Vijay Prashad (2020-04-24). Either socialism will defeat the louse or the louse will defeat socialism. mronline.org The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says that the Great Lockdown, which has no end date, could very well lead to a loss of $9 trillion to global Gross Domestic Product over the entirety of 2020 and 2021; this number is greater than the combined economies of Japan and Germany. This scenario, the Fund's managing director …

WSWS (2020-04-24). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org Workers protests continued over lack of protective equipment as South African miners mobilized to oppose a premature return to work.

RT (2020-04-24). Global coronavirus death toll passes 190,000 — AFP tally. rt.com The global pandemic hit a grim new milestone on Friday, according to AFP, as the number of people who have lost their lives to the disease passed 190,00 and continues to rise, while countries battle to keep their populations safe. | The agency reports that a total of 190,089 people have passed away and 2,698,733 have been confirmed as infected since Covid-19 emerged in China in December. Europe has recorded the highest number of fatalities, with 116,221 people dying across the continent. | More than 1.2 million Europeans have been diagnosed with the disease, putting the mortality rate around 8.9 percent. | The…

RT (2020-04-24). European markets sink on worries over EU stimulus, coronavirus drug delay. rt.com Stock markets in Europe opened lower on Friday as traders focused on the continued lockdown across the continent and reports that a study into a potential Covid-19 treatment was halted following inconclusive results. | The pan-European STOXX 600 was down more than one percent during early trading, with all sectors and major bourses in negative territory. German DAX, France's CAC 40 and Britain's FTSE 100 were losing around one percent during afternoon trading on Friday. | Asian markets were also broadly lower, with South Korea's Kospi Index leading the region's losses, down 1.4 percent. | The global markets' s…

RT (2020-04-24). Cyprus flight ban extended to May 17. rt.com Cyprus extended a ban on commercial air traffic until May 17 on Friday to curb the spread of coronavirus. | The ban was first introduced on March 21 and authorities have extended it by decree since then. It will now be extended from April 30 to May 17, Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos tweeted, citing a decision by the cabinet. | The island has recorded 795 cases of Covid-19 and 13 deaths as a direct result of the virus, according to data from the Health Ministry released on Thursday. | The country has imposed restrictions on movement, including a night curfew and allowing people to leave their homes only on…

RT (2020-04-24). New confirmed Covid-19 cases in Germany must drop to 'few hundred a day' before easing lockdown — senior health official. rt.com The coronavirus is still spreading too rapidly to consider lifting quarantine measures in Germany, the deputy chief of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has warned. Chancellor Merkel earlier compared the pandemic to WWII. | Health officials have reported 2,337 new cases of Covid-19 across Germany, which is still a significant increase per day, RKI's Vice President Lars Schaade told reporters on Friday. | "It is necessary for the number of cases to fall to a few hundred a day, so we could consider easing the lockdown," Schaade said. He added that it will take "at least two weeks" to see whether this step will hav…

RT (2020-04-24). 'Fast recovery' possible as Hungary scraps curfew from early May, Orban says. rt.com Hungary plans to replace its current lockdown, which has imposed a blanket curfew on the population, with a more fine-tuned version from early May, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday. | Orban told state radio that he expected the economy to recover rapidly from the effects of the pandemic. "I am not among the most optimistic people, but neither am I a pessimist," he told state radio. "I expect a fast recovery." | The month-long nationwide lockdown has destroyed tens of thousands of jobs in the country, and Orban said re-establishing these was his top priority. From next month, restrictions will be grad…

RT (2020-04-24). WHO adds 9 candidates for Covid-19 vaccine developed in Russia to global trial list. rt.com Russian scientists have developed nine possible Covid-19 vaccines to be used in a global trial backed by the World Health Organization (WHO). All nine are currently at a preclinical evaluation stage. | Vector, a Novosibirsk-based infectious diseases lab, produced six of the nine Russian submissions included on the WHO trial list. Its proposals are derived from platforms for treating Ebola, influenza and other viral infections. | The three other possible vaccines came from St. Petersburg and were developed by two research institutes and a major Russian biopharmaceutical company. They worked solo to make two of…

RT (2020-04-24). 'Death by meteorite': Turkish researchers claim to have proof of world's first space-rock fatality. rt.com A group of researchers in Turkey are claiming to have come across the first credible records yet discovered of 'death by meteorite,' dating from August 22, 1888. | They cite multiple official documents recovered from the General Directorate of State Archives of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey, which detail a meteorite strike that hit and killed one man and paralyzed another, in what is now Sulaymaniyah in Iraq. | The Earth endures near-constant bombardment by assorted meteorites and space rocks, at a rate of millions per day, most of which burn up harmlessly in our atmosphere. | For context, and accor…

en.mehrnews (2020-04-24). Europe obeys US instead of UNSCR 2231: Zarif. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 24 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Friday criticized the bullying policies of the US regarding the nuclear deal and UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

WSWS (2020-04-24). US propaganda campaign promotes lies blaming China for COVID-19. wsws.org Claims in ruling circles in America and Europe that the coronavirus causing COVID-19 came from a Chinese lab fly in the face of all scientific evidence.

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-04-24). COVID-19: Mayo Clinic expert on what it's going to take to reopen the US. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Widespread stay-at-home efforts have forced many businesses to close during the COVID-19 pandemic. As talk of reopening the economy ramps up across the U.S., Dr. Gregory Poland, a Mayo Clinic COVID-19 expert, answers questions about what it's going to take to get to that point. Watch: Dr. Gregory Poland answers questions on reopening after COVID-19 …

en.mehrnews (2020-04-24). Iran determined to achieve technology, knowledge: envoy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 24 (MNA) — Iran's Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali said that Iran is determined to achieve the latest knowledge and technology and does not need the permission of any country.

Medea Benjamin (2020-04-23). Cuba to the Rescue, But Don't Tell the American People. commondreams.org Doctors and nurses of Cuba's Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade pose with a portrait of Cuban late leader Fidel Castro as they are bid farewell before travelling to hard-hit Italy to help in the fight against the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, at the Central Unit of Medical Cooperation in Havana, on March 21, 2020. (Photo: Yamil LAGE / AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/cuba_covid.jpg …

Fight Back (2020-04-23). 150 years after the birth of V.I. Lenin: Long Live Leninism! fightbacknews.org On April 22, 1870 the great Russian revolutionary Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was born in a small city of Simbirsk near the Volga River. Lenin stood at the forefront of Russia's revolutionary movement, at the helm of the world's first socialist country, and simultaneously brought into being the modern international communist movement. Lenin's thinking and the movement he helped create shook the world, and with our collective efforts, will shape the future. | Lenin's practical and theoretical contributions are legion. He was a profoundly practical person, who made major contributions to Marxist theory. In fact, Lenin to…

Staff (2020-04-23). Global Health Doctor: Hire 1000s of Contact Tracers to Stop COVID-19, Save Lives and the Economy. democracynow.org As parts of the United States and Europe consider reopening, most of the world's population remains susceptible to the coronavirus. We look at new efforts to stop the deadly spread of COVID-19 with contact tracing — finding who infected patients have been in contact with so they can get tested and isolated. We'll speak with global health expert Dr. Joia Mukherjee, with Partners in Health, about a contact tracing project she is working on now in Massachusetts.

Staff (2020-04-23). "The Virus Is Still Out There": Infectious Disease Expert Warns Against Reopening States Too Soon. democracynow.org Despite strong objections of public health officials, governors in Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina still plan to reopen parks, beaches and nonessential businesses. Even Trump reversed his support. Increased testing is critical for the whole country. But where are the tests? We look at the path ahead with Dr. Syra Madad, infectious disease specialist and special pathogens expert, who was recently featured in the Netflix docuseries "Pandemic."

Staff (2020-04-23). Headlines for April 23, 2020. democracynow.org ACLU Warns Spread of Coronavirus in Jails Could Add 100,000 Deaths to U.S. Toll, Government Scientist Claims Reprisal for Opposing Trump's Unproven Coronavirus Treatment, As Coronavirus Reached the U.S., Trump Admin Tapped Ex-Labradoodle Breeder to Lead Task Force, President Trump "Disagrees Strongly" with Governor's Plans to Reopen Georgia, Scientists Skeptical of Reports of High Rates of Coronavirus Antibodies in California Residents, Funeral Directors Association Warns U.S. COVID-19 Deaths Are Underreported, Doctors Report Life-Threatening Blood Clotting in COVID-19 Patients, More Human Trials of Experimental…

The Canary (2020-04-23). The WHO says care home residents account for up to half of coronavirus deaths in Europe. thecanary.co Residents in long-term care facilities account for up to half of coronavirus-related deaths in Europe, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said. | Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said there was a "deeply concerning picture" emerging of the impact coronavirus (Covid-19) is having on those in care. | He told a press conference on 23 April that the way some care facilities operate is "providing pathways" for the virus to spread within the population. | Dr Kluge said: "According to estimates from countries in the European region, up to half of those who have died from Covid-19 were resident in long-…

RT (2020-04-23). 'I strongly disagree': Trump says Georgia lifting Covid-19 lockdown 'too fast,' but governor REFUSES to back down. rt.com US President Donald Trump said Georgia is scaling back its coronavirus lockdown measures too quickly, voicing disapproval for the state's aggressive timetable for reopening, but Governor Brian Kemp held firm to his plan. | "I told the governor of Georgia that I disagree strongly with his decision to reopen certain facilities… which are in violation of the federal phase one guidelines," Trump told reporters at a White House briefing on Wednesday, adding that the state should "wait a little longer." | Although the president took issue with the Republican governor's decision, which has drawn major backlash from…

RT (2020-04-23). Moscow's Covid-19 death toll passes 300 mark as mayor warns peak yet to come. rt.com The coronavirus death toll in the Russian capital surpassed the 300 mark on Thursday, when 37 more people succumbed to the disease, according to the latest official figures. Moscow remains the worst-affected place in Russia, with over half of the country's confirmed cases originating there there. Nationwide, 62,773 people have been affected by the Covid-19 with nearly 600 dying from it. | Moscow's mayor on Thursday said the existing lockdown measures and the mandatory self-isolation mode remain "optimal" for the city. | "The majority of Moscow's residents are behaving very responsibly, enabling us not to tight…

yenisafak (2020-04-24). Iran's coronavirus death toll reaches 5,574. yenisafak.com With 93 new deaths reported in Iran, the death toll from coronavirus surged to 5,574, state media said on Thursday. | A total of 1,168 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total infections to 88,194, Iran's state broadcaster reported, citing a statement by Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour. | Jahanpour said 66,596 people have recovered so far and were discharged from hospitals, while 3,121 patients are in critical condition. | After originating in China last December, COVID-19 has spread to at least 185 countries and regions. Europe and the U.S. are currently the…

yenisafak (2020-04-24). French court upholds ruling that limits Amazon deliveries during coronavirus crisis. yenisafak.com A French court rejected US online retailer Amazon's appeal against a ruling that limits what it can deliver during the coronavirus crisis.Amazon must restrict deliveries in France to IT products, health items, food and pet food, the Court of Appeal in Versailles said, adding that for every delivery not meeting this requirement, Amazon would face a 100,000-euro ($108,020.00) penalty. ($1 = 0.9258 euros)…

yenisafak (2020-04-24). Turkey 3rd largest exporter of clothes to EU. yenisafak.com Turkey is the third-largest exporter of clothes to the EU, the bloc's statistical authority said Friday."The EU imported clothes worth ‚Ǩ154 billion [$166 billion] in 2019, just over half of which came from non-EU Member States (52%, or ‚Ǩ80 billion)," Eurostat said."Imports of clothes from non-EU countries came mainly from China (‚Ǩ23 billion, or 29% of total extra-EU clothes), Bangladesh (‚Ǩ15 billion, 19%) and Turkey (‚Ǩ9 billion, 11%)," it said.Over the last decade, imports of clothing to the bloc increased in value by 6…

yenisafak (2020-04-24). Turkey's defense sector producing 10M masks weekly. yenisafak.com Turkey's defense sector is contributing to the production of protective masks and ventilators essential in the fight against COVID-19, said an official on Friday.Yasin Akdere, general manager of the Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation, said all kinds of masks, including N95 required by healthcare personnel, are produced in the factories."We produce 6.5 million masks every week in our factories. This is complemented by our military sewing workshops to take the figure to 10 million," he said, adding they are of top-notch quality.Akdere said besides the masks, they produced 334,825 medical overalls, 33,210…

sputniknews (2020-04-24). Assange's Lawyers to Ask Court to Postpone Extradition Hearing. sputniknews.com LONDON (Sputnik) – The lawyers of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will ask the court next week to postpone the activist's extradition hearing, a statement by the campaign against Assange's extradition to the United States said Friday.

sputniknews (2020-04-24). French Ministry of Justice Rejects Amazon's Call to Restrict Its Activity on Essential Products. sputniknews.com Amazon has filed an appeal against an order to cut down the goods it can deliver, which resulted in the closure of its warehouses in France and left many small firms struggling to ship products.

sputniknews (2020-04-24). 'The Simplest Solution is to Eat Safe' – Nobel Prize Winner on Lessons of COVID-19. sputniknews.com Italy currently holds second place in the EU in terms of COVID-19 cases after Spain, with Johns Hopkins University data showing a total of 25,085 coronavirus-related deaths and 187,327 infections registered as of 23 April.

sputniknews (2020-04-24). US Plans to Compete With Russia on Nuclear Energy Look 'Strange' Amid COVID-19 – Diplomat. sputniknews.com VIENNA (Sputnik) – Washington's plans to win a market share in the nuclear technologies sphere from Russia look strange and show that the United States is yet not aware of the new reality of the coronavirus, Russia's permanent representative to international organisations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, said.

RT (2020-04-24). No-deal Brexit would be extra shock on top of coronavirus crisis — French minister. rt.com The new coronavirus outbreak crisis does not change European priorities in the Brexit negotiations, French European Affairs Minister Amelie de Montchalin said on Friday. | She also told a French Senate hearing that a no-deal Brexit would be an extra shock on top of the Covid-19 crisis, but Britain would suffer the most, Reuters reported. | The UK government has repeatedly insisted it has no plans to extend…

Philip Giraldi (2020-04-23). Monitoring the Public After Coronavirus. globalresearch.ca It is too early to say when or even whether the siege initiated by the coronavirus will end, but many Americans and Europeans are speculating over what kind of countries will emerge on the other side. National Security Agency (NSA) …

Shane Quinn (2020-04-23). Forgotten War Crimes: NATO's 1999 Attack on Serbia's State TV Headquarters "Wiped from the Record" globalresearch.ca This article was originally published in 2018 following its 19th anniversary. Slight modification is made below for its 21st anniversary. | Twenty-one years ago, on 23 April 1999, a NATO missile attack on Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) headquarters killed …

teleSUR (2020-04-23). Europe COVID-19 Updates: Italy – Spain – UK – Germany – More. telesurenglish.net The following are the latest developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in European countries. | ROME

teleSUR (2020-04-23). UN, EU Warn New Israeli Gov't Against West Bank Annexation. telesurenglish.net The United Nations and the European Union warned Israel on Thursday against annexing parts of the illegally occupied West Bank. | RELATED: | The U.N.'s special Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov said in a video briefing that such a move would come as a "devastating blow" to the two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At the same time, the E.U. declared that annexing Palestinian land "would constitu…

Staff (2020-04-23). We Must Hire More Contact Tracers to Stop COVID, Global Health Doctor Says. truthout.org As parts of the United States and Europe consider reopening, most of the world's population remains susceptible to the coronavirus. We look at new efforts to stop the deadly spread of COVID-19 with contact tracing — finding who infected patients have been in contact with so they can get tested and isolated. We'll speak with global health expert Dr. Joia Mukherjee, with Partners in Health, about a contact tracing project she is working on now in Massachusetts. | TRANSCRIPT: | This is a…

teleSUR (2020-04-23). UK: COVID-19 Vaccine Begins First Human Trials. telesurenglish.net Two volunteers received a vaccine to treat the new coronavirus in the United Kingdom on Thursday, which is currently undergoing clinical trials. | RELATED: | This is the first clinical trial of a COVID-19 vaccine in Europe, UK scientists say. | The drug was developed at the University of Oxford, and to know its effectiveness, an experiment will be carried out with the participation of 800 people. | During the ex…

WSWS (2020-04-23). As US governors rush to reopen businesses, "Excess death" counts begin to reveal true toll of pandemic. wsws.org A series of reports have shown that the real death toll from the coronavirus in many parts of the United States and Europe is likely at least twice what has been officially reported.

Frances Moore Lapp√© (2020-04-23). Climate Justice Arising—Hidden Hope in Dark Times. commondreams.org People United for Sustainable Housing (PUSH) Buffalo is working to advance strong neighborhoods with quality & affordable housing, local hiring opportunities, and economic & environmental justice. (Photo courtesy of PUSH Buffalo) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/climate_justice_arising_image_4.21.2020.jpg …

Staff (2020-04-23). Infectious Disease Expert Warns Against Reopening States Too Soon. truthout.org Despite strong objections of public health officials, governors in Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina still plan to reopen parks, beaches and nonessential businesses. Even Trump reversed his support. Increased testing is critical for the whole country. But where are the tests? We look at the path ahead with Dr. Syra Madad, infectious disease specialist and special pathogens expert, who was recently featured in the Netflix docuseries "Pandemic." | TRANSCRIPT: | This is a rush transcript. Copy may…

teleSUR (2020-04-23). Italian Scientists Find COVID-19 in Eye Fluids. telesurenglish.net The Italian National Institute of Infectious Diseases "Lazzaro Spallanzani" managed to isolate active SARS-CoV-2 in ocular secretions. | RELATED: | The information is published in an article titled "SARS-CoV-2 Isolation from Ocular Secretions of a Patient With COVID-19 in Italy With Prolonged Viral RNA Detection", in Annals of Internal Medicine. COVID-19 is a respiratory disease, but conjunctivitis is one of the less frequent sym…

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-04-23). The Russians And The Chinese Are Your Enemy. thealtworld.com The Russians and the Chinese are your enemy. | Not the oligarchic class in your own country that has been exploiting, propagandizing, deceiving, oppressing and robbing you every moment of your life since you were born. | The Russians and the Chinese. | The Russians and the Chinese are your enemy. | Not the people who have been engineering and advancing endless bloodbaths around the world at no benefit to you using your money and your resources and your political energy. | The Russians and the Chinese. | The Russians and the Chinese are your enemy. | Not the political/media class and their plutocratic puppeteers w…

teleSUR (2020-04-23). U.S. Blockade Prevents Swiss Aid to Cuba. telesurenglish.net Swiss solidarity groups on April 22 denounced the blockade of aid to Cuba. The medical supplies and other resources were intended for Cuban COVID-19 patients, as the Caribbean island is in need of this aid. | RELATED: | "The U.S. blockade has imposed an enormous burden on the country's health system, while also endangering the lives of many Cubans," affirmed MediCuba Switzerland and Switzerland-Cuba representati…

Press TV (2020-04-23). EU censures US for refusing to ease sanctions on Iran. iranian.com The European Union has censured the United States for refusing to ease sanctions on the Islamic Republic and blocking an International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan to Iran to help it fight the COVID-19 pandemic. "We supported first to soften the sanctions and second, the request by Iran to the International Monetary Fund for financial help," EU foreign …

IRNA (2020-04-23). Russia dismisses US claim that Iran satellite violates UNSC Resolution. More launches coming. iranian.com Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Thursday dismissed the US claim that Iran violated the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 with the launch of military satellite 'Noor 1' as unfounded, saying that the move in no way contradicts the resolution on the country's nuclear program. Addressing a news conference in Tehran on Thursday, she …

Susan Price (2020-04-22). Turkey launches new attacks on Kurdish refugee camps. greenleft.org.au

Staff (2020-04-22). Chileans Who Took to Streets Against Inequality & Climate Crisis Say Virus Lockdowns Won't Stop Them. democracynow.org Months ago, the streets of Santiago and other Chilean cities were alive with a vibrant mass protest movement that drew hundreds of thousands and even led the U.N. climate summit to be relocated to Madrid, Spain, last December. Now the public spaces of Santiago are largely empty as citizens shelter in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But the protest movement against austerity and right-wing President Sebastián Piñera lives on as activists find new ways to organize online. We go to Santiago, Chile, to speak with Angela Valenzuela, a 350.org organizer who has been active both in the country's uprising and in…

The Canary (2020-04-22). UK coronavirus deaths may have reached 41,000, study finds. thecanary.co Deaths linked to coronavirus (Covid-19) in the UK may have already reached 41,000, according to new analysis.The Financial Times estimate is more than double the latest total announced by the Department of Health, which stood at 17,337 at 5pm on 20 April.The government's figure is based almost entirely on the deaths of hospital patients who tested positive for Covid-19.Differences in reporting mean this total can include a small number of deaths outside hospital that occurred in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.The Financial Times has used separate figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS)…

The Canary (2020-04-22). RAF plane returns from Turkey PPE mission. thecanary.co An RAF plane, believed to be carrying a delayed consignment of personal protective equipment (PPE) for NHS staff, has landed in the UK.Flight tracker RadarBox showed the Airbus A400-M registered ZM416 depart Istanbul and land just after 3.30am on Wednesday at RAF Brize Norton.The plane had been dispatched from the Oxfordshire base, where two other planes are on stand-by to pick up further kit from Turkey, late on Monday.It is not known if the consignment, which was ordered on Thursday and originally due to arrive on Sunday, includes 400,000 badly-needed surgical gowns. | The government has come in for mounting cr…

Fight Back (2020-04-22). It's Lenin 150th birthday, read his 'Letter to American Workers'. fightbacknews.org To mark the 150 birthday, April 22, of the outstanding revolutionary V.I. Lenin, Fight Back News Service is circulating his famous article 'Letter to American Workers.' | Comrades! A Russian Bolshevik who took part in the 1905 Revolution, and who lived in your country for many years afterwards, has offered to convey my letter to you. I have accepted his proposal all the more gladly because just at the present time the American revolutionary workers have to play an exceptionally important role as uncompromising enemies of American imperialism—the freshest, strongest and latest in joining in the world-wide sl…

IRNA (2020-04-22). Iran takes delivery of COVID19 test kits bought from France. iranian.com Iran took delivery of some six tons consignment of coronavirus test kits bought from France through Sari Su border market, the managing director of Bazargan Customs Office said. Speaking to IRNA, Sadeq Namdar said this is the third pharmaceutical consignment which arrived in Iran with the agreement of Iranian and Turkish border chiefs and through …