Positive Universe: Europe

2020-04-21: 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.)

Why the OPEC+ Deal is a Many-Splendored Thing
M. K. Bhadrakumar | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-21
A perfect deal is where all protagonists get something out of it. All oil-producing countries stand to gain if the oil price rebounds. In bare bones, the OPEC+ group led by Saudi Arabia and Russia finalized, in a nail-biting photo finish on April 12, an agreement to steeply cut oil production by a combined 9.7…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/21/why-the-opec-deal-is-a-many-splendored-thing/

SARS-CoV-2 Mortality Data Is Distorted. Review of Scientific Research in Germany, U.S., Italy, Spain
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-21
SouthFront offers a scientific-based survey providing an in-depth look at the real death toll statistics and the spread of SARS-COV-2. | 1. The research issued by the Bonn University Hospital | The research issued by the Bonn University Hospital and made by …
globalresearch.ca/sars-cov-2-mortality-distorted/5710253

Latvia Wanted to Bridge EU with Russia but Is Now in Economic Trouble
Paul Antonopoulos | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-21
The transit industry was one of the most important in Latvia and was established during the Soviet era. In the first years of Latvia's independence in the 1990's, it was destroyed. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has significantly lowered Latvia's …
globalresearch.ca/latvia-wanted-bridge-eu-russia-now-economic-trouble/5710339

As US Shale Oil Plunges, Trump Admin Takes Aim at Venezuela
Whitney Webb | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-21
President Trump recently praised a deal reached largely by Saudi Arabia and Russia, two of the top oil producers in the world who together dominate the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), saying that the agreed upon production cuts …
globalresearch.ca/us-shale-oil-plunges-trump-admin-takes-aim-venezuela/5710257

Rouhani calls for Europe to perform its duties against US illegal measures
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-21
TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA)

Czechs to test 27,000 people for coronavirus antibodies
rt.com | 2020-04-21
The Czech Republic will test 27,000 people for coronavirus antibodies, to gain information on how many came into contact with the infection. The study, wider in scope than others made in European countries and the US in recent weeks, will start on Wednesday and involve all age groups, officials said on Tuesday. | Four regions were picked, from areas that were little affected by the virus to ones highly affected, said Ladislav Dusek, the director of the republic's Institute of Health Information and Statistics. | Results, expected in early May, should give the government a clearer view of how many asymptomatic…
rt.com/newsline/486470-czech-test-antibodies-study/

Covid-19 mutations underestimated, Chinese scientists warn, as DEADLIEST strains grip Europe and US
rt.com | 2020-04-21
Chinese scientists have found that Europe and America's East Coast have been infected by some of the most aggressive Covid-19 strains, as they discovered dozens of virus mutations. These destroy a host's cells faster than others. | The ability of the novel coronavirus to mutate has been previously vastly underestimated, a team from China's Zhejiang University, led by Professor Li Lanjuan, says in a new study. The group found as many as 33 virus mutations in just 11 coronavirus patients they examined in the city of Hangzhou. | The researchers say that 60 percent of the strains they discovered turned out to be e…
rt.com/news/486425-covid-19-mutations-deadlier-strains/

'We're on the right track': Chancellor Kurz reassures citizens as Austria to reopen schools, churches & restaurants in mid-May
rt.com | 2020-04-21
Vienna has announced its plans to allow school classes and church services as well as to let restaurants reopen their doors for clients starting from May 15, as the nation returns to life following its Covid-19 outbreak. | "We are on the right track," Chancellor Sebastian Kurz told a press conference on Tuesday as he announced new steps in loosening the lockdown imposed over the epidemic. He said that there were "no reasons" not to continue with the "opening up" plans under the slogan "as much freedom as possible, as much restriction as necessary." However, some restrictions will remain mandatory for the comin…
rt.com/news/486467-austria-schools-churches-restaurants-coronavirus/

Austria to reopen restaurants, churches & some schools from May 15
rt.com | 2020-04-21
Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Tuesday that Austria would further loosen its Covid-19 lockdown on May 15 by allowing restaurants and cafes to reopen and religious services to resume. The Alpine republic acted early in its outbreak to close restaurants, bars, theaters, non-essential shops and other potential gathering places more than a month ago. | "We are going faster here than other countries towards something like a new normality," Kurz told reporters, adding that "gastronomy businesses," a term that often includes bars, will be allowed to reopen from May 15 and stay open until 11pm. Religious services c…
rt.com/newsline/486442-austria-reopen-churches-restaurants/

Denmark to allow gatherings of 500 people from May 10
rt.com | 2020-04-21
Denmark's Ministry of Health has announced it will allow public gatherings of up to 500 people for the foreseeable future, as the country tentatively eases lockdown measures. | Starting on May 10, authorities will lift the ban on gatherings of more than 10 people which had been in place. The new limit will last until at least September 1 this year, reports state broadcaster TV2. | The Ministry of Health insisted that it would continue to monitor the situation…
rt.com/news/486403-denmark-gatherings-500-coronavirus-restrictions/

Customers wait in line for HOURS at reopened McDonald's drive-thru in still-locked-down France
rt.com | 2020-04-21
Hungry motorists lined up for hours after news of a French McDonald's restaurant re-opening spread like wildfire on social media, causing major traffic jams in a Parisian suburb. | Photos and footage of the tailbacks, which began when the fast food outlet in Moissy opened at 11am on Monday, were shared on social media by stunned onlookers. | #Drive du #mcdo #mcdomoissy à Moissy-…
rt.com/news/486477-france-mcdonalds-reopens-huge-line-coronavirus/

Fires, rioting & ambushes: Police say Paris suburbs 'BACK TO NORMAL' after month of lockdown (VIDEOS)
rt.com | 2020-04-21
Lockdown measures imposed a period of calm on the Paris suburb of Villeneuve-la-Garenne, but a weekend of riots and arson marked a depressing return to normal for the troubled neighborhood after a new police-involved controversy. | France has been under lockdown since March 17, with all non-essential trips from home banned. As such, crime-ridden neighborhoods like Villeneuve-la-Garenne saw a decrease in criminal activity, with drug dealers, thieves and vandals forced to remain indoors. | A weekend of social unrest changed that. As vehicles were lit on fire and police were attacked with fireworks on Monday nigh…
rt.com/news/486464-paris-suburbs-riots-lockdown/

Murder or salvation? Southern US states to relax Covid-19 lockdowns amid outcry
rt.com | 2020-04-21
Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina are saying they will start reopening some stores and public spaces shuttered by pandemic fears, triggering partisan outrage and accusations of having a racist death wish. | Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee announced on Monday that he will not extend his stay-at-home order past April 30 and may allow some businesses and state parks to open before that. Meanwhile, in South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster ordered access to public beaches and some retailers restored starting Tuesday. | Also on rt.com…
rt.com/usa/486392-southern-states-lift-lockdown-outcry/

Global COVID-19 infections, deaths rise amid drive to revive corporate profit-making
wsws.org | 2020-04-21
With COVID-19 cases in US nearing 800,000, Georgia, Tennessee and Vermont joined the list of states and cities announcing the reopening of public venues and businesses.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/21/coro-a21.html

What can normalcy bring?
Victor Grossman | mronline.org | 2020-04-21
With COVID-19 figures flattening downward, Germany is limping back to some kind of normalcy. Auto and bike shops, book dealers, barbers and most shops less than 800 m2 can now re-open (with customers 5 ft apart). Bigger shops and department stores are squabbling: "Why not us?"
mronline.org/2020/04/20/what-can-normalcy-bring/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-can-normalcy-bring

75 Years Ago: Red Army Encircles Berlin. Analysis of Germany's Failed 1942 Offensive
Shane Quinn | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-21
Three-quarters of a century ago, on 21 April 1945 the Soviet Army had encircled Berlin and was unleashing its final attack upon Nazi Germany. | With the Germans having killed more than 10 million Soviet troops since their June 1941 invasion, …
globalresearch.ca/75-years-ago-red-army-encircles-berlin-analysis-germany-failed-1942-offensive/5710245

If Nazism had prevailed: The Amazon series The Man in the High Castle
wsws.org | 2020-04-21
The year is 1962 and the United States, having lost World War II, is partitioned and occupied militarily by Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany. Such is the counterfactual premise of The Man in the High Castle.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/21/high-a21.html

Foreign demand for Iranian ventilators
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-21
TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA)

PM Conte: Italy to start easing its lockdown from May 4
rt.com | 2020-04-21
Italy will announce before the end of this week its plans for a gradual reopening following a lockdown imposed to fight the coronavirus outbreak from May 4, according to Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. | "I wish I could say: let's reopen everything. Immediately. We start tomorrow morning," Conte wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday. "But such a decision would be irresponsible. It would make the contagion curve go up in an uncontrolled way and would nullify all the efforts we have made so far." | The lockdown, closing most Italian businesses and preventing people from leaving their homes for all but essential nee…
rt.com/newsline/486401-conte-italy-easing-lockdown/

'His Shoes' to go to Poland's KINOLUB film festival
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-21
TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA)

Moscow opens new coronavirus hospital built in just a month, as Russia braces for Covid-19 PEAK
rt.com | 2020-04-21
Moscow's brand-new infectious diseases hospital has admitted its first patients, despite construction having begun in mid-March. It comes as Russia recorded over 5,600 Covid-19 cases in a day, with the peak still approaching. | The 800-bed facility's completion is a much-needed antidote to the country's ever-worsening coronavirus crisis. As of Tuesday afternoon, Russia has 52,763 confirmed cases of Covid-19, and more than half of infections are in Moscow and the Moscow Region. With 5,642 cases nationwide confirmed in the last 24 hours, the opening of the hospital could not have been more timely

Iran, Russia, Turkey to discuss Syria situation on April 22
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-21
TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA)

Rouhani, Putin stress strengthening relations of Tehran-Moscow
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-21
TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA)

The Economic War with Russia and China. The Economic and Geopolitical Impacts of the COV-19 Lockdown
Dr. T. P. Wilkinson | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-21
The major reason for Cuba's travel restrictions- ≠‚Äê- ≠‚Äê always used as grounds for slandering the Cuban state- ≠‚Äê is the extreme difficulty Cuba has maintaining foreign exchange reserves essential for international trade- ≠‚Äê- ≠‚Äê esp. since the end of trade- ≠‚Äêin- ≠‚Äêkind with the COMECON. Every …
globalresearch.ca/the-economic-war-with-russia-and-china-the-economic-impacts-of-the-cov-19-lockdown/5710118

Another 'worst deal ever'? US withdrawal from crucial Open Skies treaty is done deal, Russian FM believes
rt.com | 2020-04-21
Moscow thinks Washington is on the brink of pulling out from a crucial arms-control treaty it once helped develop. Reports about the move have circulated for weeks, with top US lawmakers warning of its dire ramifications. | The decision to depart from the Treaty on Open Skies "has already been taken in Washington," Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the media, citing experts "watching how the situation is developing." | "We believe that these assessments have a significant element of truth," the chief diplomat offered. | We draw nearly the same conclusions based on our contacts with the Americans an…
rt.com/news/486437-lavrov-us-open-skies/

US strongly rejected proposal on humanitarian pause amid pandemic, says Lavrov
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-21
TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA)

'Virus may have peaked' in Stockholm, but danger isn't over, Swedish health agency says
rt.com | 2020-04-21
Around one-third of Stockholm's million people will have had the novel coronavirus by the start of May, according to Sweden's public health agency. The disease may have already passed its peak in the capital, it said on Tuesday. Stockholm accounts for around half of Sweden's 15,300 confirmed cases of Covid-19, and a high proportion of its 1,765 deaths, including among very elderly people living in care homes, Reuters said. | The health agency said its modeling suggested the rate of new infections in the city had peaked on April 15, although a decline was not yet evident from its data.
rt.com/newsline/486486-peak-stockholm-sweden-restrictions/

At least 11 percent of Swedes may have contracted Covid-19, antibody study suggests
rt.com | 2020-04-21
More than one in 10 people in Sweden may have been infected with the novel coronavirus since the outbreak began, the country's leading medical university has said, citing preliminary results of a new Covid-19 antibody study. | Tests conducted on 200 blood donors by Sweden's Karolinska Institute together with Karolinska University Hospital showed that at least 11 out of 100 of the participants have antibodies to Covid-19. If their results are truly indicative of the viral spread in society, they suggest that for the nation with a roughly 10 million-strong population, more than a million people may have been inf…
rt.com/news/486471-sweden-contracted-coronavirus-antibody-study/

Closedown vs. No Closedown
Dr. Paul Craig Roberts | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-21
Every country with the exception of Sweden found it necessary to close down at least part of the economy in order to prevent the highly infectious virus from overwhelming their medical care systems. The exponential rate of infection together with …
globalresearch.ca/closedown-vs-no-closedown/5710240

Prunus scorpia blossoms in Cahrmahahl and Bakhtiari
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-21
TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA)

Larijani congrats Turkish parl. on 100th establishment anniversary
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-21
TEHRAN, Apr. 22 (MNA)

UK government accused of lying to public over 'delayed' Turkey PPE shipment, as Covid-19 criticism escalates
rt.com | 2020-04-21
London only made a request to Turkey over the shipment of 84 tonnes of vital protective wear to be used in the fight against the coronavirus on Sunday

Iran's coronavirus death toll nears 5,300
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-21
With 88 new deaths reported in Iran, the death toll from the new coronavirus surged to 5,297, state media said on Tuesday.The Iranian state TV reported Kianoush Jahanpour, a spokesman for the Health Ministry, as saying that 1,297 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total infections to 84,802.Jahanpour said 60,965 people have recovered so far and been discharged from hospitals, while 3,357 patients are in critical condition.The virus has spread to at least 185 countries and regions since emerging in China last December, with the U.S. and Europe now the hardest-hit areas.The…
yenisafak.com/en/world/irans-coronavirus-death-toll-nears-5300-3517533

Belgium to hire 2,000 coronavirus contact tracers
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-21
Belgian authorities are planning to hire 2,000 investigators to trace whom COVID-19 patients have come in contact with, local media reported Tuesday.The move is expected to help the country ease lockdown restrictions.According to daily L'Echo, regional health ministers discussed the plan of "social mapping" during their meeting on Monday.Healthcare is mainly a regional issue in the federal state of Belgium.The region of Flanders, with the most reported cases, will hire 1,200 investigators, while Wallonia and Brussels will employ 600 and 200, respectively.After attending a short training program, contact tracers w…
yenisafak.com/en/world/belgium-to-hire-2000-coronavirus-contact-tracers-3517546

Apple expands services business to markets in Africa and beyond
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-21
Apple Inc on Tuesday said it would expand its App Store, Apple Music and other services to dozens of new markets in Africa, the Middle East and beyond in the biggest geographical expansion of its services in almost a decade.Apple said it would expand the App Store to 20 countries, eight of them in Africa, and will offer its streaming Apple Music service in 52 additional countries and regions. The expansion is the largest since Apple grew what was then called the iTunes Store to India, Russia and more than 50 other countries in 2012.Apple has focused on growing sales from its services segment, which totaled 17.8%…
yenisafak.com/en/technology/apple-expands-services-business-to-markets-in-africa-and-beyond-3517543

Russian Lukoil to make 18% cut as part of OPEC deal
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-21
Russia's second-largest oil producer Lukoil will reduce its output by 18%, equivalent to more than 40,000 tons per day as part of the new OPEC production cut deal, Russian Interfax news agency said on Monday citing the company's CEO Vagit Alekperov."And I think that we and all other companies will fulfill this amount, which was brought to us by the energy ministry," Alekperov said.Lukoil expects an oil price of $30 per barrel after the start of the agreement.Saudi Arabia-led OPEC and Russia-led non-OPEC oil-producing countries, known as OPEC , agreed on April 12 to lower their collective oil production by 9.7 mil…
yenisafak.com/en/economy/russian-lukoil-to-make-18-cut-as-part-of-opec-deal-3517539

Turkey, Russia hold fifth joint patrol in Idlib, Syria
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-21
Turkish and Russian military forces have carried out another joint patrol along a key highway in northwestern Syria, said Turkey's Defense Ministry on Tuesday."Fifth combined Turkish-Russian land patrol was conducted today by air and ground vehicles on M4 motorway in Syria's Idlib province, as part of the earlier TR-RF agreement," the ministry said on Twitter.The M4 highway, also known as the Aleppo-Al Hasakah road, is about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Turkey's southern border.Last month, Ankara and Moscow agreed on a protocol urging parties to "cease all military actions along the line of contact in the Idlib…
yenisafak.com/en/world/turkey-russia-hold-fifth-joint-patrol-in-idlib-syria-3517535

Britain | desperate for 'life-saving' Turkish medical aid as supplies run | out
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-21
Medics in the U.K, where more than 16,000 people have died of the Covid-19, have warned they could stop treating coronavirus patients to protect their own lives if Turkey's vital delivery of 400,000 surgical gowns is delayed.A Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft was dispatched on late Monday to pick up the shipment of the "live-saving equipment" for NHS staff, The Daily Mail reported.Doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers on the frontline are at high risk of infection as many hospitals are running out of essential personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies.Turkish officials had earlier said that the shipment w…
yenisafak.com/en/world/britaindesperate-for-life-saving-turkish-medical-aid-as-supplies-runout-3517544

Turkey will enjoy advantages after pandemic: Official
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-21
"We will not be in the mode of turning on and off the engine [economy] after getting back to normal, as it's now in idle mode," Gà∂ksel Asan, Finance Office chief at the presidency, told Anadolu Agency.He said the world economy is expected to shrink this year due to the virus, but that Turkey will end the year with a more moderate contraction."The most important factor here is management of the pandemic," Asan said, adding that the virus having reached Turkey later than other countries played an important role.Asan underlined Turkey has not closed its economy fully as it managed to maintain production.Asked…
yenisafak.com/en/economy/turkey-will-enjoy-advantages-after-pandemic-official-3517547

'Dangerous Position': Will UK Be Forced to Extend Transition Period to Help EU Deal With Pandemic?
sputniknews.com | 2020-04-21
Due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, reports have emerged that the UK may have to make significant contributions to Europe's economic recovery from the pandemic if it agrees to extend the Brexit transition period beyond 31 December. So far, Downing Street has not been too keen on prolonging this divorce saga.
sputniknews.com/analysis/202004211079041574-dangerous-position-will-uk-be-forced-to-extend-transition-period-to-help-eu-deal-with-pandemic/

Paris Suburbs on Fire: New Wave of Violence Spreads Across Communities – Videos
sputniknews.com | 2020-04-21
Despite being falsely reported by some media outlets as "anti-lockdown riots", in fact, the clashes started in the wake of an incident between French police and a 30-year-old motorcyclist. The latter was seriously injured under circumstances that are still being investigated.
sputniknews.com/europe/202004211079041015-paris-suburbs-on-fire-new-wave-of-violence-spreads-across-communities—videos/

Syria Demined More Than 5 Acres of Land Over Past Day – Russian Defence Ministry
sputniknews.com | 2020-04-21
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Syrian Armed Forces have cleared 2.1 hectares (5.1 acres) of the country's territory of explosive devices over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.
sputniknews.com/middleeast/202004211079040845-syria-demines-more-than-5-acres-of-land-over-past-day—russian-defense-ministry/

Iran, Russia, Turkey to Discuss Syria Situation
Tasnim News | iranian.com | 2020-04-21
The Iranian, Russian and Turkish foreign ministers plan to hold a meeting via video conference on Wednesday to discuss the latest developments in Syria. According to Russian foreign ministry, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Russian and Turkish counterparts Sergei Lavrov and Mevlut Cavusoglu will hold the online meeting on April 22, TASS reported. …
iranian.com/2020/04/20/iran-russia-turkey-to-discuss-syria-situation/

Though 'Children Need Peace Now More Than Ever,' US and Russia Block UN Efforts to Impose Global Ceasefire
Julia Conley, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-04-20
While human rights groups and a number of U.S. allies have expressed support for the U.N.'s call for a global ceasefire during the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. and Russia are reportedly standing in the way of an international agreement. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/anti-war_movement_missing_in_action.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/04/20/though-children-need-peace-now-more-ever-us-and-russia-block-un-efforts-impose?cd-origin=rss

Sweden Is Right. The Economy Should be Left Open
Mike Whitney | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-20
Sometimes, the best thing to do, is to do nothing at all. Take Sweden, for example, where the government decided not to shut down the economy, but to take a more thoughtful and balanced approach. Sweden has kept its primary …
globalresearch.ca/sweden-right-economy-should-left-open/5710128

'The US Reaction to Pressure to Ease Sanctions Was to Double Down' – CounterSpin interview with Joe Emersberger on sanctions under Covid-19
Janine Jackson | fair.org | 2020-04-20
"If there were an opposition movement in countries like Canada and the United States and Europe, the demand wouldn't just be, 'You gotta stop this'; the demand would actually be, 'Hey, we've got to prosecute the people involved with this. This is killing people. This is a crime. People should be facing legal consequences for this.'"
fair.org/home/the-us-reaction-to-pressure-to-ease-sanctions-was-to-double-down/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-us-reaction-to-pressure-to-ease-sanctions-was-to-double-down

The Kaminski method: Tight, taut WWII action in 'Enemy Lines'
Ed Rampell | peoplesworld.org | 2020-04-20
As people grapple with a planetary pandemic, an exciting new movie is premiering just in time to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of our last global conflagration. Enemy Lines is available to rent or own on April 24 shortly before the platinum jubilee of Victory in Europe or V-E Day, May 8, 1945, …
peoplesworld.org/article/the-kaminski-method-tight-taut-wwii-action-in-enemy-lines/

Last Process: 50 Postees: 2020-04-22 01:22 GMT (21:22 EST)

2020-04-20: News Headlines

Staff (2020-04-20). Headlines for April 20, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Fatalities Top 40,000; Nursing Homes Hit Hard as Death Tolls Soar | , Trump and Governors at Odds over Coronavirus Testing as Uneven Reopening of States Commences, Right-Wing Groups Organize Anti-Lockdown Protests Around the Country | , New Deal on Relief for Small Businesses Could Be Imminent But May Lack Key Democratic Provisions, Immigrant Prisoners at Otay Mesa Launch Hunger Strike, Denounce Inhumane Treatment | , Michael Cohen to Be Released from Federal Detention as Prisoners Nationwide Face Mounting Coronavirus Risk, Italy Records Lowest Daily Death Toll in a Week; Spain & France Also Show Signs of Pr…

RT (2020-04-20). Protesters gather in Russia's N. Ossetia-Alania to demand cancellation of self-isolation rules. rt.com Hundreds of protesters — most of them unmasked — gathered on Monday in Vladikavkaz, the capital of the southern Russian Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, to demand the cancellation of the self-isolation regime. The unauthorized meeting took place near the building of the local government despite restrictions, which will last till April 30. | A group of representatives was formed among the protesters and began negotiations with officials, TASS reported. The head of the republic, Vyacheslav Bitarov, spoke with some of the demonstrators earlier, saying that authorities will help everyone in need of aid.

RT (2020-04-20). Anti-quarantine protesters inspired by Covid-19-denying former opera singer hurl stones, clash with police in Vladikavkaz. rt.com A group of protesters neglected social distancing and surrounded the local government's office in Vladikavkaz in Russia's south. They demanded the coronavirus quarantine to be lifted and scuffled with the police. | Videos from the Svoboda (Freedom) Square in the capital of Russia's Republic of North Ossetia showed the demonstrators trying to break police cordons and tossing stones at officers in full riot gear. | The unsanctioned rally began at noon on Monday with a group of people gathering outside the administration, with only a few wearing face masks and staying very close to each other. They were quite…

teleSUR (2020-04-20). Russian and Venezuelan Presidents Hold Solidarity Phone Meeting. telesurenglish.net Venezuela and Russia agreed on Monday to consolidate their bilateral relations at a strategic level in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro held a telephone conversation with his Russian colleague, Vladimir Putin. | RELATED: | Both leaders reiterated their condemnation of the imposition of coercive measures by the United States government against Venezuela. | The conversatio…

RT (2020-04-20). Happiest place on Earth? Only if you're Bob Iger! Disney stops paying 100,000 workers while top exec takes 3% pay cut. rt.com The Walt Disney Company has said it will stop paying nearly half of its workforce this week. Disney theme parks and hotels have been shut in Europe and the US for almost five weeks due to worldwide Covid-19 lockdowns. | Scrapping payments for more than 100,000 of the so-called 'cast members' will help the company save $500 million a month, according to the Financial Times. Disney said it will provide full healthcare benefits for staff placed on unpaid leave and urged its US employees to apply for government benefits through the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package. | Disneyland and Disney World closed thei…

Ed Rampell (2020-04-20). The Kaminski method: Tight, taut WWII action in 'Enemy Lines'. peoplesworld.org As people grapple with a planetary pandemic, an exciting new movie is premiering just in time to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of our last global conflagration. Enemy Lines is available to rent or own on April 24 shortly before the platinum jubilee of Victory in Europe or V-E Day, May 8, 1945, …

RT (2020-04-20). Europe needs ‚Ç¨1.5 TRILLION to recover or single market could 'break in two' — EU economy commissioner. rt.com The European Union urgently requires financial injections to stay afloat and survive the coronavirus epidemic currently ravaging the continent, the European commissioner for economy, Paolo Gentiloni, has warned. | A whopping €1.5 trillion ($ 1.63 trillion) could be needed to "deal with this crisis," Gentiloni told Der Spiegel ahead of the EU leaders summit on the crisis sparked by the outbreak of Covid-19. | The commissioner for economic and financial affairs said that Europe is going through the "worst crisis" since WWII, which threatens the very existence of the EU as a single economic and political ent…

Victor Grossman (2020-04-20). Vigilance of all German anti-fascists required as coronavirus recedes. peoplesworld.org BERLIN — With the daily number of new COVID-19 figures slowly receding, Germany is limping back to some kind of "normalcy." Auto and bike shops, book dealers, barbers and most shops less than 800 square meters can now re-open (with customers 5 feet apart). Bigger shops and department stores are squabbling: "Why not us?" So …

RT (2020-04-20). 'Hungary to have plan by May 3': Orban speaks on gradual return to normal life. rt.com Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Monday he expected to present a plan early next month for a gradual return to normal life from the coronavirus lockdown. | The prime minister said in an interview with Catholic station Radio Maria that by May 3 Hungary would be prepared to handle any rise in infections. From that point onwards, the country could afford to seek ways to get back to normal life, step by step, MTI quoted him as saying. | Hungary has 1,984 confirmed infections and 199 deaths, according to Reuters. The country, which has a population of just under 10 million, has done 48,057 tests so far…

The Canary (2020-04-20). Reports suggest many have had coronavirus with no symptoms. thecanary.co New research suggests that far more people have had the coronavirus without any symptoms, fuelling hope that it will turn out to be much less lethal than originally feared.Based on known cases, health officials have said the virus usually causes mild or moderate flu-like illness.Now evidence is growing that a substantial number of people may have no symptoms at all.Scientists in Iceland screened 6% of its population to see how many had previously undetected infections and found that about 0.7% tested positive.So did 13% of a group at higher risk because of recent travel or exposure to someone sick.Aboard the airc…

RT (2020-04-20). Russia's aid to Italy is not just a 'one-way road' — Putin. rt.com Moscow's assistance to Italy, which is gripped by the novel coronavirus epidemic, stems from mutually beneficial cooperation, President Putin explained, as some have called it a geopolitical PR stunt. | Russia's strong partnership with Italy is "well-known," Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a video conference with experts and officials on fighting the Covid-19 outbreak. Relations between the two nations became particularly close during the pandemic when Italy became the coronavirus hotspot on the continent and Moscow offered its assistance. | "I would like to say that it is not a lopsided game, not…

RT (2020-04-20). Pope Francis tells politicians to put country before party amid anti-coronavirus fight. rt.com Pope Francis has urged politicians to put aside partisan differences and deal with the coronavirus crisis in a united way. Francis' private morning Mass has been transmitted live on television for the past six weeks, ever since the outbreak took hold in Italy. | The Mass is attended by only a few close aides, instead of the usual several dozen guests. "We pray today for men and women who have a political vocation," he said at the start of the Mass on Monday, adding that "politics is a high form of charity." | "[We pray] for the political parties of various countries, so that in this time of pandemic, they toge…

RT (2020-04-20). WATCH Russian military lab in action on the forefront of Italy's Covid-19 battle. rt.com A rare video takes us behind the scenes of the Russian military's field laboratory set up outside Italy's coronavirus-hit Bergamo, revealing how absolute sterility is achieved and how the tests are done. | The clip from the Defense Ministry shows the full cycle of the lab's operations — from the arrival of the sample, which is placed in a sealed container and brought inside the facility through a special secure hatch, to the virologists in full protective gear opening the glass and using state-of-the-art equipment to perform a test. | | © Russia's Defense Ministry | The mobile laboratory, which is…

RT (2020-04-20). Zarif informs Assad that Iran, Russia, Turkey will discuss Syria constitutional committee soon. rt.com Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Syrian President Bashar Assad on Monday that Iran, Russia, and Turkey will soon hold consultations on Syria's constitutional committee and the situation in Idlib. The statement was released by Iran's Foreign Ministry. | Assad and Zarif met in Damascus to discuss developments in the north of Syria and the political process in the country, including the constitutional committee. The Syrian president voiced regret that the coronavirus pandemic has become a subject of political investment by some states in the West, "mainly the US, which continues to impose sancti…

RT (2020-04-20). Serbia to let some businesses, markets reopen in partial easing of lockdown. rt.com The Serbian government said on Monday it would allow some businesses and markets to reopen, in a cautious easing of its nationwide lockdown following signs of a fall in the rate of coronavirus infections. | Businesses allowed to reopen from Tuesday include food markets, small retail stores, car mechanics, tailors, cobblers and dry cleaners. The government also shortened a night curfew by one hour and said a 24-hour lockdown for people aged 65 and above would be eased, allowing them to leave their homes for 30 minutes on three evenings a week. | Authorities called on employers in the construction industry to re…

RT (2020-04-20). Spain's economy may dive 12.4% this year amid coronavirus lockdown uncertainty. rt.com The economy of Spain could contract between 6.8 percent and 12.4 percent in 2020 if the Covid-19 lockdown lasts eight or 12 weeks, the Bank of Spain said on Monday. | According to the "The results of the different scenarios point to reductions in Spanish GDP in 2020 unpr…

RT (2020-04-20). 'I don't want to be forced to take one': Anti-vaxxer Novak Djokovic speaks on fears of compulsory Covid-19 jabs. rt.com World number one Novak Djokovic says he could be forced into a corner over his anti-vaccination beliefs if players are required to take compulsory measures against coronavirus to compete once the season resumes. | Serb Djokovic is currently in lockdown with his family in Marbella, Spain, as the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic. | The men's ATP and women's WTA tours have been suspended until at least July 13, while Wimbledon has been canceled altogether and the French Open pushed back to September. US Open chiefs are still debating whether to go ahead with the tournament, which is schedu…

Mike Whitney (2020-04-20). Sweden Is Right. The Economy Should be Left Open. globalresearch.ca Sometimes, the best thing to do, is to do nothing at all. Take Sweden, for example, where the government decided not to shut down the economy, but to take a more thoughtful and balanced approach. Sweden has kept its primary …

WSWS (2020-04-20). Europe's pandemic death toll passes 100,000. wsws.org The five major states in Europe—Germany, France, Spain, Italy and the UK—account for around 85,000 of the 100,000 plus deaths.

Conn Hallinan (2020-04-20). India & the Coronavirus. zcomm.org While the coronavirus has focused much of the world on Europe and the United States, India promises to be the greatest victim of the disease…

WSWS (2020-04-20). Workers strike across Ciudad Juárez, Mexico amid increase in COVID-19 deaths in factories. wsws.org The strikes part of a growing international resistance involving workers across Europe and the US against nonessential work as the pandemic continues to spread out of control.

Ellen Brown (2020-04-20). A Universal Basic Income Is Essential and Will Work. globalresearch.ca According to an April 6 article on CNBC.com, Spain is slated to become the first country in Europe to introduce a universal basic income (UBI) on a long-term basis. Spain's Minister for Economic Affairs has announced plans to roll out …

Global Times (2020-04-20). Smearing China a Lame Trick to Aid Reelection for White House. globalresearch.ca US President Donald Trump tried to prove his effective leadership in the COVID-19 fight during the White House briefing on Saturday. He said that the US mortality rate was 11.24 per 100,000 people, lower than that of Spain, France and …

Alec Luhn (2020-04-20). Russian Officials Dawdled as the Coronavirus Took Hold. thenation.com Russian Officials Dawdled as the Coronavirus Took Hold…

en.mehrnews (2020-04-20). Repairing damaged Iran-Turkey gas pipeline begins in Turkey. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — According to an official with the National Iranian Gas Company, Turkey has announced the start of repairing the gas pipeline that had suffered damages some 20 days ago.

yenisafak (2020-04-20). Southern European borrowing costs rise as spotlight turns to EU meeting. yenisafak.com Southern European bond yields rose to near one-month highs on Monday, a sign of investors' unease ahead of a European Union summit later this week over how to tackle the economic fallout from the coronavirus crisis.Portugal's 10-year borrowing costs hit one-month highs after Fitch Ratings on Friday downgraded the country's ratings outlook to stable, from positive, saying that its tourism-driven economy was particularly exposed to the pandemic's downside risks.Spain's 10-year bond yields also rose to its highest in a month; Italy's borrowing costs neared one-month highs.Selling pressure on Italian government bonds…

yenisafak (2020-04-20). Belgium says COVID-19 peak passed, starts looking at lockdown exit. yenisafak.com Belgium's immediate coronavirus crisis appears to have passed its peak as the number of people admitted to hospitals with COVID-19 fell to its lowest level in a month, health officials said on Monday.Belgium, with one of the highest per capita rates of confirmed COVID-19 cases and related deaths in Europe, announced that 232 people were taken into hospital on Sunday, the lowest level since March 19."There are several indicators that are going in the right direction and that continue to go in the right direction," Emmanuel Andre, spokesman for the country's COVID-19 council, told a news conference."And so yes, by…

yenisafak (2020-04-20). Too far-reaching German rescue packages could raise questions, says Merkel. yenisafak.com Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday told the leadership of her party that if Germany spent too much on additional coronavirus rescue programmes, Italy and Spain might point to Europe's largest economy and say it has enough money, participants in the call told Reuters.Merkel, a Christian Democrat (CDU), reiterated her view that launching eurobonds would be the wrong path.

yenisafak (2020-04-20). IMF's Georgieva says coronavirus crisis is worst since Great Depression. yenisafak.com The crisis sparked by the spread of the novel coronavirus is the worst since the Great Depression, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Monday. The fallout from the virus will mean that 170 countries will have negative economic growth this year, she told a videoconference press briefing for the Bulgarian media.

yenisafak (2020-04-20). Germany starts loosening coronavirus measures. yenisafak.com Germany on Monday started to loosen restrictions to stem the spread of coronavirus in the country. Most shops smaller than 800 square meters (8,600 square feet) are being allowed to open again.Newly reopened shopping centers and stores must observe strict hygienic rules.Early in the day, few people were seen at the reopened malls and shops.People are still following social distancing, and some of them are wearing masks to protect themselves from the virus.Cafes and restaurants will remain closed for the time being.More than 4,600 people have died from the coronavirus in Germany and over 145,700 cases have now be…

yenisafak (2020-04-20). Dutch coronavirus cases rise by 750 to 33,405 with 67 new deaths. yenisafak.com The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Netherlands rose by 750 on Monday to 33,405, health authorities said, with 67 new deaths.Total confirmed deaths are now 3,751, the National Institute for Public Health (RIVM)said in its daily update. The RIVM cautions that the real number of cases and deaths in the Netherlands are higher, as it primarily tests only health workers and the very ill.

yenisafak (2020-04-20). Russia's Putin says peak of coronavirus crisis is ahead. yenisafak.com President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Russia had managed to curb the coronavirus crisis but the peak of the outbreak still lay ahead.The number of Russian confirmed coronavirus cases surpassed 47,000 on Monday with a death toll of 405.

sputniknews (2020-04-20). Russia's Coronavirus Peak Still Ahead – Putin. sputniknews.com Russia recorded over 4,200 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, with the total surpassing 47,100.

sputniknews (2020-04-20). Russian President Vladimir Putin Takes Part in Meeting on COVID-19 Situation – Video. sputniknews.com The day before, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the situation with coronavirus is fully under control, adding that people at all levels of power are working in a dynamic, organised and responsible way.

sputniknews (2020-04-20). Virgin Atlantic About to Collapse Without Public Bailout Warns Richard Branson in Rescue Plea. sputniknews.com The coronavirus epidemic, which has rapidly led to widespread shut downs of large sectors of the economy, is starting to put the United Kingdom's staple airline – Virgin Atlantic – under significant strain. Owner Richard Branson has been pleading for a bailout from the government in order to save the flight provider from folding.

RT (2020-04-19). US coronavirus death toll rises to 40,000, almost double Italy's figures. rt.com The number of people who have died in the US due to Covid-19 climbed to over 40,000 on Sunday, according to calculations by Reuters and Johns Hopkins University. | The American death toll is the highest in the world and is almost two times larger than the figures from Italy, which is currently ranked second in terms of fatalities. | The death toll has jumped from 30,000 to 40,000 in just four days after the untested but probable coronavirus fatalities were added to the numbers. The first American succumbed to the coronavirus on February 29. | Italy, which remained the world's hardest hit country for weeks, has…

RT (2020-04-19). Stranded Russian speed skating pair finally evacuated home after going ahead with Bali holiday amid Covid-19 pandemic. rt.com Russian speed skating duo Anna Chernova and Elena Sokhryakova have become the last of the country's athletes to be evacuated to their homeland after being stranded on holiday island Bali amid the coronavirus pandemic. | The Russian Sports Ministry confirmed at the end of last week that 96 people – including athletes, coaches and various specialists – had been evacuated from around the world with the help of the Foreign Ministry and Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya). | That included speed skating pair Chernova and Sokhryakova, who were among the last to return having gone ahead with a trip to the Indo…

teleSUR (2020-04-19). Putin Assures Russians that COVID-19 Situation is Under Control. telesurenglish.net President Vladimir Putin assured on Sunday that the situation regarding the new COVID-19 virus in Russia is under control, and he was convinced that the European nation will successfully pass this test. | RELATED: | "All levels of power work at a good pace, in an organized and responsible manner. The situation is under total control. Our entire society is united in the face of a common threat," he said in a video message broad…

Thembisa Fakude (2020-04-19). Saudi Arabia's client-state relationship with the US should concern the whole world. iranian.com When Saudi Arabia approached members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its affiliates recently to cut oil production in an attempt to cushion the impact of the falling oil prices as a result of Covid-19, Russia rejected the proposal. The subsequent spat between Moscow and Riyadh saw the Saudis and the United …

RT (2020-04-18). 'Who believes these numbers?' Trump claims China MUST be hiding its true Covid-19 death toll, because 'everybody knows it'. rt.com President Donald Trump opened up his daily Covid-19 task force press conference by blasting the media for reporting official data that makes the US look bad, instead of pursuing allegations of a Chinese conspiracy. | "When the fake news gets out there and they start talking about the United States is number one… China's number one by a lot. It's not even close. They're way ahead of us in terms of death," Trump said just minutes into his daily briefing. | China could not have possibly done better than the "highly developed healthcare delivery systems of the United Kingdom, in France in Belgium, in Italy, in S…

Eric Zuesse (2020-04-18). Where the Skripals Are Today. dissidentvoice.org On 4 March 2018, both Sergei Skripal and his daughter who was visiting from their shared home country of Russia, Yulia Skripal, were poisoned in Salisbury England, and — though both survived — neither of them has been allowed to communicate to the public except under the watch of their British court-appointed 'guardians'. They also …

Muhammed Shabeer (2020-04-18). Students across Europe fight COVID-19 and the neoliberal state. peoplesdispatch.org As of April 16, more than 2 million people have contracted coronavirus and around 144,104 people have died. Countries across Europe have been devastated by the pandemic and all sectors of society have been impacted. However, the working class and migrant communities across Europe are those facing the brunt of the crisis. They have been pushed to the brink by sheer negligence and insensitivity of the governments amid this public health crisis. | Students and youth in these countries are particularly in distress due to the shutting down of schools, colleges, and universities as part of the lockdown. The majority of…

Muhammed Shabeer (2020-04-18). 'Under capitalism, there is no solution for COVID-19 crisis'. peoplesdispatch.org The world continues to reel under the COVID-19 pandemic. Spain is one of the worst hit countries in the world with over 190,000 cases and 20,000 deaths. Earlier this month, Peoples Dispatch(PD) spoke to àÅstor García of the Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE), regarding the plight of the people in Spain who have been affected by the pandemic and the response from the government. | Peoples Dispatch (PD): How has COVID-19 become so widespread in Spain and what has been its impact on public life in the country? | àÅstor García(AG): In Spain, as in many other countries, the effect of COVID-19 w…

Whitney Webb (2020-04-17). As US Shale Oil Plunges, Trump Admin Takes Aim at Venezuela. mintpressnews.com WASHINGTON DC ( Despite the president's rosy tone, most analysts have called the agreement — which presumably will freeze the Saudi-Russian oil price war that broke out…

Anne M. Peterson (2020-04-17). Women's sports a likely coronavirus casualty. peoplesworld.org (AP)—Linked to the rising call for gender equity worldwide, women's sports were enjoying unprecedented attention and support before the coronavirus pandemic. The World Cup in France put a spotlight on women's soccer, culminating with the United States lifting the trophy to chants of "Equal Pay!" — a nod to the team's gender discrimination lawsuit against …

Fight Back (2020-04-17). Book Review: Lenin's What is to be Done? fightbacknews.org Why review a book that the Russian revolutionary V.I. Lenin began in 1901 and finished in 1902? The short answer is the book is just that good and it has endured the test of time, and the 150th anniversary of Lenin's birth is a good occasion for it. | A more complete answer is as follows — we are in a period where monopoly capitalism has shown itself to be a failed system. Not only has it failed to deal with the challenges of a pandemic, capitalism is a people-destroying economic system that is making the pandemic worse. Add on the facts that we are in the onset of a large-scale economic crisis and millions…

imperial.ac.uk (2020-04-17). Consumer spending in Spain has halved during coronavirus lockdown says analysis. imperial.ac.uk Economic activity in Spain has fallen in the first three months of 2020 compared to the same period last year, says a new analysis.

RT (2020-04-16). 'Mao-style social controls' or benign citizen 'armies'? NYT flip-flops on Covid-19 contact tracers — because now it's not China. rt.com The same citizen virus-tracing corps the New York Times decried in China as Maoism incarnate is being tried in Massachusetts and San Francisco, and the outlet has decided that what's bad for Beijing is good for democracies. | Massachusetts and San Francisco — as well as the Republic of Ireland — are deputizing citizens to track down contacts of people infected with coronavirus, the Times

news.un (2020-04-16). COVID-19 storm strengthens across Europe, controlling transmission everywhere, essential: Tedros. news.un.org The storm clouds of COVID-19 still hang heavily over Europe, a senior World Health Organization (WHO) expert said on Thursday, with reported cases in the last 10 days alone, doubling to nearly 1 million. The continent now accounts for 10 per cent of the global total.

Bruce Lerro (2020-04-16). What is Socialist Psychology: Child Development, History Shaping, Therapy and Revolutionary Situations: Part II. dissidentvoice.org Orientation In Part I of this article I discussed how when Vygotsky's work was exported to the United States it was narrowly defined as encompassing his work in child-development and cooperative learning. His interest in art history, European history and his commitment to Marxian political economy is barely mentioned. Secondly, I contrasted the differences between …

Last Process: 50 Citations: 2020-04-20 21:46 GMT (17:46 EST)

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