responses to Covid-19 have no medical purpose. A partially identifiable transnational group seized the opportunity provided by the epidemic to try to impose a profound transformation of European societies, just as it had used the attacks of 11 September 2001 to transform the United States. There is still time to oppose the hierarchisation of the world to come. | Question: Who do you think manufactured Covid-19? | Thierry Meyssan : My analysis is exclusively political. I don't give an opinion on me…
thealtworld.com/thierry_meyssan/the-transformation-of-societies-on-the-occasion-of-covid-19-heralds-the-militarisation-of-europe

EU supports Orbán's dictatorial measures in Hungary
wsws.org | 2020-05-12
Although similar to Hitler's "Enabling Act," which consolidated the Nazi dictatorship in Germany in 1933, Orbán's Emergency Law enjoys the support of the European Union.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/12/orba-m12.html