(2021-05-03). Germany's official COVID-19 contagion policy puts hundreds of thousands of students and educators at risk. wsws.org The updated Infection Protection Act reinforces the government's reckless contagion policy in schools and threatens the health of students.
(2021-05-03). German election campaign: Green Party on the war path. wsws.org When the ruling class in Germany prepares an offensive for war and rearmament it can rely on the Green Party.
(2021-05-02). International 1 May actions call for liberation of Palestine, freedom for Georges Abdallah. samidoun.net 
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network chapters and members participated in a wide range of global activities, demonstrations and mobilizations marking 1 May, International Workers' Day, as did many advocates for justice and liberation for Palestine and for Palestinian political prisoners. The flag of Palestine and banners of liberation were raised at many international demonstrations, calling for freedom for the prisoners and liberation for Palestine from the river to the sea. Samidoun Deutschland members took to the streets in Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, and Berlin, among other cities in Germany. In Frankf…
(2021-05-02). Video: "Turkish Falcon" Protracts Its Claws over Kurdistan Yet Again. globalresearch.ca Turkey launched two brand-new operations in Iraq's Kurdistan region. | The operations …
(2021-05-02). French labor unionists call for Histadrut boycott. samidoun.net 
In a video released on 1 May 2021, French trade unionists associated with the CGT, France's largest labor federation, in the Haute-Garonne region of France, issued a call for boycott of the Histadrut. The video statement responded to Palestinian labor activists' calls to boycott the Israeli trade union federation, known since its inception as a pillar of the Zionist project and directly implicated in the colonization of Palestine and the dispossession, expulsion and colonization of Palestinian people and Palestinian land. The video was issued by Collectif Palestine Vaincra, based in Toulouse, France. The Collecti…
(2021-05-02). Ukrainian Ultranationalist Lobby Flaunts Influence Over Biden, Blocks Top Russia Expert's Appointment. strategic-culture.org 
Demonstrating the power the ultranationalist Ukraine lobby has attained in Biden's Washington, the White House has withdrawn consideration of esteemed Russia specialist Matthew Rojansky. | By Moss ROBESON | Matthew Rojansky is the head of the Kennan Institute, a notable think tank at the US government-funded Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington. Despite his well-established expertise on Russia and lengthy record of leadership on the issue, he has been judged "too soft" to work in the Biden White House. | An increasingly influential element within Washington's powerful anti-Russian lob…
(2021-05-02). Military Situation In Donetsk People's Republic On May 2, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | 1. UAF in Novgorodskoe shelled DPR positions in Zheleznaya Balka with 82-mm artillery. | 2. UAF in Pivdenne shelled the Gagarin mine in Gorlovka with 82-mm artillery. | 3. UAF in Pesky shelled Donetsk city with 120-mm and 82-mm artillery. | 4. UAF in Pesky targeted Zhabunky with heavy machine guns. | 5. DPR forces in Staromikhailovka shelled UAF positions in Krasnogorovka with 120-mm artillery. | 6. DPR forces in Donetsk shelled UAF positions in Pesky with grenade…
(2021-05-02). Russian Warplanes Bombed ISIS Terrorists In Central Syria Ahead Of Large-Scale Operation. southfront.org 
Russian Su-25 attack aircraft take off from the Khmeimim airbase in Syria © Dmitriy Vinogradov / Sputnik | The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) And its allies are preparing to kick off a large-scale operation against ISIS cells in the central region, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on May 2."Preparations are underway to launch a large-scale military operation in the deserts of Raqqa and Hama with support from Russian warplanes," the London-based monitoring group said in a report. | As a part of the ongoing…
(2021-05-02). In Video: Russian Frigate 'Marshal Shaposhnikov' Failed To Launch Kalibr Cruise Missile. southfront.org 
Screenshot | The Russian frigate reportedly tried to launch the Kalibr cruise missile, but almost immediately after the launch, the missile went into an uncontrolled flight and crashed next to the ship itself. The incident allegedly took place aboard the Russian guided missile frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov and involved a Kalibr-type cruise missile, an anti-ship and land-attack weapon powered by turbojet engines. The video emerged online in late April. | Previously, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Feder…
(2021-05-02). Military Situation In Syria On May 2, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On May 1, Russia reported that Idlib militants violated the ceasefire regime in Greater Idlib 36 times: 17 — in Idlib province, 11 — in Latakia province, 6 — in Hama province, 2 — in Hama province. | On May 1, Russian and Turkish forces conducted a joint patrol in the Darbasiyah area. | On May 1, Uzbekistan retrieved 93 women and children from the families of the ISIS militants who were present in al-Hol camp. | On May 1, the Turkish-backed forces arr…
(2021-05-02). Covid-19-Policy Contest Between Libertarianism v. Socialism: The Latest Results. strategic-culture.org A great deal remains that is important to know but that is currently unknown about Covid-19, Eric Zuesse writes. | Early in the "coronavirus-19" — subsequently called "Covid-19" — pandemic, Denmark and Sweden were often being compared with one-another because both are Scandinavian countries, but on 13 March 2020, Denmark had started a lockdown and imposed strict recommendations for businesses and personal behavior, whereas Sweden did nothing of the sort, and so the two countries were considered to be especially suitable to serve as being an almost controlled experiment in what the results would be of…
(2021-05-02). I'm Still Here, Though My Country's Gone West. popularresistance.org A full generation has elapsed since the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) collapsed in late 1991. Two years earlier, in 1989, the communist states of Eastern Europe dissolved, with the first salvo fired when Hungary opened its border. On 3 March 1989, Hungary's last communist prime minister Miklós Németh asked the USSR's last President Mikhail Gorbachev whether the border to Western Europe could be opened. 'We have a strict regime on our borders', Gorbachev told Németh, 'but we are also becoming more open'. Three months later, on 15 June, Gorbachev told the press in Bonn (West Germany) that the Berlin Wa…
(2021-05-02). The US is Trying to Light the Match of Islamic Extremism in China's Xinjiang. orinocotribune.com By Vijay Prashad, Jie Xiong — Apr 29, 2021 | The information war now conducted by the US against China centers on Xinjiang. Once again, the US uses longstanding problems—such as the rise of extremism in Central Asia (fueled to some extent by the US since the 1980s)—to create problems for its adversaries | "Kashgar is a key location for the land and sea interface of the Belt and Road, connecting not only westward to West Asia, Europe, the Red Sea, and Africa, but also southward to the Indian Ocean through the port of Gwadar," said Professor Li Bo of the China Research Institute, Fudan University.
(2021-05-02). Slovenia: President Borut Pahor Strengthens Ties With Albania — OpEd. eurasiareview.com On March 4-5, 2019, upon the invitation of the President of the Republic of Albania, Ilir Meta, the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, conducted an official visit to Albania; to strengthen the bilateral economic dialogue. | Slovenia, as a member of the European Union is the most prosperous economy in South — East Europe and is a great example of thriving market economy were food processing industry and enterprises are dominating new international markets and securing over 650 million Euros in net sales revenue per year. The example of effective public policies and diplomatic engagements…
(2021-05-02). "Genocide charge" worthy of United States: Turkey. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 02 (MNA) — The Turkish vice president says Biden has chosen the wrong path by accusing the Ottoman Empire of "genocide against Armenians".
(2021-05-02). Time To Call A Spade A Spade — OpEd. eurasiareview.com More than two million Armenians lived in the Ottoman empire in 1914, on the eve of World War I. By 1922, there were fewer than 400,000. The others — some 1.5 million — had been killed. Most historians describe this mass annihilation as genocide. More than 30 nations agree. Some prominent countries do not, among them Britain, Australia and Israel. | A few years ago the UK government was asked in parliament whether it recognized the existence of genocide in Armenia in 1915. A foreign office minister responded: "The Government acknowledges the strength of feeling about this terrible episode of history…
(2021-05-02). Saudis And Israelis Don't Approve Of JCPOA Talks — OpEd. eurasiareview.com According to media reports, with Iran and world powers resumed nuclear talks, Saudi Arabia and Israel also have intensified consultations. Washington and Tel Aviv on the one hand and Washington and the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council on the other hand are having extensive talks. | Both, Israel and Saudi Arabia want to influence any US move to return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which they have publicly opposed right from the beginning. | As the Iranian negotiating team head to the Austrian capital of Vienna, a senior Israeli delegation comprising of Mossad Chief Yosef Cohen, Head of Military Intelligence Ta…
(2021-05-02). Wanted! Real Action For Media Freedom In Europe — OpEd. eurasiareview.com In a statement issued ahead of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejƒçinoviƒá Buriƒá urged European governments to show stronger political will to protect journalists and independent journalism in order to put a stop to the deterioration of media freedom in the continent. | "Media freedom is an essential pillar of our democracies which is too often taken for granted. Respect for freedom of the media is in decline in many countries. In the last years, we have witnessed an increase in the number of cases of violence and intimidation a…
(2021-05-02). In Historic Ruling, German High Court slaps down Gov't Climate Plan, Orders Accelerated Action against CO2. juancole.com By Sà∂ren Amelang Kerstine Appunn Charlotte Nijhuis and Julian Wettengel | — ( Clean Energy Wire) — Germany's Federal Constitutional Court has ruled that the government has to have a more detailled plan how to reduce emissions as of 2030 to not put the largest burden on today's young people. Photo: FfF. In an unexpected …
(2021-05-02). Groundbreaking Police Demilitarization Ordinance. indybay.org Berkeley approves oversight and transparency measure for all militarized equipment used by police…
(2021-05-02). Lenin on May Day. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following 1904 article by the great Russian revolutionary VI Lenin. | Comrade workers! May Day is coming, the day when the workers of all lands celebrate Their awakening to a class- conscious life, their solidarity in the struggle against all coercion and oppression of man by man, the struggle to free the toiling millions from hunger, poverty, and humiliation. Two worlds stand facing each other in this great struggle: the world of capital and the world of labour, the world of exploitation and slavery and the world of brotherhood and freedom. | On one side stand the hand…
(2021-05-02). US Military Intelligence Chief: Russia Poses Existential Threat From North to South Pole. news.antiwar.com Lieutenant General Scott Berrier, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, presented his agency's annual World Threat Assessment before the Senate Armed Forces Committee on April 29. The transcript of his testimony runs to fifty-seven pages and is broad in its scope and often detailed in its descriptions, so what follows is a précis and one …
(2021-05-02). US State Department Supports Prague's Decision to Remove Rosatom From Nuclear Tender. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US State Secretary Antony Blinken held a phone conversation with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis to discuss Russia's actions in light of its diplomatic row with Prague, the Department of State said on Sunday.
(2021-05-02). Banned Navalny Movement Now Goes Underground With Uncertain Consequences — OpEd. eurasiareview.com The Putin regime has banned the Navalny staffs, the public face of the opposition leader's efforts to promote public policy in Russia. Now, at least some of his supporters will continue to function underground, something with uncertrain consequences for the future of the movement and of Russia as a whole. | No one in the Putin regime or among opposition circles believes that the suppression of the Navalny staff will lower the level of anger in the population or the propensity of the Russian people to take part in demonstrations in the future, but the two groups view the future very, very differently. | Those w…
(2021-05-02). NATO's southeastern spearhead: Turkey's military aggression in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Caucasus signals proxy conflict with Iran. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com NATO's southeastern spearhead: Turkey's military aggression in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Caucasus signals proxy conflict with IranRick Rozoff The past week has witnessed reports of increased Turkish military activity in Iraq and Syria as well as its intruding itself deeper into the war in Yemen. In all three cases Ankara has pitted itself against forces …
(2021-05-01). Military Situation In Donetsk People's Republic On May 1, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | 1. UAF in Novogorodske shelled DPR positions in Zheleznaya Balka with 82-mm artillery | 2. UAF in Pesky shelled DPR positions in Zhabunky with grenade launchers | 3. UAF in Pesky shelled DPR positions in Spartak with grenade launchers and Zu-23 | 4. UAF in Krasnogorovka shelled DPR positions in Staromikhailovka with 82-mm artillery | 5. UAF in Starognatovka shelled DPR positions in Petrovskoe with grenade launchers | 6. UAF in Granitnoe shelled DPR positions in Gri…
(2021-05-01). Escalation In Greater Idlib: Militants Targeted Syrian Troops, Destroyed Tank Near Kafr Nabl. southfront.org 
Illustrative image | Militants in the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib continue to violate the ceasefire in the region, which was brokered by Russia and Turkey last year. | On April 30, militants of the al-Fateh al-Mubeen Operations Room, that's led by al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), attacked Syrian Arab Army (SAA) positons near the town of Kafr Nabl in the southern countryside of Idlib. | The militants targeted SAA troops with heavy machine guns. Moreover, a battle tank was struck by…
(2021-05-01). Russian ¥Flash Bombs' Hit Militants Preparing To Attack Turkish Forces In Northern Syria (Video). southfront.org 
A Russian Su-24 takes off on a combat mission at Hemeimeem airbase, Syria, on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015. IMAGE: AP PHOTO/VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV | The Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) have targeted militants preparing to attack Turkish forces in Syria's northern region, According to the outlet, the VKS quickly took action after receiving information indicating that the militants were about to launch two attacks on Turkish forces in the northern countryside of…
(2021-05-01). Military Situation In Syria On May 1, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On May 1, Russia reported that Idlib militants violated the ceasefire regime in Greater Idlib 36 times: 17 — in Idlib province, 11 — in Latakia province, 6 — in Hama province, 2 — in Hama province | On April 30, clashes between the YPG and Turkish-backed forces were reported west of al-Bab | On April 30, the US forces conducted a military patrol in the vicinity of the Malekiyah | On April 30, the artillery of Turkish-backed forces shelled YPG position…
(2021-05-01). Airspace Secured: Italian F-35 Fighter Jets Arrive In Estonia To Guard The Baltics. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On April 30th, Italian Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighter jets arrived in Estonia to protect the airspace of the Baltic countries. | According to the press service of the General Staff of the Estonian Defense Forces, they will replace the German Eurofighter Typhoon fighters in rotation. | The rotation ceremony for NATO's Baltic Air Security Mission will take place on Monday at Amari Air Force Base. The ceremony will be attended by Estonian Defense Minister Kalle Laanet and Italian Deputy De…
(2021-05-01). Greens, Vaccines, Maneuvers. zcomm.org In recent months the air in Germany has been overfull. But the fog, thick as in old London, was not humid but political — and medical-political. The thickest was Covid fog…
(2021-05-01). Ukrainian President Zelensky deepens alliance with far right. wsws.org Zelensky is seeking to appoint the notorious neo-Nazi figure Serhiy Sternenko, who was directly involved in the 2014 Odessa massacre, as head of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) in Odessa.
(2021-05-01). It's Time to Return Incirlik & Kurecik Bases to Turkey, Reconsider Relations With US, Observer Says. sputniknews.com Turks have taken to the streets in Istanbul, Ankara, Adana, and other cities to protest against Joe Biden recognising the events of 1915 as an Armenian genocide. The demonstrators called upon the Turkish authorities to end the US military's use of the Incirlik Air Base and Kurecik Radar Station in southern Turkey.
(2021-05-01). US temporarily suspends arms embargo on Azerbaijan: report. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 01 (MNA) — The United States has approved a waiver extension for Section 907 to authorize direct US aid to the Azerbaijani government.
(2021-05-01). US Risks Reigniting Islamic Extremism In Xinjiang. popularresistance.org "Kashgar is a key location for the land and sea interface of the Belt and Road, connecting not only westward to West Asia, Europe, the Red Sea and Africa, but also southward to the Indian Ocean through the port of Gwadar," said Professor Li Bo of the China Research Institute, Fudan University. It is, he told us, "a core area of the Belt and Road strategy." | Kashgar, one of the westernmost cities in China, is the main urban area of southern Xinjiang. Traders from across Asia have assembled at its Sunday bazaar for 2,000 years. | More than 1,000 kilometers north of Kashgar is the town of Nur-Sultan, previously kno…
(2021-05-01). [Comment] Decisions about antihypertensive treatment should focus on reducing cardiovascular risk. thelancet.com Epidemiological studies1,2 provide strong evidence for an association between high blood pressure and fatal cardiovascular complications, and interventional studies have shown that antihypertensive treatments reduce cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality.3,4 Although the target blood pressure for patients with hypertension receiving treatment in the current US guidelines5 is less than 130/80 mm Hg and European recommendations indicate achieving 120—129/70—79 mm Hg for people younger than 65 years (and 130—139/70—79 mm Hg for those ‚â•65 years),6 other guidelines suc…
(2021-05-01). Workers and youth in Germany support call for International Workers Alliance and mobilise for ICFI May Day online rally. wsws.org Workers and youth from across Germany tell the WSWS why they support the International Committee of the Fourth International's (ICFI) call for the formation of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees and will be attending tomorrow's May Day rally of the ICFI.
(2021-05-01). Groundbreaking Police Demilitarization Ordinance. indybay.org Berkeley approves oversight and transparency measure for all militarized equipment used by police…
(2021-05-01). Poland finalizes historic deal to phase out coal by 2049. nationofchange.org The "historic" agreement is the first of it's kind where a "leading coal mining sector has agreed to reduce its presence."
(2021-05-01). Serious films about serious things—This Is My Desire (Nigeria), Radiograph of a Family (Iran), Poppy Field (Romania). wsws.org There were some well-made and thoughtful films screened at the recent San Francisco film festival, which give one some hope.
(2021-05-01). 'Road to Yalta': The Grand Finale of WWII Soviet Songs Festival. sputniknews.com The finalists perform songs from the World War II-era USSR, in the languages of their home countries.
(2021-05-01). Advanced Weapons Able to 'Destroy US Satellites' Developed by Adversaries, Warns Space Chief. sputniknews.com Previously, the annual threat assessment report of the US Intelligence community released on 13 April cited a diverse array of threats, magnified by rapidly evolving technology, and warned of the broad national security challenges posed by China and Russia.
(2021-05-01). U.S. military intelligence chief: Russia poses existential threat from North to South Pole. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com U.S. military intelligence chief: Russia poses existential threat from North to South PoleRick Rozoff Lieutenant General Scott Berrier, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, presented his agency's annual World Threat Assessment before the Senate Armed Forces Committee on April 29. The transcript of his testimony runs to fifty-seven pages and is broad in its scope …
(2021-05-01). Slovenians mark 80th anniversary of partisan resistance to Nazi occupation. peoplesdispatch.org Following the occupation of the erstwhile kingdom of Yugoslavia by Axis Powers during World War II, partisan groups in Slovene lands formed the Liberation Front of the Slovene People in April 1941 to resist the occupation…
(2021-05-01). Switzerland Slams Biden's 'Tax Haven' Comment as 'Inappropriate, Completely Out of Date'. sputniknews.com President Joe Biden, in his first US Joint Session of Congress speech on 28 April, called out companies benefitting from tax havens ranging from "Switzerland to Bermuda to the Cayman Islands," saying it "wasn't right" and promising to "reform corporate taxes so they pay their fair share."
(2021-05-01). Karateka Rozita Alipour fighting for bronze medal. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May. 01 (MNA) — The Iranian female karateka Rozita Alipour will fight a rival from Turkey on Sunday to win the bronze medal at the 2021 Karate 1-Premier League Lisbon.
(2021-05-01). As Ukraine Simmers, Victoria Nuland Is Now Highest-Ranking Member of US Foreign Service. news.antiwar.com On April 29 the U.S. Senate confirmed Victoria Nuland as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, which has been described as the fourth most important position in the State Department. Though as the first three are filled by political appointees and the other by a career foreign service officer, the Under Secretary of State …