2021-04-01: News Headlines

Peoples Dispatch (2021-04-01). Amazon workers in Germany strike for binding collective agreements. peoplesdispatch.org Workers of six Amazon warehouses in Germany went on a 4 day strike demanding an increase in wages and to recognize binding collective agreements for the retail sector…

Andrew Korybko (2021-04-01). Six Megaprojects Are Poised to Turn Poland Into a Regional Economic Powerhouse. globalresearch.ca Poland is poised to become a regional economic powerhouse upon the …

WSWS (2021-04-01). Macron rejects calls for strict lockdown as COVID-19 surges in France. wsws.org In a prime-time speech, President Emmanuel Macron rejected medical authorities' urgent pleas for a strict lockdown to keep hospitals from being totally swamped.

teleSUR (2021-04-01). France Imposes Partial Lockdown To Halt COVID-19 Resurgence. telesurenglish.net To slow down the coronavirus spread, schools in France will be closed for three weeks and restriction on people's movement will be extended to the whole territory, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Wednesday evening. | RELATED: | Starting from Monday, students, except the children of medics, will move to remote learning for one week before going on a two-week holiday. Thereafter, the country's nurseries and primary schools will…

The Conversation (2021-04-01). Biden's Commitment to powering 20 mn Homes with Offshore Wind is a US Energy Revolution. juancole.com By Erin Baker and Matthew Lackner | — The United States' offshore wind industry is tiny, with just seven wind turbines operating off Rhode Island and Virginia. The few attempts to build large-scale wind farms like Europe's have run into long delays, but that may be about to change. The Biden administration announced on March …

John Feffer (2021-04-01). The US lost the Afghanistan War and is finally Leaving, but can Biden win the Peace? juancole.com ( Foreign Policy in Focus) — In October 1944, with the end of World War II in sight, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin passed a note back and forth to each other at a conference in Moscow. On the piece of paper, Churchill had assigned percentages to several Eastern European countries. Stalin amended the numbers, …

teleSUR (2021-04-01). Syria Calls US and EU Blockade Economic Terrorism. telesurenglish.net On Thursday, the Syrian Foreign Ministry rejected the United States and the European Union's unilateral coercive measures, described as collective punishment and economic terrorism. | RELATED: | Through letters sent to the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), António Guterres, and the President of the Security Council, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said that the imposition of sanctions has remained intact…

teleSUR (2021-04-01). Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Borisov: Cuba Is a "Key Partner" telesurenglish.net On Thursday, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov said that Cuba is a "key partner" in Latin America as representatives from both countries meet in Havana for the Russian-Cuban intergovernmental commission on trade, economic, scientific, and technical cooperation. | RELATED: | "Cuba is our key partner and reliable ally in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean. We appreciate the strategic nature of Russian-Cuban…

_____ (2021-04-01). Haitians March On Canadian Embassy. popularresistance.org People everywhere around the world love and respect Canadians, or so we're told. So how do you explain what's going on in Haiti? | On Sunday protesters in Port-au-Prince marched on the Canadian Embassy. "Madame Boukman — Justice 4 Haiti" posted a video to Twitter showing police in front of Canada's diplomatic representation in Haiti. Madame Boukman quoted two men waving a Russian flag saying, "Long live Russia. Canada go home." (In an indirect criticism of US/Canadian backing for dictator Jovenel MoàØse, Russia's Foreign Affairs Minister recently said they were concerned about "political instability"

Anonymous007 (2021-04-01). Even Terrorists Don't Want AstraZeneca Vaccine. southfront.org Click to see full-size image | On March 30th, al-Shabaab terrorists issued a statement rejecting the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for Somalia. | They cited its 'ineffective and adverse' side effects. | A statement released by the group warned Somalis against administering the AstraZeneca vaccine saying it is "deadly and unsafe." | The statement linked the recent move by dozens of countries including European nations like Germany, Italy and France to reject the vaccine becau…

Anonymous669 (2021-04-01). France Hands Over Anti-Tank Guided Missiles To Lebanese Army (Photos). southfront.org Click to see full-size image. Source: lebarmy.gov.lb | On March 31, France handed over a shipment of anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) and other military equipment to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). | The equipment was handed over in a ceremony attended by the deputy chief of staff for equipment Brig. Gen. Ziad Nasr representing LAF Commander-in-Chief Gen. Joseph Aoun, the French Ambassador to Lebanon Anne Grillo and the French military attaché, Col. Fabrice Chapelle. | Depuis 2017, la a cédé à titre gracieux po…

Anonymous669 (2021-04-01). Hunting ISIS: Syrian Government Forces Kick Off Operation In Deir Ezzor With Russian Support (Video). southfront.org ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE: Sputnik/Mikhail Alaeddin | On April 1, Syrian government forces kicked off a large-scale combing operation in the southern and western Deir Ezzor countryside. | According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the National Defense Forces and the Palestinian al-Quds Brigade are leading the operation which is backed by the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS). | Government forces are combing the outskirts of the town of al-Mayadin, from the area of al-Banja all the way to the area of Fayda…

Anonymous007 (2021-04-01). Behold The Chinese Type 100-Class "God Of Submarines" southfront.org Source: navalnews.com | Chinese submarine, identified as the Type-100 Class is reportedly contesting Russian Navy's mighty Pr.941 Typhoon Class submarine as the largest ever built. | This was The new submarine is reportedly armed with 48 Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs). It can also carry massive nuclear-powered nuclear-armed autonomo…

Anonymous007 (2021-04-01). U.S. State Department Lists Ukraine's Plentiful Human Rights Abuses In 2020. southfront.org Click to see full-size image | On March 31st, the US Department of State released its annual Country Reports on Human Rights. | It renewed its report on US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken presented the 45th annual report. | It turns out…

RT (2021-04-01). US telecoms giant Verizon signs first private 5G deal in Europe, will provide service to UK port. rt.com Verizon has announced the deployment of a 5G mobile network in the Port of Southampton, under its first private contract in Europe — a move that has been hailed as a "fantastic milestone" by the UK's leading port operator. | One of the largest in the UK, Southampton Port is one of 21 under the jurisdiction of Associated British Ports (ABP). It processes some £40 billion in exports every year — and now it's set to become the first mainland British port to operate with a private 5G network. Verizon says it will provide the port with "a secure, low-latency private network connection." | ABP descr…

RT (2021-04-01). Her Majesty's useful idiot? Integrity Initiative-linked Scots Nats MP demands London spy agencies probe Russian 'disinformation'. rt.com The British Parliament's most enthusiastic Russia-basher wants UK intelligence services to formally instruct MPs on alleged "foreign propaganda." His odd biography for an SNP representative and deep state links make it notable. | Stewart McDonald's interest in Russia is quite remarkable. Until 2018, he showed little or no interest in the country at all, but then, following an opaquely funded and organized jolly to Ukraine, he suddenly transformed into an ardent opponent of Moscow. He also became a passionate supporter of the British establishment position on foreign policy. Perhaps it was the chicken Kiev that…

South Front (2021-04-01). Video: A Spring Promise of War Dawns in Eastern Ukraine. globalresearch.ca After months of preliminary talks, attempts at provocation and political preparations …

Global Research News (2021-04-01). Selected Articles: "Defender-Europe": US Army Arrives. globalresearch.ca By Not everything in Europe is paralyzed by the anti-Covid lockdown: in fact, the mammoth annual exercise of the US Army, Defender-Europe, which until June mobilized on European territory, …

_____ (2021-04-01). UK's Vaccine Rollout Is A Reminder That We Need Universal Healthcare. popularresistance.org London – Dr. John Lister watched in horror as the United Kingdom's Covid-19 mortality rate climbed above 1 per 1,000, one of the highest death rates in the world since the start of the pandemic. So, when the 71-year-old Briton was informed he would receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in late January, he could hardly contain himself. | "It was a great moment of excitement when I got the notification," Lister tells In These Times. | Lister, a health policy expert and associate professor at Coventry University, was one of 15 million people in the United Kingdom to receive a Covid-19 vaccine before February 15, th…

Kim Petersen (2021-04-01). China and Iran: A Natural Anti-imperialist Alliance. dissidentvoice.org On 15 July 2015 — the day after the United States agreed to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA; also called the Iran nuclear deal) along with China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, plus Germany — then US president Barack Obama said in an interview that Iran was "a great civilization." Without listing any …

RT (2021-04-01). Controversial Russian mercenary group linked to 'grave human rights abuses' in Central African Republic, new UN probe claims. rt.com A UN team has alleged that a controversial private military contractor, brought in by the embattled government of the Central African Republic, is behind a series of troubling and violent attacks in the civil-war-wracked nation. | The working group tasked with assessing the situation in the Central African Republic announced on Tuesday that its members were "deeply disturbed" by a purported link between the mercenaries from the Russian 'Wagner Group' of paramilitaries and potential "grave human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law." | The company's contractors have been operating alon…

RT (2021-04-01). WHO criticizes Europe for 'unacceptably slow' rollout of Covid-19 vaccines and 'prolonging the pandemic'. rt.com The World Health Organization (WHO) has labeled Europe's rollout of Covid-19 vaccines as "unacceptably slow," warning delays are "prolonging the pandemic" and described a surge in new infections in the region as "worrying." | The WHO statement from its top leadership in Europe on Thursday came after most countries reported increased coronavirus cases and deaths over the past seven days. Last week, Europe recorded 1.6 million new Covid-19 infections and close to 24,000 deaths. It is the world's second-worst affected region with nearly 1 million deaths and 45 million infections since the pandemic began. | "Vacci…

RT (2021-04-01). Optimistic health minister says France may reach Covid peak in '7 to 10 days,' as PM warns third wave is 'hitting us hard'. rt.com France's health minister has registered his optimism that the country will reach the peak of the epidemic within 10 days and that things will look a lot better in May, but the PM's assessment remains grim. | Speaking on Thursday to France Inter radio, Minister of Health Olivier Véran said he was confident that the measures announced by President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday would have "a strong impact on the epidemic dynamic," adding that there was no reason to think anything to the contrary. | It takes between seven and ten days for measures to be effective… we could have reached the epidemic peak i…

RT (2021-04-01). Russian diplomats reveal 'acute shortage' of essentials in North Korea caused by Covid-19 restrictions, embassies almost empty. rt.com Diplomats serving in North Korea are enduring a shortage of goods and a lack of medicine, as restrictions to battle the Covid-19 pandemic have caused the already-secretive country to isolate itself even more than before. | Writing on Facebook, the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang revealed that 38 foreign nationals have recently left their diplomatic missions in the country, with representatives from the likes of the UK, Brazil, and Germany also flying home. | "The exodus of foreigners will continue," an embassy statement read. "There are now hardly any foreigners left — fewer than 290 in all. One can understa…

RT (2021-04-01). German care association calls for urgent Covid-19 lockdown as country risks running out of ICU beds. rt.com The German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DIVI) has called on the government to urgently implement a two-week Covid-19 lockdown, as the country's health systems risk hitting capacity. | Speaking to the Rheinische Post, the scientific head of the DIVI, Christian Karagiannidis, warned that if the current rate of admission to intensive care units continues, Germany "will reach the regular capacity limit in less than four weeks." | We are not overexaggerating. Our warnings are driven by the figures. | Alongside the DIVI's demand for at least a two-week lockdown, Karagianni…

RT (2021-04-01). EU 'Foreign Minister' Borrell claims Russia chose 'aggression' instead of diplomacy when it 'humiliated' him during Moscow visit. rt.com The expulsion of some European diplomats during a formal EU visit to Russia was an aggressive act and contrary to the principles of diplomacy. That's according to Josep Borrell, the bloc's High Representative for Foreign Affairs. | The Spanish eurocrat took a now-infamous visit to Moscow in February, his first to the country in three years. During the trip, he met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, as well as representatives of some civil society groups. | However, while Borrell was in the country, Moscow decided to expel diplomats from Germany, Poland and Sweden after it was determined they particip…

RT (2021-04-01). Russia to make Northern Sea Route cheaper than Suez Canal as country seeks to benefit from Ever Given blockage & climate change. rt.com The Russian government is making plans to turn the Northern Sea Route into an alternative to the Suez Canal, with the country's deputy prime minister revealing that state subsidies could be used to reduce transportation costs. | The 3,500-mile shipping route stretches almost the entire length of Russia, and, in recent years, has become a commercially viable path for vessels to take, as the Arctic's melting icecaps open up spaces for large ships to pass through. It is also significantly faster for transit from East Asia to Europe than the traditional route through the Suez Canal. | In 2017, for the first time e…

RT (2021-04-01). We aren't refusing new talks with NATO, Russian FM Lavrov insists, 'but we don't just want to sit there and hear about Ukraine'. rt.com Moscow has rejected claims that it is unwilling to participate in talks with NATO, arguing instead that it would be eager to hold a summit, but only if it sticks to topics that are actually within the US-led military bloc's remit.

RT (2021-04-01). Warships & submarines entering zone of Nord Stream 2 pipeline in 'planned & prepared provocations' to obstruct work, says operator. rt.com With the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline nearing completion and US sanctions against contractors failing to stop its construction, its operator has reported an increased "provocative" activity of warships in the area. | According to Moscow news agency TASS, Nord Stream 2 AG's branch director, Andrey Minin, claimed that the last three months have seen a growth in military presence in the area. | "After the resumption of Nord Stream 2 offshore construction in January 2021, there has been an increase in activity of military ships, planes, and helicopters, as well as civilian ships of foreign countries, w…

RT (2021-04-01). Spanish stargazers discover a new hidden structure in the Milky Way, with clues to the building blocks of our DNA. rt.com Spanish astronomers say they have completed the most accurate picture yet of the Milky Way and have discovered a huge new hidden structure made up of massive blue stars spanning 10,000 light-years. | Astronomers had already known that the Milky Way consists of great spiral arms of stars, but the scientists from Spain's Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) put together the most detailed map yet of the Orion arm, where our solar system is, along with those of Perseus at the outer edge of the Milky Way, and Sagittarius, located towards the center of our galaxy. | They were able to detect the previously unknown re…

Azad Essa (2021-04-01). France must investigate its potential war crime in Mali, activists demand. middleeasteye.net France must investigate its potential war crime in Mali, activists demand | French defence ministry has disputed UN's findings that it bombed a wedding party in January | Thu, 04/01/2021 – 17: 33 | According to Minusma, the UN mission in Mali, a French air strike killed 19 civilians in the Malian village of Bounti on 3 January, 2021 (AFP) | Human rights activists are demanding France open an investigation into…

MEE staff (2021-04-01). Turkey exporters re-routing products to avoid Saudi boycott, say traders. middleeasteye.net Turkey exporters re-routing products to avoid Saudi boycott, say traders | Turkish officials have told MEE that Riyadh declared an unofficial blockade on Turkish goods in response to 'hostility' from Ankara | Thu, 04/01/2021 – 14: 42 | The Cosco Shipping Danube, a container ship of the China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO), sails in the Bosphorus, on its way to the Mediterranean Sea, in Istanbul (Reuters) | Tur…

Manlio Dinucci (2021-04-01). The "Defender-Europe". US Army Arrives. globalresearch.ca Not everything in Europe is paralyzed by the anti-Covid lockdown: in …

Andreína Chávez Alava (2021-04-01). Venezuela and Russia Ramp up Economic Ties with 10-Year Plan. venezuelanalysis.com The two nations signed treaties to boost the Venezuelan transportation system, oil industry security and access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Doctors for COVID Ethics (2021-04-01). Urgent Open Letter from Doctors and Scientists to the European Medicines Agency regarding COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Concerns. globalresearch.ca Emer Cooke, Executive Director, European Medicines Agency, Amsterdam, The Netherlands…

WSWS (2021-04-01). Obscene global vaccine profiteering by pharmaceutical companies. wsws.org It was only after the governments of the European Union, UK and US and agencies offered funding, including the main cost of running the "Phase 3" trials, assuming most of the risk in the process, that the industry started work on vaccine development.

Brasil Wire (2021-04-01). Fallout: US Suppression of Russian Vaccine in Brazil Becomes Diplomatic Incident. globalresearch.ca On Sunday March 14 2021,

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-01). US Affirms 'Unwavering Support' for Ukraine Amid Russia Tensions. news.antiwar.com Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart on Thursday and expressed Washington's "unwavering" support for Kyiv amid tensions with Russia. According to a readout of the call, Austin "reaffirmed unwavering US support for Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and Euro-Atlantic aspirations." He also condemned what he called "Russian aggression." Secretary of State Antony …

samidoun (2021-03-31). #WeWillNotBeDefeated — Majd Barbar released; join the Twitterstorm! ŸÑŸÜ_ŸÜŸáÿ≤ŸÖ#. samidoun.net We will not be defeated! Join the Twitter Storm: Wednesday, 31 March 10 am Pacific — 1 pm Eastern — 7 pm central Europe — 8 pm Palestine Sample Tweets: bit.ly/notbedefeated Use the hashtags: #WeWillNotBeDefeated ŸÑŸÜ_ŸÜŸáÿ≤ŸÖ# Freed Palestinian prisoner Majd Barbar once again proved the truth of his words — "We will not be defeated" — as he was released once again by Israeli occupation forces on Wednesday, 31 March. Barbar had refused a proposal by Israeli occupation forces to either deport him from the city of occupi…

samidoun (2021-03-31). #MacronLibérezAbdallah — Join the Twitter storm for Georges Abdallah's birthday, 2 April! samidoun.net #MacronLibérezAbdallah Twitter Storm Friday, 2 April 2021 10 am Pacific — 1 pm Eastern — 7 pm central Europe — 8 pm Palestine Use the hashtags: #MacronLibérezAbdallah bit.ly/freeabdallah Tag: @EmmanuelMacron @GDarmanin to direct your demand to French officials! On the occasion of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah's 70th birthday, join the twitterstorm #MacronLibérezAbdallah (Macron, Free Abdallah!) to free this imprisoned Lebanese communist and struggler for Palestine imprisoned in France since 1984 and eligible for release since 1999! Friday, 2 April 2021 — 10 am Pacific — 1 pm Eastern &…

Media Lens (2021-03-31). Propaganda By Omission: Libya, Syria, Venezuela And The UK. dissidentvoice.org We live in a war-like society; one that supports, and is in league with, the world's number one terrorist threat: the United States of America. Corporate media propaganda plays a key role in keeping things that way. Ten years ago this month, the US, UK and France attacked oil-rich Libya under the fictitious cover of …

WSWS (2021-03-31). MAN Steyr plant facing closure, threatening 2,300 jobs. wsws.org The supervisory board of truck manufacturer MAN Truck & Bus has decided to close down its plant in Steyr, Austria. The traditional plant, with over a hundred years of history, is to be shuttered if the workforce does not accept the terms of a sale to investor Siegfried Wolf.

teleSUR (2021-03-31). Egypt Keen on Combating Illegal Immigration: President. telesurenglish.net According to a presidency statement, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi stressed on Wednesday Egypt's keenness for combating the illegal immigration and their transfer via the Mediterranean Sea. | RELATED: | In a meeting with the visiting Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman, Sisi stressed the importance of tackling the immigration issues in light of joint responsibility, Bassam Rady, spokesperson of the presidency, sa…

Editor2 (2021-03-31). Protests in 60+ Countries Reject Genocidal US Blockade on Cuba. orinocotribune.com Citizens and organizations from at least 60 countries on five continents have begun activities this Saturday to demand the end of the U.S. economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba. | In a worldwide day, the initiative launched a month ago by the Europe for Cuba channel, in coordination with solidarity movements and groups in different parts of the planet, will take place today and tomorrow, Sunday, with car and bicycle caravans, rallies, marches and mountain climbing, among other diverse actions. | "The call is also to flood the social networks in days of denunciation and repudiation of the genoci…

Rick Rozoff (2021-03-31). U.S. and NATO demand more interceptor missile destroyers to operate from Arctic to Antarctic. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com U.S. and NATO demand more interceptor-missile destroyers to operate from Arctic to AntarcticRick Rozoff The U.S. Navy announced that on March 29 the guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt departed Naval Station Rota in Spain to start a Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Europe patrol in the Mediterranean Sea (and beyond). While operating in the Mediterranean it will be assigned …

Rick Rozoff (2021-03-31). U.S. and NATO demand more interceptor-missile destroyers to operate from Arctic to Antarctic. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com U.S. and NATO demand more interceptor-missile destroyers to operate from Arctic to AntarcticRick Rozoff The U.S. Navy announced that on March 29 the guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt departed Naval Station Rota in Spain to start a Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Europe patrol in the Mediterranean Sea (and beyond). While operating in the Mediterranean it will be assigned …

Peoples Dispatch (2021-03-31). Housing for people, not for profit: Rights groups demand action across Europe. peoplesdispatch.org Rights groups organized two days of action for housing rights across major cities in Europe. The demands included affordable housing, an end to profiteering from rents and putting a stop to evictions…

WSWS (2021-03-31). Germany: Airport ground workers stage protest at Verdi trade union headquarters. wsws.org The only realistic defense of jobs requires a break not only with Verdi trade union but also with the IGL leadership, which is offering its services to the bosses as the more effective policeman.

Rick Rozoff (2021-03-31). NATO Warplanes Intercept Russian Aircraft Ten Times in One Day from Arctic to Black Sea. globalresearch.ca The North Atlantic Treaty Organization reports that yesterday the military bloc …

teleSUR (2021-03-31). Cuba-Russia Intergovernmental Commission Meets in Havana. telesurenglish.net The 18th Session of the Cuban-Russian Intergovernmental Commission for Economic-Commercial and Scientific-Technical Collaboration started on Wednesday in Havana, where participants are examining issues of bilateral interest. | RELATED: | The delegations are headed by the Commission's co-presidents, Deputy Prime Minister Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz and Mr. Yuri Ivanovich Borisov, vice-president of the Russian Federation's…

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