(2020-05-04). Anatomy of a fake news campaign: Media spreads lie from US govt-funded Korean outlet that Kim Jong-un died. thegrayzone.com Corporate media outlets spread fake news claiming North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had died. The lie originated with a Seoul-based…
(2020-05-04). The Impact of COVID-19 on Africa. The Case of Somalia. globalresearch.ca "We now live in a nation where doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, universities destroy knowledge, governments destroy freedom, the press destroys information, religion destroys morals, and our banks destroy the economy". — Chris Hedges | The Coronavirus (Covid-19) …
(2020-05-04). Right-Wing "Reopen" Fanatics Would Kill Nearly as Many Americans as Died in All US Wars. commondreams.org Protestors try to enter the Michigan House of Representative chamber and are being kept out by the Michigan State Police. (Photo: Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-1211398273_1.jpg …
(2020-05-04). Lenin on Democracy and Dictatorship & its relevance for our time. indybay.org Online ZOOM Meeting. | LOG-IN INFORMATION AT OUR WEBSITE | ICSSMARX.ORG | OR EMAIL CUYLERUYLE@MAC.COM…
(2020-05-04). North Korean defectors apologize for Kim Jong-un death rumors — but will Western media ever develop healthy skepticism? rt.com 
Defectors from North Korea have apologized for spreading fake news about leader Kim Jong-un's death. Will a Western media that believes their every word now finally start fact-checking their wild claims about the country? | Two defectors serving in South Korea's parliament issued public apologies on Monday after insisting the North Korean ruler was dead or close to it. The apologies came on the heels of heavy rebukes from the South's ruling Democratic Party, as well as calls for the defectors to be punished for spreading false rumors. | Over the course of Kim's three-week absence from public duties, the Wester…
(2020-05-04). 'Belongs in the Hague': Online Disgust Follows Glowing Praise for George W. Bush's Covid-19 Message. globalresearch.ca George W. Bush's record in office became the subject of numerous tweets after a video message released Saturday from the former president elicited praise from some Democrats. | . | . | . | Good morning. George W Bush belongs in The Hague. | — …
(2020-05-04). No, the US Isn't Going to Dump India over Its Atrocious Treatment of Minorities. globalresearch.ca There's been a lot of speculation that the US might be preparing to dump India over its atrocious treatment of minorities after the official White House Twitter account stopped following several Indian government ones including Prime Minister Modi's and the …
(2020-05-04). Al-Nujaba distributed Subsistence packages in Palestine. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 04 (MNA) — Following its aids to Iraqi, Iranian and Syrian people, al-Nujaba Movement, on the occasion of Ramadan month, distributed aid packages, including foods and medical supplies, among some Palestinian families.
(2020-05-04). 'We can't be garbage dump for Europe': Fears in Turkey over imported plastic waste spike. rt.com 
Turkey has become a primary destination for plastic waste from richer European countries after the garbage was rejected by China and India. An environmental and health crisis is now in the making in Turkey, locals say. | In 2018, China banned the import of plastic waste, citing the environmental damage the practice had done to the country over the decades. India followed suit the next year. The decisions sent shockwaves across the global waste management industry, with exporting nations forced to find new destinations for their refuse. | For several European countries, Turkey became the new major target for se…
(2020-05-04). Iran promises 'appropriate and decisive' response as US calls for arms embargo to be prolonged. rt.com 
Tehran's Foreign Ministry spokesman accused Washington of acting "illegally" in their efforts to influence the UN Security Council, adding Iran would not be "seeking to exit the 2015 nuclear deal" the US pulled out of in 2018. | Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said Iran's response would be "proportionate" after the US said last week it was "hopeful" the UN Security Council would extend the arms embargo on Iran before it expires in October. | The Trump administration has taken a harder line against the Islamic Republic after withdrawing from the deal, which relaxed economic sanctions in exchange for Te…
(2020-05-04). ER Doctor: Pulse Oximeters Detect Oxygen Deprivation Earlier from COVID-19, Help Avoid Ventilators. democracynow.org 
We speak with Dr. Richard Levitan, an emergency physician based in Littleton, New Hampshire, who volunteered at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan for 10 days at the height of the COVID-19 surge in April. Based on what he saw, he argues patients should be going to hospitals sooner and that medical professionals could use a small device you clip on your fingertip, called a pulse oximeter, to help detect the virus earlier by revealing oxygenation problems and elevated heart rates. "A pulse oximeter is just a measure of identifying how well the lungs are working, and, I believe, can be basically an early warning system…
(2020-05-04). ILO: Nearly half of all world's workers may lose their jobs due to COVID-19 pandemic. mronline.org 
In the absence of strong support measures by governments across the world, the estimated loss of mostly informal jobs would result in rising poverty, starvation and inequality, an ILO report says.
(2020-05-04). Time for 'post-mortem' on China's response to Covid-19 will come later, but questions need answering — UK defense chief. rt.com 
The UK defense secretary says Beijing's handling of the start of the Covid-19 pandemic must be scrutinized once the crisis is under control. The US has led the blame game, while China has slammed it for politicizing the outbreak. | Ben Wallace was asked by radio station LBC whether China has questions to answer over how quickly it notified the world about the extent of the Covid-19 outbreak. "I think it does," he replied. | The time for…
(2020-05-04). May the 4th be with you to stay in: Darth Vader enforces Covid-19 lockdown in the Philippines. rt.com 
Darth Vader and his stormtroopers swapped spaceships for riverboats as they | made their way around Malabon City on the outskirts of Manila as local authorities tried to enforce the coronavirus lockdown. | The representatives of the galactic empire, or local officials in self-made disguise, were met with smiles and waves as they brought some light-hearted fun in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. | Muriel Baldago, an elected official dressed up like a stormtrooper, explained they were enforcing the government guidelines and delivering relief packages to residents in the permanently flooded Artex Compound area…
(2020-05-04). WHO should debunk 'conspiracy theorist' Pompeo with independent Covid-19 probe, says German politician. rt.com 
Leading member of Germany's Green Party Jàºrgen Trittin called on the World Health Organization to investigate the origins of the coronavirus so as to counter 'conspiracy theorists' such as the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. | Trittin reacted on Monday to claims by the top US diplomat that there was "enormous evidence" the Covid-19 pathogen originated in a Chinese laboratory, calling Pompeo a "conspiracy theorist" and demanding a WHO-led independent probe to clear the air. | Verschwà∂rungstheoretikern wie
(2020-05-04). Covid-19 victims 'would have died anyway'? Not so, says new research. rt.com 
A new study analyzing the longevity prospects of people who died from Covid-19 has found that, far from being on death's door anyway, victims would have lived on for an average of 11 years had they not fallen to the disease.
(2020-05-04). As Workers Get Sick & Die from COVID-19, McConnell Demands Corporate Immunity in New Stimulus Bill. democracynow.org 
As the Senate reconvenes today, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is demanding that Congress use the next stimulus bill to protect corporations from liability for workers. "He wants to protect their right to engage in egregious misconduct," says Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen.
(2020-05-04). Germany's actual Covid-19 cases could be TEN TIMES higher than officially confirmed number — study. rt.com 
The number of Covid-19 infections across Germany could be 10 times higher than official numbers show, researchers have concluded after conducting a study in one of the country's hardest-hit towns. | Researchers from the University of Bonn say that while the official count is around 160,000 cases nationwide, in reality about 1.8 million people in the country could be infected — with many people being asymptomatic and others having symptoms so mild that they were not reported. | The team analysed swabs from 919 people living in Heinsberg, a district on the Dutch border which recorded one of the highest deat…
(2020-05-04). Portugal Leads the Way: How European Countries Fared in Their Treatment of Refugees. counterpunch.org 
As soon as the COVID-19 pandemic began spreading its tentacles throughout China and eventually to the rest of the world, the World Health Organization (WHO), along with other international groups, sounded the alarm that refugees and migrants are particularly vulnerable to the deadly disease. "We strongly emphasize the need for inclusive national public health measures
(2020-05-04). 'Brain-dead on and off the pitch': Fans SLATE Liverpool's Lovren over coronavirus claims about Bill Gates, David Icke and vaccines. rt.com 
Fans have reacted with shock, derision and support on social media after Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren lashed out at a post by Bill Gates in support of health workers and endorsed David Icke's controversial views on COVID-19. | Long-serving center-back Lovren backed claims that the pandemic has been manufactured as a means of forcing the world to accept a vaccine, sounding a warning in response to a post by billionaire Gates, who theorists believe is behind a dastardly population control plan. | Gates, who has pledged some of his vast wealth towards the scientific search for a vaccine and medical aid efforts…
(2020-05-04). 'Bluffing': China demands 'enormous evidence' Pompeo cited regarding Covid-19 Wuhan lab origin. rt.com 
China has responded to Pompeo's claim that he has evidence that the novel coronavirus originated in a Chinese lab, saying that his claims were a "bluff," as the war of words continues to escalate between Washington and Beijing. | The Global Times newspaper — an outlet owned by the Chinese Communist Party — This comes in response to claims made by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in an interview with ABC that he has "enormous evidenc…
(2020-05-04). Liquor shops open in India… & partially close again as customers rush there ignoring social distancing rules (VIDEOS). rt.com 
Huge crowds were drawn to liquor stores in India after they were reopened amid the Covid-19 lockdown. The shops were quickly closed again by police in some areas due to massive social distancing violations. | Liquor stores, which were shut down on March 25, were allowed to open again on Monday across India, as part of the government's plan of gradually relaxing the lockdown. Only standalone shops located far from specific Covid-19 hotspots were cleared to resume work, while shopping malls remain closed. | Officials ordered everyone to continue wearing masks and stay two meters apart from each other when buying…
(2020-05-04). Assange extradition hearing postponed until September AT EARLIEST — WikiLeaks. rt.com 
The second part of Julian Assange's US extradition hearing has been postponed until at least September, WikiLeaks has confirmed, after parties returned to court in the UK for a brief 20-minute hearing to fix a new date. | Judge Vanessa Baraitser said at the procedural hearing on Monday that, having heard from the prosecution and defense, it was clear that a July date was unworkable. | That was due to the fact that some key witnesses would not be available in July, as well as there still being no guarantee that US prosecutors will be able to fly to the UK by July if Covid-19 measures are still in place. Assange…
(2020-05-04). The Anatomy of a Failing University. counterpunch.org 
American universities are failing. They are private or public schools. They could be religiously-affiliated or not. They could be in the east, west, north, or south of the United States. They traditionally emphasized liberal arts. They are facing an enrollment and budget crunch for several years, seeing that the declining number of eighteen-year-olds in the coming years poses an existential threat. It has a modest endowment. It is not an elite school. It is a school like the one that many professors teach at. It was failing before Covid-19. It may not be around in five years. Wirth COVID-19, it may be around even…
(2020-05-04). "It's Very Scary": COVID Surges in Meat Plants as Activists Demand Worker Safety & Meatless Mondays. democracynow.org 
At least 20 workers at meat processing plants have died from COVID-19, and around 5,000 have tested positive, but President Trump invoked an executive order to bar local governments from closing meat plants. We hear from meat plant workers and organizers about conditions during the pandemic and speak with Sindy Benavides, CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens, which is supporting the workers with a virtual town hall on food worker safety with presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and calling for Meatless May Mondays.
(2020-05-04). Parents in Paris exasperated as schools plan to take only 10% of students back in phase 1 of lifting lockdown. rt.com 
When public schools in Paris finally reopen on May 11, only 10 percent of children will be accommodated, leaving many worried French parents in the lurch as they attempt to return to work after the Covid-19 lockdown. | The limited capacity is due to the numerous health measures which will need to be implemented in schools as restrictions are being phased out, the deputy mayor in charge of education Patrick Bloche told Le Figaro on Sunday. | "If we reach [this figure], it will already be very good," Bloche said, given that Paris is within France's 'red zone' for Covid-19 and that some school premises will strug…
(2020-05-04). First Covid-19 case in France could have been as early as December, new evidence suggests. rt.com 
The first coronavirus case in France could have occurred a month earlier than official figures suggest, according to a professor from Avicenne Hospital, following the retesting of 24 patient blood samples. | Professor Yves Cohen from the Avicenne Hospital in Bobigny said in an
(2020-05-04). 'Political child abuse': UK govt's 'help for disadvantaged students' during Covid-19 crisis slammed by critics citing austerity. rt.com 
The UK government's pledge to give more resources to help disadvantaged school kids during the Covid-19 pandemic has received an angry backlash from critics who say students are suffering because of the Tories' self-imposed cuts. | During the government's daily Covid-19 briefing — led by cabinet office minister Michael Gove — on Sunday, it was revealed that vulnerable and disadvantaged young people would receive laptops and tablets to borrow, to help them carry on their school learning from home. Gove boasted that schools would continue to receive additional funding "worth around £2.4 billion a…
(2020-05-04). Top engineer quits Amazon in protest over firings of Covid-19 whistleblower employees. rt.com 
Vice-president and top engineer at Amazon Web Services Tim Bray has resigned in protest over the firings of workers, mainly from minorities, who complained over conditions at the company's warehouses during the Covid-19 pandemic. | "I quit in dismay at Amazon firing whistleblowers who were making noise about warehouse employees frightened of Covid-19," Bray wrote in an open letter titled Bray admitted working with…
(2020-05-04). US Supreme Court Breaks Precedent By Allowing Public Broadcast of Oral Arguments. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – For years, Justices had rejected proposals to broadcast oral arguments live. Tuesday's hearing took place by audio conference call, with the court building closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2020-05-04). As number of recorded Covid-19 cases skyrocket, Russian official declares complete victory impossible. rt.com 
With Russia seeing another day of more than 10,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, it seems like Covid-19 will never end. According to one official, that fear might be exactly right. | Speaking to TV channel Russia 24, Anna Popova, the head of Russia's consumer watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, revealed that it is impossible to completely end the circulation of Covid-19. "No matter what, there will always be some kind of communication," she explained. "There are risks of renewal, even if the virus is no longer in the country." | Popova also announced that anti-coronavirus measures would have to be gradually removed, and…
(2020-05-04). French care home where staff locked themselves in with residents defies Covid-19. thecanary.co 
A care home in France which took a novel approach to warding off coronavirus (Covid-19) has emerged with a clean bill of health.As coronavirus cut a deadly path through care homes across the country, Valerie Martin vowed that the story would be different in the home she runs.To keep Covid-19 at bay and stop it from infecting and killing the vulnerable older adults in her care, Martin and her staff locked themselves in with the 106 residents.Residents at the Vilanova care home in Corbas, central France (Valerie Martin via AP)For 47 days and nights, staff and residents of the Vilanova care home on the outskirts of…
(2020-05-04). Cuomo wants to fine people not wearing Covid-19 masks because they could 'literally kill someone'. rt.com 
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has called people who don't wear masks to help stop the spread of the coronavirus "cruel and irresponsible," adding that he supports authorities fining them over it. | Wearing masks in public has been mandatory in New York since mid-April, but enforcement of the measure falls to local governments — and is something Cuomo wants to see happening. | "Do I think local government should be enforcing it? And should there be sanctions? Yes, because it is a public health emergency," Cuomo said at a press conference on Monday when asked about fining citizens for being in public witho…
(2020-05-04). Greatest comeback? Trump ad hastily declares victory over Covid-19, includes praise from lib governors, & Pelosi eating ice cream. rt.com 
A new ad from Donald Trump's campaign touts his accomplishments during the Covid-19 pandemic, despite the country still being in the middle of it, and appears to curiously change his slogan. | The 60-second video features criticism of the president's handling of the coronavirus being answered with praise from unlikely sources, such as Democrat Governors Andrew Cuomo (New York) and Gavin Newsom (California). | It also features quick images of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ripping up the president's State of the Union Speech and laughing maniacally with ice cream in hand. | The new campaign ad also demons…
(2020-05-04). Spy Plane Resumes Flights Over Baltimore Amid COVID-19. therealnews.com 
The expensive aerial surveillance program won't help heavily disinvested Baltimore, say Ceasefire co-founder Erricka Bridgeford and author Brandon Soderberg.
(2020-05-04). Russia-China entente deepens in the shadow of the pandemic. mronline.org 
The Russian-Chinese entente emerged as one of the most significant templates of international politics in the recent period since the hugely consequential developments in Ukraine in 2014 that led to western sanctions against Moscow, which in turn galvanised the latter's 'pivot to Asia'.
(2020-05-04). Young Communists lead jobs drive in Vietnam for the unemployed. peoplesworld.org 
More than 10,000 people have found work in Vietnam's capital Hanoi thanks to a Communist-led initiative for students and young people whose jobs are most vulnerable due to the coronavirus pandemic. Led by the Hanoi section of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU), working alongside the Hanoi Students' Association and the Hanoi Youth …
(2020-05-04). Woodstock Occurred in the Middle of a Pandemic. anti-empire.com 
In my lifetime, there was another deadly flu epidemic in the United States. The flu spread from Hong Kong to the United States, arriving December 1968 and peaking a year later. It ultimately killed 100,000 people in the U.S., mostly over the age of 65, and one million worldwide. | Lifespan in the US in those days was 70 whereas it is 78 today. Population was 200 million as compared with 328 million today. It was also a healthier population with
(2020-05-04). Will the pandemic hasten the demise of capitalism? peoplesworld.org 
The U.S. economy is collapsing by leaps and bounds. By the latest figures, over 30 million workers have applied for unemployment benefits in the past six weeks. Many economists are predicting a depression that will far surpass the Great Depression of the 1930s. The lines of cars at food banks stretching for miles are surreal enough …
(2020-05-04). Asian markets plunge amid escalating US-China tensions. rt.com 
Stocks in Asia finished the first trading day of the week with losses tracking negative sentiment on Wall Street as the Trump administration continues verbal attacks on China over the coronavirus pandemic. | Shares trading in Hong Kong suffered steep losses, with the Hang Seng index dropping the most it has in six weeks by over four percent. Monday was the first trading day this month at the Hong Kong stock market as it was closed for holidays at the end of last week. | Also on rt.com | |
(2020-05-04). Russian flag-carrier Aeroflot warns air travel may not resume until mid-summer. rt.com 
As the coronavirus pandemic has halted almost all travel around the globe, Russian's biggest airline said that in the best-case scenario, international flights could be resumed in July. | "It is difficult to indicate the exact timing of flights so far but when looking at the best-case forecasts… international traffic may start recovering in the middle of summer," Aeroflot spokesperson Yulia Spivakova told Rossiya 24 TV. | Read more | | Even when most of the danger…
(2020-05-04). Buzzing where corona can't get you: Watch Russian warplanes train for V-Day air show. rt.com 
Russia may have suspended most public events marking the upcoming Victory Day, but demonstrations by military aircraft are still expected to take place. With less than a week to go, the crews are busy training. | Footage released by Russia's Southern Military District on Monday shows fighter jets training solo and in formations for next Saturday's demonstrations, held to celebrate the defeat of Nazi Germany. | May 9 is one of the biggest national holidays in Russia, with military parades and commemorative ceremonies held throughout the country. This year the coronavirus pandemic threw a spanner in the works…
(2020-05-04). 30 million jobs lost so far, but many workers can't access unemployment benefits. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—Another 3.84 million people filed for jobless benefits nationwide in the prior week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced on April 30. That shoots the actual number of jobless due to closures caused by the coronavirus pandemic to over 30 million. The Economic Policy Institute warns that 30 million total may actually be an undercount. …
(2020-05-04). Protesters block HS2 building sites amid ongoing coronavirus lockdown. thecanary.co 
Activists protesting the continued construction of the HS2 high-speed railway have blocked access to building sites in London and Warwickshire. A group called
(2020-05-04). Protesters in London Take Part in Group Hug in Defiance of Lockdown. The Po-Po Gets on Their Case. anti-empire.com 
The crowd outside New Scotland Yard, close to the Houses of Parliament, were seen hugging each other as others held signs reading: "My body, my choice." | Another at the protest in central Around 20 people appeared to be in the crowd, which included young children. | Police told the protesters to go home before arresting a man who did not comply. Gatherings of any sort are banned under the UK's rules to slow the sp…
(2020-05-04). Crushing the States, Saving the Banks: the Fed's Generous New Rules. counterpunch.org 
Congress seems to be at war with the states. Only $150 billion of its nearly $3 trillion coronavirus relief package — a mere 5% — has been allocated to the 50 states; and they are not allowed to use it where they need it most, to plug the holes in their budgets caused by the
(2020-05-04). Flaring US-China tensions send European markets lower. rt.com 
Markets in Europe followed their Asian peers, suffering steep losses at Monday's opening, as Washington continues to pin the blame for the coronavirus outbreak on China. | Stock markets in Germany and France dipped on the first trading of this month, as they opened after the Labor Day holiday. France's CAC 40 led the losses, dropping nearly four percent, while Germany's DAX was not much higher as it lost over three percent. | Also on rt.com | | The British stock market, which wa…
(2020-05-04). The Inevitable Coronavirus Censorship Crisis Is Here. anti-empire.com 
| Earlier this week, Atlantic magazine — fast becoming the favored media outlet for self-styled intellectual elites of the Aspen Institute type — ran an
(2020-05-04). Faced with coronavirus, the most effective health system is one focused on prevention. mronline.org 
"You really are the men and women who do everything eh, you people!" That was the reaction of an 88-year-old patient when she received a phone call from one of our Medicine for the People (MPLP) volunteer workers or staff in mid-March.
(2020-05-04). The Politics of the coronavirus conjuncture in Ireland. mronline.org 
The election in Ireland in early February marked a clear acceleration of the country's ongoing left turn over recent years. Then came the virus.