Monthly Archives: May 2020

2020-05-18: 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.)

How the international community is helping Colombia confront the coronavirus
Adriaan Alsema | colombiareports.com | 2020-05-18
The governments of the United States and Canada have announced financial aid to help Colombia's authorities combat the coronavirus pandemic while European nations plan to do the same. The US…
colombiareports.com/how-the-international-community-is-helping-colombia-confront-the-coronavirus/

Britain's covert operations to overthrow Syrian government exposed
wsws.org | 2020-05-18
Sarkha is one of many programmes in a vast network of fake news activities carried out by the intelligence arms of the US and European powers.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/18/syri-m18.html

Spike in Kawasaki-like disease linked to coronavirus in France and Italy, one child dies
wsws.org | 2020-05-18
This is a damning indictment of capitalist governments internationally which are reopening schools and asserting that the virus does not harm children.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/18/kawa-m18.html

German Defence Ministry plans to wage international drone warfare
wsws.org | 2020-05-18
Germany's ruling elite is responding to the mounting tensions between the major powers triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic by intensifying its drive to war.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/18/dron-m18.html

Growing resistance in Germany to returning to schools as coronavirus pandemic continues
wsws.org | 2020-05-18
Resistance is growing among German teachers and pupils against this irresponsible policy, which threatens to turn schools into new hotspots of COVID-19.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/18/retu-m18.html

The last resort of the EU fighting refugees in Greece–armed force and COVID-19
wsws.org | 2020-05-18
Greek soldiers used tear gas, stun grenades, rubber bullets and live ammunition against refugees stranded in the no-man's-land between Greece and Turkey.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/18/gree-m18.html

War and Power in Classical Greece: Lessons for Superpowers and the World
Evaggelos Vallianatos | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-18
Prologue Humans have had almost ceaseless difficulties in working and living together. Superstition, religious ideas, race, geography, ownership of land, and language engulf them so much, they often fail to extend a friendly hand to people who don't fit their schizophrenia of who among humans is like them. This culture has been generating a deadly…
counterpunch.org/2020/05/18/war-and-power-in-classical-greece-lessons-for-superpowers-and-the-world/

Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: COVID-19 news briefing
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-05-18
On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, covers the latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Poland discusses how the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, is changing, and how scientists and researchers are rapidly gaining new knowledge about the virus and the disease that it …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-qa-podcast-covid-19-news-briefing/

Spring cleaning takes on a new importance during COVID-19 pandemic
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-05-18
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/

UN sends 89 trucks carrying aid to Syria's Idlib
yenisafak.com | 2020-05-18
The United Nations sent Monday 89 truckloads of humanitarian aid to Idlib, a northwestern Syrian province where millions are in urgent need of assistance.The trucks loaded with the supplies entered Syria through the Cilvegozu border gate in Turkey's southern Hatay province bordering Idlib.The aid will be distributed to vulnerable people in Idlib and nearby rural areas.Syria has been ravaged by a civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters.Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced, according to UN estimates.Idlib falls within…
yenisafak.com/en/world/un-sends-89-trucks-carrying-aid-to-syrias-idlib-3529806

Turkey condemns pig's-head vandalism of German mosque
yenisafak.com | 2020-05-18
An Islamophobic incident in which a pig's head was mounted onto the door of mosque in southern Germany drew condemnation from Turkey on Monday."Even during the holy month of Ramadan and the epidemic, racism and hostility against Islam continues in Europe. The ugly attack on our mosque in Germany is the latest example of this," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted on Monday.Denouncing the perpetrators' "sick mentality," he urged that they be caught immediately.The incident took place Saturday at the Fatih Mosque in the city of Vaihingen, run by the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs. The incident too…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-condemns-pigs-head-vandalism-of-german-mosque-3529803

Fast in, first out: Denmark leads lockdown exit
yenisafak.com | 2020-05-18
Four weeks after Denmark began easing its lockdown, Danes on Monday returned to cafes and restaurants, confident that the coronavirus outbreak is under control.Denmark last month became the first country in Europe to reopen schools, day-care centres and smaller businesses. It did not see a subsequent rise in COVID-19 cases."The quick shutdown and the fact that Danes actually listened to messages from authorities about good hygiene and social distancing are the main reasons we've come this far," said Hans Jorn Kolmos, a professor in clinical microbiology at the University of Southern Denmark.Contrary to the French…
yenisafak.com/en/world/fast-in-first-out-denmark-leads-lockdown-exit-3529808

Germany hopes to end global travel warning in June, but no return to normal
yenisafak.com | 2020-05-18
Germany is hoping to replace a travel warning that is in place for all touristic trips abroad until June 15 with softer guidelines, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Monday, but warned there would be no quick return to holidays as usual."June 15 is not the starting date for taking holidays – June 15 is the date when we need to make a decision on whether we will lift the global travel warning and we're working on replacing this travel warning with travel guidelines," Maas said.He said he wanted summer holidays to be possible but stressed that this needed to be done in a responsible way and added that it was too…
yenisafak.com/en/world/germany-hopes-to-end-global-travel-warning-in-june-but-no-return-to-normal-3529811

Coronavirus pushes Swedish deaths to highest since 1993 in April
yenisafak.com | 2020-05-18
More Swedes died in April than in any one month since 1993, figures from the Statistics Office showed on Monday, as the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pushed the death toll higher.Sweden, which has stopped short of the strict lockdown measures enforced by many countries, has suffered a higher death rate during the coronavirus pandemic than its Scandinavian neighbours.In Sweden, the pandemic has caused around 3,700 deaths since the first reported fatality in March, but has not been as deadly as some seasonal flu over the last three decades, when the toll in December 1993 and January 2000 was higher, the Statist…
yenisafak.com/en/world/coronavirus-pushes-swedish-deaths-to-highest-since-1993-in-april-3529812

Traditional Beer Gardens in Munich Welcome First Visitors After Lockdown Restrictions Eased – Video
sputniknews.com | 2020-05-18
Since late April, Germany has started scaling back some of the coronavirus-related restrictions imposed on public life amid a declining COVID-19 infection rate.
sputniknews.com/europe/202005181079337307-traditional-beer-gardens-in-munich-welcome-first-visitors-after-lockdown-restrictions-eased—video/

Italian MP Claims Bill Gates Should Be Tried for 'Crimes Against Humanity' in Jab at COVID Vaccine
sputniknews.com | 2020-05-18
Bill Gates has already injected hundreds of millions of dollars, including $100 million via the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, into the development of COVID-19 vaccines and testing, part of an international effort to tackle the coronavirus crisis.
sputniknews.com/europe/202005181079340375-italian-mp-claims-bill-gates-should-be-tried-for-crimes-against-humanity-in-jab-at-covid-vaccine/

Merkel Played Like a Fiddle
sputniknews.com | 2020-05-18
Angela Merkel is a formidable European leader, having served as German Chancellor for 15 years and still going strong. She also no doubt has a formidable intellect, having earned a doctorate in quantum chemistry and previously working as a research scientist before she entered politics.
sputniknews.com/columnists/202005181079342407-merkel-played-like-a-fiddle/

China's Oppo Inks Pact With UK's Vodafone to Push 5G Adoption Worldwide Starting With Spain, Germany
sputniknews.com | 2020-05-18
New Delhi (Sputnik): In a bid to compete globally, countries around the world are making plans and taking actions to boost their high speed 5G capabilities. South Korea, Turkey, Sweden, Japan, and China are just a few of the countries already deploying and testing the fifth generation of super fast connectivity.
sputniknews.com/india/202005181079337870-chinas-oppo-inks-pact-with-uks-vodafone-to-push-5g-adoption-worldwide-starting-with-spain-germany/

Easy as Pie: Russian MoD Releases Video Showing Air-to-Air Refuelling of Sukhoi Fighter Jets
sputniknews.com | 2020-05-18
The process itself was carried out by an Ilyushin-78 four-engine tanker, which is capable of refuelling up to ten jets during a single flight. Additionally, more than 20 Su-24M, Su-34, and Su-30 jets practiced air combat manoeuvring.
sputniknews.com/military/202005181079340722-easy-as-pie-russian-mod-releases-video-showing-air-to-air-refuelling-of-sukhoi-fighter-jets/

US Attorney General Barr Accuses Apple of Cooperating With Chinese, Russian Governments
sputniknews.com | 2020-05-18
Earlier, Apple refused to help American law enforcement unlock data on its smartphones, namely the one possessed by a Saudi cadet responsible for a mass shooting at a Pensacola military base in 2019. However, there is no evidence that the tech giant ever provided such services to either Moscow or Beijing.
sputniknews.com/us/202005181079342821-us-attorney-general-barr-accuses-apple-of-cooperating-with-chinese-russian-governments/

Putin, Erdogan Discuss Coronavirus Response, Situation in Syria and Libya
sputniknews.com | 2020-05-18
ANKARA (Sputnik) – Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan have discussed cooperation on the coronavirus fight and the situation in Syria, both the Kremlin and the office of the Turkish president said Monday.
sputniknews.com/world/202005181079341632-putin-erdogan-discuss-coronavirus-response-situation-in-syria-and-libya/

Six of Russian State Duma Members Diagnosed With COVID-19 – Speaker's Aide
sputniknews.com | 2020-05-18
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Six of 450 members of the State Duma, the Russian parliament's lower house, have been diagnosed with COVID-19, Anastasia Kashevarova, an aide to the State Duma Chairman, said on Monday.
sputniknews.com/russia/202005181079342663-six-of-russian-state-duma-members-diagnosed-with-covid-19—speakers-aide/

Iran chides EU's impracticality towards US hostile anti-Iranian actions
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-05-18
TEHRAN, May 18 (MNA)

'The Unseen' to go on screen at Krakow Film Festival
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-05-18
TEHRAN, May 18 (MNA)

Russia sends three batches of fabric for face masks to Iran
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-05-18
TEHRAN, May 18 (MNA) –Russia has delivered to Iran three batches of fabric for manufacturing face masks, a press attache of the Russian diplomatic mission Andrei Ganenko said.
en.mehrnews.com/news/158816/Russia-sends-three-batches-of-fabric-for-face-masks-to-Iran

VIDEO: Russian envoy talks of Iran, Russia bilateral relation, regional issues
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-05-18
TEHRAN, May 18 (MNA)

Russia terms US struggles to retain JCPOA rights 'groundless'
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-05-18
TEHRAN, May 18 (MNA)

'Idiotic & unimplementable': Chief of Europe's largest lowcoster Ryanair slams UK response to Covid-19
rt.com | 2020-05-18
Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary has blasted the British government for mismanaging the Covid-19 crisis, and hit out at fresh measures for quarantining travelers coming from abroad. | "It's idiotic and it's unimplementable. You don't have enough police in the UK," O'Leary told BBC radio. | "This [is] the same government that has… mismanaged the crisis for many weeks. | Last week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed that all travellers arriving in Britain will be quarantined for 14 days. The measure is expected to take effect in the end of the month. | O'Leary had previously criticized the idea of q…
rt.com/uk/488919-uk-government-ryanair-idiotic/

UK 'still in talks' with France over quarantine exemption for visitors
rt.com | 2020-05-18
Britain is still in talks with France over whether French travelers should be exempt from a requirement for a 14-day quarantine when they arrive in the United Kingdom, according to the culture minister. "Discussions are ongoing with the French on that," Oliver Dowden told Sky News on Monday. | Britain won't impose quarantines on travelers coming from France "at this stage," France and Britain said earlier this month. | The two countries added that any such measure would be reciprocal and would only be imposed after mutual consultation. However, London has still not set out the full details, Reuters said.
rt.com/newsline/488925-uk-france-exemption-visitors/

Italian lawmaker demands Bill Gates be ARRESTED for 'crimes against humanity'… But WHY?
rt.com | 2020-05-18
An Italian lawmaker has managed to bring the conspiracy blame-game to an entirely new level, exercising her parliamentary privilege to blast Bill Gates as a "vaccine criminal" and globalist tool. | Bill Gates and his latest anti-coronavirus efforts have been at the center of the wildest theories that explore possible sinister motives behind the billionaire's activities. In arguably the most high-profile outcry last week, an Italian MP for Rome Sara Cunial delivered a speech rarely (if ever at all) heard in any parliament. | In her passionate address, Cunial called upon fellow lawmakers to defy any plans for…
rt.com/news/488912-italy-parliament-bill-gates-coronavirus/

Dump the dollar: Russia has now gotten rid of over 96% of its US debt holdings
rt.com | 2020-05-18
Moscow has continued to sell off US Treasury securities, cutting its stockpile by US$8.73 billion in March, according to the latest data from the US Department of the Treasury. | Russia's holdings of US state debt amounted to $3.8 billion in March, compared with $12.5 billion a month earlier. Three years ago, the amount stood at $105 billion. Moscow has liquidated over 96 percent of its holdings in that period. The country's long-term US Treasury securities decreased by $928 million, while short-term securities plunged by $7.8 billion to just $473 million. | Japan remains the biggest holder of US state debt si…
rt.com/business/488928-russia-dumps-us-dollar-debt/

Spain may reopen borders to tourists in late June, transport minister says
rt.com | 2020-05-18
Spain aims to reopen borders to visitors around the end of June as its coronavirus lockdown fully winds down, Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos said on Monday. Madrid last week surprised its EU partners by imposing a two-week quarantine on all overseas travelers and effectively keeping borders closed, Reuters said. | Spain then explained that the measures were needed to avoid importing a second wave of the Covid-19 disease. However, the move was meant to be temporary and the transport minister said it would be phased out in parallel with travel being allowed within Spain, whose regions are easing restriction…
rt.com/newsline/488953-spain-reopen-borders-tourism/

EU calls for independent probe of the WHO's pandemic response
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-05-18
The European Union and other countries have called for an independent evaluation of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) response to the coronavirus pandemic "to review experience gained and lessons learned". | The resolution has the support of more than half of the WHO's member countries and will be discussed this week at the decision-making body of the UN health agency, being held virtually this year. | The proposal is intended to initiate "a stepwise process of impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation" of the WHO's efforts to coordinate the international response to Covid-19, including the function…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2020/05/18/eu-calls-for-independent-probe-of-the-whos-pandemic-response/

Labour brands new immigration legislation a 'threat to national interest'
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-05-18
Ministers have been accused of "rank hypocrisy" over their attitude to key workers as Labour claimed new immigration legislation would make it harder to fill NHS roles.The government's measures to replace European Union freedom of movement rules in the UK face their first Commons hurdle on Monday.The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) bill is part of the move towards the government's new points-based immigration system, to be introduced from 2021, although it does not set out the details on this. | These will be fleshed out in the immigration rules, which will explain the future system…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/05/18/labour-brands-new-immigration-legislation-a-threat-to-national-interest/

Video: Syrian Army Suffers Casualties in Daraa. Militants Attack Russian-Turkish Patrol
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-17
The security situation has been escalating in southern Syria. Over the past 24 hours, at least 3 pro-government fighters and a civilian have been killed in attacks by gunmen in al-Musayfrah and Saida-al-Taebah. The attacks followed the March 14 and …
globalresearch.ca/video-syrian-army-suffers-casualties-daraa-militants-attack-russian-turkish-patrol/5713174

Secretive Right-Wing Nonprofit Plays Role in COVID-19 Organizing
Alex Kotch | commondreams.org | 2020-05-17
A right-wing protester holds a sign which reads "Be like Sweden" while another called the coronavirus pandemic a "fake crisis" during an April anti-lockdown demonstration in Minnesota. (Photo: AP) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/be_like_sweden_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/05/17/secretive-right-wing-nonprofit-plays-role-covid-19-organizing?cd-origin=rss

America's Newest Wedge Issue and the Tale of the Bizarre 2020 Presidential Elections
Andrey Areshev | strategic-culture.org | 2020-05-17
The answer to 1776 is not 1984 and if anything needs to be protested it would be any efforts by the government to make elections "go digital". Ironically such a move would actually be the way that the Chinese and Russians could actually get the guy they want in the Oval Office.
strategic-culture.org/video/2020/05/17/americas-newest-wedge-issue-and-tale-bizarre-2020-elections/

1000 rally in Brunswick, Georgia demanding justice for Ahmaud Arbery
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-05-17
Brunswick, GA

'Guard of dishonor': VIDEO shows nurses & doctors giving ICY welcome to Belgian PM over govt's Covid-19 response
rt.com | 2020-05-17
Belgium's PM Sophie Wilmes has visited one of the nation's hospitals battling the pandemic

Putin calls Russia a 'distinct civilization' that needs to be SAVED with homegrown high-tech
rt.com | 2020-05-17
President Vladimir Putin has compared his multi-ethnic and multi-faith nation to an entire civilization, saying that if Russia is to maintain its independent status, it has to develop its own cutting-edge technologies. | In an interview that aired on Sunday, Putin told the Rossiya-1 channel that Russia was "more than merely a country, but truly a distinct civilization." Being "a multi-ethnic country with many traditions, cultures and faiths," the nation has to maintain its status and power by nurturing modern tech, he said. | I…
rt.com/russia/488904-putin-russia-distinct-civilization/

The ŸêAnnexation After Seventy-Two Years Of Continuous Nakba
Staff | imemc.org | 2020-05-16
By: Marwan E. Toubassi, Ambassador of the State of Palestine in Greece:…
imemc.org/article/the-%d9%90nnexation-after-seventy-two-years-of-continuous-nakba/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-%25d9%2590nnexation-after-seventy-two-years-of-continuous-nakba

As Gerry Adams' internment conviction is 'quashed', Britain's shameful past in Ireland comes back to haunt it
Peadar O'Cearnaigh | thecanary.co | 2020-05-16
On 13 May, the Supreme Court quashed the 1973 and 1975 convictions of former leader of Sinn Féin ( SF) Gerry Adams. The court held that because Adams "was not detained lawfully" it "follows that he was wrongfully convicted of the offences of attempting to escape from lawful custody". This means "his convictions for those offences must be quashed". | The floodgates of similar cases could…
thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2020/05/16/as-gerry-adams-internment-conviction-is-quashed-britains-shameful-past-in-ireland-comes-back-to-haunt-it/

Ecuador's pandemic: Rightist regime fails to confront crisis
Michael Otto | workers.org | 2020-05-16
Ibarra, Ecuador May 9

Progressives in Slovakia slam pro-EU/NATO joint declaration by leadership
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-05-16
The declaration emphasizes that EU and NATO membership is vital for Slovakia. It also envisages increasing defense spending along with the preparation of a new security strategy…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/05/16/progressives-in-slovakia-slam-pro-eu-nato-joint-declaration-by-leadership/

EU takes legal action against UK on free movement
graham | truepublica.org.uk | 2020-05-16
The European Commission launched infringement proceedings against the U.K. on Thursday, accusing it of failure to comply with EU law on free movement. During the Brexit transition period, which is due to end on December 31, EU law on free movement applies to the U.K. as if it were still a member of the bloc, …
truepublica.org.uk/newsbits/eu-takes-legal-action-against-uk-on-free-movement/

Lenin, 150 years on
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-05-16
Socialism Julian CoppensIssue 1266 Australia Paris Commune Social Democratic Labour Party of RussiaMay 16, 2020For Stalinists and liberals, Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, better known…
greenleft.org.au/content/lenin-150-years

Russia makes a botch of its Syrian alliance
M. K. Bhadrakumar | iranian.com | 2020-05-15
Russia's relationships with its client states have never been easy. Of course, managing client states is always a complicated exercise. The Kremlin's cupboard is full of skeletons

In Spain, demands for ensuring safety of Basque political prisoners
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-05-15
Patxi Ruiz, a political prisoner belonging to the Basque ethnicity in Spain, started a hunger strike in the Murcia II prison where he is being held to protest harassment and threats by the jail authorities…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/05/15/in-spain-demands-for-ensuring-safety-of-basque-political-prisoners/

Millions of migrants across Russia, Central Asia, 'teetering on the brink', as UN launches urgent appeal
news.un.org | 2020-05-15
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) launched an urgent $7 million appeal on Thursday, to ease the impact of COVID-19 on migrant communities in five Central Asian countries and the Russian Federation, where the pandemic is pushing a growing number of migrant workers into poverty.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/05/1064182

NYT Has Trouble Talking Seriously About the Swedish Approach
Dean Baker | cepr.net | 2020-05-15
Opinion columns are always given more leeway than news articles, but it would be reasonable to expect that an opinion column in a major newspaper have some connection to reality. That does not appear to be the case with this one that tells us "I live in Sweden. I'm not panicking." The piece is a …
cepr.net/nyt-has-trouble-talking-seriously-about-the-swedish-approach/

Last Process: 50 Postees: 2020-05-18 18:50 GMT (14:50 EST)

2020-05-17: News Headlines

Stephen Lendman (2020-05-17). Trump Regime Aims to Block Legal Cooperation Between Iran and Venezuela. globalresearch.ca The US is at war by hot or others means against all nations unwilling to subordinate their sovereign rights to its interests. | Russia and China top its regime change target list, Iran and Venezuela close behind. | The Islamic and Bolivarian …

RT (2020-05-17). Bloomberg changes headline YET AGAIN amid backlash over article on why Covid-19 'didn't kill more Russians'. rt.com Bloomberg has yet again had to correct the title of an article, after rolling out a report about why Covid-19 hasn't "killed more Russians." Moscow has argued that Western media distort Russia's fight against the disease. | US-based Bloomberg News had published the story, originally titled "Experts Want to Know Why Coronavirus Hasn't Killed More Russians," on Wednesday. The news piece was ostensibly about how Russia's relatively low death toll from Covid-19 "puzzles health experts," especially since the nation has the second-highest number of officially-recorded cases of the disease, trailing only behind the…

RT (2020-05-17). 'Contradicting the idea of solidarity': France slams Italy for unilateral plan to reopen borders to tourists. rt.com Italy shouldn't have moved to reopen its borders without coordinating with other EU member states first, French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said, as a non-uniform Covid-19 pandemic response tests the bloc's unity. | Following more than two months of statewide lockdowns, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced on Saturday that the country will allow entry to European tourists, while the mandatory 14-day quarantine will be scrapped from June 3. France immediately slammed its neighbor for undermining the idea of European solidarity. | "It's very important for us to coordinate our decisions on th…

RT (2020-05-17). 'Guard of dishonor': VIDEO shows nurses & doctors giving ICY welcome to Belgian PM over govt's Covid-19 response. rt.com Belgium's PM Sophie Wilmes has visited one of the nation's hospitals battling the pandemic — but the medical staff literally turned their backs on her to show that her "display of support" for frontline workers was not enough. | Prime Minister Wilmes faced a cold welcome at the Saint-Pierre hospital in the Belgian capital Brussels, where the doctors and nurses found a novel way to show their dissatisfaction with the government's policies amid the novel coronavirus epidemic. The nation has had one of the highest Covid-19 mortality rates in Europe. | Footage obtained by RT's video agency Ruptly shows do…

RT (2020-05-17). 'Questioning EU's ability': Eurocrat accuses Russian media of spreading Covid-19 'CONSPIRACIES,' offers no examples. rt.com An EU Commission spokesperson alleged, giving no details, that the Russian media and "Kremlin-friendly" sources push conspiracy theories about Covid-19. The news comes on the heels of anti-lockdown protests in Germany and the UK. | Not mincing his words, Peter Stano

RT (2020-05-17). Coronavirus brings diamond sales to an almost complete halt. rt.com A leading global diamond producer, Russia's ALROSA, is reporting that its sales were down tenfold in one month alone, as the impact of Covid-19 ripples through the global economy and supply chains. | In April, ALROSA sold a total of just $15.6 million-worth of rough and polished diamonds. This is down from over $152 million a month earlier and from $400 million in sales in the beginning of the year. | "Restrictions imposed to fight the coronavirus and a decline in demand for diamond jewelry have minimized the trade in rough and polished diamonds across the world," Evgeny Agureev, Deputy CEO of ALROSA, said in…

RT (2020-05-17). Putin calls Russia a 'distinct civilization' that needs to be SAVED with homegrown high-tech. rt.com President Vladimir Putin has compared his multi-ethnic and multi-faith nation to an entire civilization, saying that if Russia is to maintain its independent status, it has to develop its own cutting-edge technologies. | In an I…

RT (2020-05-17). NO PROOF to support 'Russian assassin' story, Czech govt concedes — yet minister claims suspicions are still 'credible'. rt.com The Czech interior minister has admitted that Prague has no evidence against a Russian diplomat branded by media as a poison courier in an alleged assassination plot. It didn't stop the minister pushing the theory further, though. | An acting head of the Russian foreign aid agency's office in the Czech Republic, Andrey Konchakov, has recently found himself at the center of a scandal, after local media identified him as a suspected "spy" supposedly involved in a plot to assassinate several local officials. | Now, Czech Minster of the Interior Jan Hamacek is explaining that expelling the man could prove complica…

RT (2020-05-17). 'EYE' in the sky: Russia's National Guard launches BLIMP to spot Covid-19 lockdown violators… to mixed reviews (VIDEO). rt.com Russia's National Guard has added a steampunk vibe to the coronavirus dystopia as it launched a blimp to monitor how the lockdown is being observed in Moscow Region. Not everyone was impressed, though. | Equipped with the OKO ("eye") surveillance system, the air balloon was deployed to hover several hundred meters above the ground, allowing servicemen to observe an area of around five square kilometers. | The blimp's prime task is to monitor the park and forest areas during the quarantine. Data gathered by the OKO system is transferred to patrols on the ground in real time, who are then dispatched to disperse…

South Front (2020-05-17). Video: Syrian Army Suffers Casualties in Daraa. Militants Attack Russian-Turkish Patrol. globalresearch.ca The security situation has been escalating in southern Syria. Over the past 24 hours, at least 3 pro-government fighters and a civilian have been killed in attacks by gunmen in al-Musayfrah and Saida-al-Taebah. The attacks followed the March 14 and …

South Front (2020-05-17). Russia's COVID Game of Elites. globalresearch.ca Implementing President Putin's directives, Russian federal authorities intensified their efforts to contain both the economic and social impact of the nation-wide coronavirus lockdown, and also some local authorities' overzealous efforts. This move was impatiently awaited by the Russian society for …

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-05-17). Normalized Relations with Russia Can Improve Baltic Economies During Pandemic. globalresearch.ca In 2020, Lithuania's and Latvia's gross domestic product (GDP) will decrease by seven per cent, according to a European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

en.mehrnews (2020-05-17). 'War and Peace' to go on screen in Italian film festival. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 17 (MNA) — Iranian short film 'War and Peace' directed by Ehsan Mirzaie will take part in the 9th Tracce Cinematografiche Film Fest International Short Film in Rome, Italy.

Andrey Areshev (2020-05-17). America's Newest Wedge Issue and the Tale of the Bizarre 2020 Presidential Elections. strategic-culture.org The answer to 1776 is not 1984 and if anything needs to be protested it would be any efforts by the government to make elections "go digital". Ironically such a move would actually be the way that the Chinese and Russians could actually get the guy they want in the Oval Office.

Michael Harris (2020-05-17). Should "Slavery in California" be considered in CA Reparations Bill AB 3121. indybay.org Slavery in California, a hidden secret by design, may be included in the consideration for AB 3121, the trade in human cargo is known to have source documents that predate the year 1450 Spain, Portugal, Danish governments and countless other vessels are raiding the vast African coastal villages for the express purpose of trade in human cargo for economic exploitation.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-17). US needs to read text of JCPOA more carefully: Ulyanov. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 17 (MNA) — Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov has strongly criticized the United States' new stance on restoring UN sanctions against Iran.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-17). Iran, Turkey to cooperate on manufacturing wind turbine blades. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 17 (MNA) — Head of Iran's Materials and Energy Center (MERC) announced on Sunday that Iran and Turkey are to jointly start designing, manufacturing and testing of new wind turbine blades.

Peter Koenig (2020-05-16). The Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic: The Real Danger is "Agenda ID2020" globalresearch.ca WHO has most likely received orders from "above", from those people who also manage Trump and the "leaders" (sic) of the EU, European Union. The final decision to go ahead NOW with COVID-19 pandemic, was taken in January 2020 at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos – behind very much closed doors.

RT (2020-05-16). Air traffic won't return to pre-pandemic levels until 2023 — IATA. rt.com Demand for air travel has plunged more than 90 percent in Europe and the United States since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said. | It warned that passenger traffic won't rebound to pre-crisis levels until at least 2023, noting that recovery will be even slower if lockdowns and travel restrictions are extended. | "We are asking governments to have a phased approach to restart the industry and to fly again," Alexandre de Juniac, the IATA's director general and CEO, told CNBC, raising hopes that some flying will resume by summer. | According to him, the…

John Church (2020-05-16). The Xhosa Cattle Killing Movement — The Forerunners of the COVID Lockdown Cult. anti-empire.com

"During this time many Xhosa herds were plagued with "lung sickness", possibly introduced by European cattle"

| This week-end we were all hoping to hear about a lifting of restrictions and a view of a rapid road back to normality. I know I am not alone in being seriously alarmed by the direction of travel that is the opposite to what was wanted. We were initially locked-down in March to ensure the 'NHS wasn't overwhelmed'. Then in April it was extended to 'save lives' and this has now morphed into a rationale to 'prevent a second wave'. This weekend we were to hear about reduced restrictions,…

RT (2020-05-16). Italy to lift international and domestic travel restrictions in June. rt.com Italy will allow international travel, as well as transit between the country's regions, from June 3, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced on Saturday. | The authorities, however, have not ruled out curbing travel again in some areas — but only in the event that there is a new spike in infections. | The European state, one of the hardest-hit by the coronavirus pandemic, has begun to slowly ease restrictions that were put in place to stop the spread of the illness following a steady decline in the number of new cases recently. | Factories and parks opened in early May, while shops and restaurants are se…

RT (2020-05-16). POLAND would gladly host American nukes if Germany refuses, US envoy claims, fanning 'Cuban missile crisis 2.0'. rt.com As the US ambassador to Germany — and acting spy chief — tried persuading Berlin to keep hosting US nuclear weapons, his colleague in Warsaw suggested Poland would be willing to take them instead, an act sure to provoke Moscow. | "If Germany wants to diminish nuclear capability and weaken NATO, perhaps Poland — which pays its fair share, understands the risks, and is on NATO's eastern flank — could house the capabilities here," Ambassador Georgette Mosbacher tweeted on Friday. | If Germany wants to diminish nuclear capability and weaken NATO, perhaps Poland – which pays its fair share, un…

RT (2020-05-16). Hungary's Orban says Budapest lockdown will now be gradually lifted amid Covid-19 powers row with EU. rt.com The gradual removal of coronavirus restrictions will begin in Budapest from Monday, bringing Hungarian PM Victor Orban closer to fulfilling his promise to give up the emergency powers that had angered the EU. | "It has become clear that we have managed to curb the epidemic in Budapest as well…and thus we can lift the lockdown," Orban announced in a video address on his Facebook page. | However, the prime minister pointed out that the government will be moving "cautiously" towards what he called the second phase of defense against the virus in Hungary's capital and largest city, which has a population of mor…

RT (2020-05-16). 'They used to be Vikings': Norwegian PM & ministers earn praise & ridicule for festive dance video. rt.com Norway's prime minister and members of her cabinet have been roasted in a pyre of internet mockery after performing a creative dance routine to mark the country's national day. | Prime Minister Erna Solberg and more than a dozen government ministers agreed to dance to a popular children's song as a lighthearted tribute to the country's independence day, which is celebrated on May 17. The routine was filmed for a children's television network, local media reported. | In the clip, Solberg leads her cabinet in hand waving, hip thrusting and flag waving — with some ministers clearly showing more enthusiasm th…

RT (2020-05-16). In major gaffe, US envoy MISTAKES Holocaust victims for Crimean Tatars… and he is NOT the first to do it. rt.com A top US diplomat was left red-faced after using a picture of a Jewish ghetto in Poland as part of his post on the 1944 deportation of Crimean Tatars, a blunder described as "disgusting" and which also drew ridicule on him.

RT (2020-05-16). 'A bad joke': Trio held after police raid admit to photo-bombing Russian WWII honor-roll site with Nazi pics. rt.com Three suspects have admitted to uploading photos of Third Reich leaders to a website honoring Soviet veterans of World War II. They admitted it was a lame joke — after getting arrested and facing criminal charges. | The suspects were detained in a series of raids this week in the cities of Perm, Samara, Ulyanovsk and Volgograd — the latter being the scene of WWII's bloodiest engagement, the Battle of Stalingrad. | | Screenshot from YouTube © Russia's Investigative Committee | Faced with the evidence, three of the four suspects confessed to putting photos of the likes of Adolf Hitler, SS chief…

RT (2020-05-16). Russia's biggest automaker to jump-start production next week. rt.com Major Russian car manufacturer AvtoVAZ has announced that after more than a two-week shutdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic it will resume production on May 18. | "Due to the virus situation, work will be organized according to a safe schedule to avoid crowds of people in transport and at checkpoints. The start of shifts on the assembly lines and office staff work schedules will be timed," the company said. Starting from June 29, AvtoVAZ will switch over to a four-day work week. | Production of cars at AvtoVAZ was suspended from April 29 due to the spread of coronavirus infection in Russia, which led to a drop…

RT (2020-05-16). 'We surrender!' Roscosmos chief taunts Trump for bragging about 'super-duper' US missile. rt.com The head of Russia's space agency, Dmitry Rogozin, fired off a tongue-in-cheek tweet in response to Donald Trump's brag about the uber-powerful missile that he alleges leaves Russian or Chinese analogues far behind. | While unveiling the flag of the Space Force in the Oval Office on Friday, US President Donald Trump made some headline-grabbing remarks. | "We have no choice. We have to do it, with the adversaries we have out there…I call it the super-duper missile, and I heard the other night [it's] 17 times faster than what they have right now," Trump bragged. | The US president didn't give away a single clu…

RT (2020-05-16). 'A bad joke': Trio admits to photo-bombing Russian WWII site with Nazi pics after police raid. rt.com Three suspects have admitted to uploading photos of Third Reich leaders onto a website honoring Soviet veterans of World War II. They admitted it was a lame joke — after getting arrested and facing criminal charges. | The suspects were detained in a series of raids this week in the cities of Perm, Samara, Ulyanovsk and Volgograd — the latter being the scene of the world's bloodiest WWII Battle of Stalingrad. | | Screenshot from YouTube © Russia's Investigative Committee | Faced with the evidence, three of the four suspects have confessed to putting up the photos of the likes of Adolf Hitler,…

RT (2020-05-16). Moscow hits lowest daily Covid-19 cases mark since early May, with 3,505 infections recorded. rt.com The Russian capital, which accounts for a half of all Covid-19 cases and deaths in the country, has reported the lowest new daily infections number since early May. | Some 3,505 new Covid-19 cases were confirmed in Moscow on Saturday. This has become the minimum daily rate in the city since the beginning of May, the capital's operational headquarters for monitoring the pandemic reported. | The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the capital has now reached 138,969. According to the officials, in the third decade of April, an average of 2,700 to 2,800 cases were recorded every day in Moscow. As the t…

Denis Prager (2020-05-16). The Worldwide Lockdown Is the Biggest Man-Made Culling Since the Great Leap Forward. anti-empire.com

"The truth is, like most of the elites, it is Barber who is "merely inconvenienced." Indeed, the American battle today is between the merely inconvenienced and the rest of America."

| The idea that the worldwide lockdown of virtually every country other than Sweden may have been an enormous mistake strikes many — including world leaders, most scientists (especially health officials, doctors and epidemiologists), those who work in major news media, opinion writers in those media and the hundreds of millions, if not billions, of people who put their faith in these people — as so prep…

Nils Karlson (2020-05-16). Sweden's Coronavirus Strategy Will Soon Be the World's. anti-empire.com China placed 50 million people under quarantine in Hubei Province in January. Since then, many liberal democracies have taken aggressive authoritarian measures of their own to fight the novel coronavirus. By mid-March, almost all Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries

Erick-Woods Erickson (2020-05-16). Media Screamed Georgia Reopening Would Mean Bodies in the Street. Instead Cases Are Falling. anti-empire.com On April 20, 2020, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp became one of the first governors in America to announce plans to reopen his state. He had been one of the last to impose a shelter-in-place order. Critics had blasted him for waiting so long. He did not impose shelter-in-place until the beginning of April. | On April 20, 2020, Kemp announced he would begin letting certain small businesses that were mostly sole proprietors with direct, personal relationships with customers reopen on April 25, 2020. Those included barber shops, nail salons, tattoo parlors, and, curiously, bowling alleys. What the media ignored was…

Michael Otto (2020-05-16). Ecuador's pandemic — Part 1: Rightist regime fails to confront crisis. workers.org Ibarra, Ecuador May 9 — During March and April, U.S. and European media spewed out shocking images from Guayaquil, the biggest city in Ecuador and capital of the province of Guayas on the Pacific Coast. No one in the port city of 2.9 million is untouched by the death of . . . |

teleSUR (2020-05-16). Jordan Warns Israel of 'Massive Conflict' Over Annexation. telesurenglish.net Jordan's King Abdullah II warned Friday that if Israel annexes the West Bank, it would lead to a "massive conflict" with Jordan, while European Union (UE) foreign ministers agreed to step up diplomatic efforts to try to head off such a move. | RELATED: | "If Israel really annexes the West Bank in July, it would lead to a massive conflict with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan," King Abdullah II said in an interview published by De…

Michael Otto (2020-05-16). Ecuador's pandemic: Rightist regime fails to confront crisis. workers.org Ibarra, Ecuador May 9 — During March and April, U.S. and European media spewed out shocking images from Guayaquil, the biggest city in Ecuador and capital of the province of Guayas on the Pacific Coast. No one in the port city of 2.9 million is untouched by the death of . . . |

WSWS (2020-05-16). Coronavirus crisis exposes devastating conditions in the German meat processing industry. wsws.org German slaughterhouses have become coronavirus hotspots, with hundreds of workers, most of them sub-contracted from Eastern Europe, infected with the virus.

Peadar O'Cearnaigh (2020-05-16). As Gerry Adams' internment conviction is 'quashed', Britain's shameful past in Ireland comes back to haunt it. thecanary.co On The floodgates of similar cases could…

WSWS (2020-05-16). One dead and more than 600 Irish meat processing workers infected with coronavirus. wsws.org There are 23,956 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Republic of Ireland and 1,518 deaths—one of the highest death ratios in the world. In Northern Ireland, 4,317 people have tested positive, with 469 deaths.

teleSUR (2020-05-16). Businessman Accused of Rwandan Genocide Arrested After 26 Years. telesurenglish.net The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) reported that Felicien Kabuga, one of the most wanted fugitives from the 1994 Rwandan genocide, was arrested in Paris on Saturday and is expected to be transferred to the Netherlands, where he will appear before the International Court of Justice in The Hague. | RELATED: | Kabuga played a key role in financing the massacres of hundreds of thousands of people committed…

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). Russian amb. rejects reports on Iran, Turkey, Russia agreement on removal of Assad. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — Rejecting some reports on Iran, Russia and Turkey's agreement to remove Syrian President from the power, Russian ambassador to Tehran Levan Dzhagaryan told Mehr News Agency that the future of President Assad and Syria will be decided by Syrian people through free transparent elections, not by us.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). Nuclear deal opponents helpless, ignorant: Ulyanov. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov termed the opponents of the 2015 nuclear deal, also known as Iran deal, ignorant and helpless.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). Russian amb. talks of Iran, Russia bilateral relation, regional developments. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — Russian Ambassador to Tehran Levan Dzhagaryan in an exclusive interview with Mehr News Agency on Wednesday talked of Tehran-Moscow bilateral relations, as well as the recent developments in Syria and region.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-05-16). Progressives in Slovakia slam pro-EU/NATO joint declaration by leadership. peoplesdispatch.org The declaration emphasizes that EU and NATO membership is vital for Slovakia. It also envisages increasing defense spending along with the preparation of a new security strategy…

teleSUR (2020-05-16). Spain Wants to Extend the COVID-19 Measures for Another Month. telesurenglish.net Spain's RELATED: | The Prime Minister explained that, if there is no new outbreak, the country could…

WSWS (2020-05-16). Herd immunity policy in Turkey risks thousands of new deaths. wsws.org The government is launching a "normalization" policy forcing employees back to work over opposition from medical experts.

WSWS (2020-05-15). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Zero Hedge (2020-05-15). "My Job Is to Make Syria a Quagmire for the Russians": CIA Doctrine Made Official Policy. globalresearch.ca Like with the disastrous Iraq quagmire years before the US war machine came to Syria under Obama, Washington's rationale and justification for occupying the Syrian Arab Republic has shifted and changed drastically multiple times over. | When ultimately what started …

Mike Whitney (2020-05-15). In the Race for Immunity, Sweden Leads the Pack. globalresearch.ca In a pandemic, there is no substitute for immunity, because immunity provides the best protection against reinfection. That's why Sweden set its sights on immunity from the very beginning. They crafted a policy that was designed to protect the old …

RT (2020-05-15). Nord Stream 2 to challenge German regulator's decision denying waiver of 'discriminatory' EU rules for gas pipeline from Russia. rt.com The company building the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline has vowed to appeal Germany's refusal to remove the multibillion-dollar project from the restrictions laid out in the "discriminatory" EU Gas Directive. | The latest amendment to the EU rules was greenlighted in April last year, long after Nord Stream 2 construction began. The legislature made the rules governing the European gas market apply to all pipelines to and from third countries. The new rule means Russia's Gazprom, which designed the project, will be allowed to use not more than 50 percent of the pipeline capacity while allowing third parties to use…

Last Process: 50 Citations: 2020-05-18 02:20 GMT (22:20 EST)