RT (2020-04-14). US, Taliban officials meet in Qatar to discuss Afghan prisoner release dispute — report. rt.com The chief US negotiator on Afghanistan and the top US commander in that country held talks with Taliban officials in Doha on a prisoner release dispute that helped stall US-led peace-making efforts, according to a Taliban spokesman. | The discussions, held on Monday despite the global coronavirus pandemic, followed some movement on prisoner releases, with the government in Kabul freeing some 300 insurgent detainees and the Taliban releasing a first batch of government prisoners. The dispute over the size and pace of the releases, an increase in Taliban violence and other issues have stalled efforts to end the…

RT (2020-04-14). Trump threatens consequences for Beijing as Senate launches China-centered probe into Covid-19 origins. rt.com China will have to answer for allegedly misleading the world about coronavirus, President Donald Trump has signaled. His thinly-veiled threat comes as the US Senate begins an investigation into the causes of the health crisis. | The US president took a swipe at China — as well as CBS reporter Paula Reid — after the journalist asked him why there had been no "consequences" for Beijing's "misinformation" during the pandemic. | "I wouldn't tell you. China will find out. Why would I tell you?" Trump fired back. "How do you know there are no consequences? You're going to find out." | His warning coincided…

Patrick Cockburn (2020-04-14). A Pandemic May be Reported Like a War, But They're Very Different. counterpunch.org I was walking in the early evening down an empty street in Canterbury, wondering how residents were coping with fear and isolation stemming from the coronavirus outbreak. People living there must have been in their houses judging by the cars parked outside, but there were few lights in the windows suggesting that they were in their kitchens out the back.

RT (2020-04-14). Gold price soaring as coronavirus shakes global economy. rt.com Gold has extended its rally with prices reaching their highest level in more than seven years on investor concerns that the Covid-19 pandemic will have a devastating effect on the global economy. | Futures are nearing $1,800 an ounce after trading in the $1,400s less than four weeks ago. Prices are now at their highest level since October 2012. Spot gold was up more than five percent on Tuesday at $1,718 an ounce. | Gold appears to have "solid, big-picture, bullish fundamentals in place as deteriorating economic sentiment globally suggests even larger waves of government support will be seen in China, India, E…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-04-14). Workers are essential, bosses are not. peoplesworld.org Who's an "essential worker" in the time of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent shutdowns, financial decline, and rising joblessness from coast to coast? And who isn't? We ask because that's a big issue these days as the country struggles to figure out who should go back to work, armed with masks and other protective gear, …

The Canary (2020-04-14). China moves to block new coronavirus flare-up on Russian border. thecanary.co China is facing a new coronavirus flare-up along its remote northern border with Russia.The frontier has been sealed and emergency medical units rushed to the area to prevent travellers from bringing the virus back from overseas.The coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic began in China, which is now striving to keep the virus out while other countries struggle to bring their own outbreaks under control.The long, porous border of Heilongjiang province and neighbouring Inner Mongolia has much less travel than major cities like Beijing and Shanghai. But it is a popular alternative route into the country.Many Chinese live a…

RT (2020-04-14). G7 agrees on need to aid emerging economies amid anti-virus efforts — Tokyo. rt.com The finance leaders of the Group of Seven states agreed on Tuesday on the need to provide financial and technical assistance to emerging economies battling with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, according to Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso. | G7 finance leaders discussed the need for a coordinated response to deal with the damage the health crisis is inflicting on the global economy, Aso said after attending the teleconference. | "There's no doubt the global economy will come under pressure from the coronavirus pandemic," Reuters quoted the minister as saying.

RT (2020-04-14). 'Coronavirus is affecting EVERYBODY': Chinese virologists urge govts to act on Covid-19 as they share frontline experience with RT. rt.com Top Chinese virologists, who were invited to share their experience with Russian colleagues, have revealed how their country tackled Covid-19. They also urged governments to 'get real' about the unprecedented threat to humanity. | A medical task force was sent to Russia from China on a humanitarian mission last weekend. Two of its members gave their take on the developing pandemic in an exclusive interview with RT. | They warned that Covid-19, which has killed more than 120,000 people around the globe, must be taken seriously because of its contagiousness, the likes of which have rarely been seen before. | Rea…

RT (2020-04-14). These US intel reports ACCURATELY PREDICTED pandemic years ago. Why was NOTHING done? rt.com A "highly transmissible" and "virulent respiratory illness" for which there is no cure may incite a global pandemic. That was the assessment of a 2008 US intelligence report. The prediction was accurate — but no one was prepared. | The 2008

Michael Berkowitz (2020-04-14). Sickness and the cure: The great pandemic films, and the greatest. peoplesworld.org There are many good pandemic movies. But there is only one great one. It's one of the greatest films ever made. With the onslaught of the coronavirus, viewers and reviewers have flocked to their screens to look back at popular pandemic films. The best of them, like Contagion, Outbreak or 28 Days Later, may entertain. …

RT (2020-04-14). Is EVERYTHING broken? Earth has a 'leaky core' resulting in iron-rich lava eruptions, researchers find. rt.com Amid growing anxiety over the coronavirus pandemic, it would be nice if we could at least rely upon the solidity of the Earth. Think again, says a new study, which found the inner layer of our planet is discharging metal material.

RT (2020-04-14). Chinese scientists identify drug that reduces risk of severe pneumonia during Covid-19 infection. rt.com Most of the deaths arising from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic have been due to severe pneumonia caused by the virus. But now Chinese researchers say they may have found a drug that reduces the risk of dangerous complications. | A group of Chinese medics studying 564 coronavirus patients, including 61 with acute pneumonia, in several hospitals across the country during January and February, have discovered an interesting pattern. | Their

RT (2020-04-14). Russian FM Lavrov holds video conference with international journalists to discuss pressing global issues amid Covid-19 pandemic. rt.com Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will host a video conference attended by international media to discuss key issues, as the world struggles to contain the coronavirus pandemic. | The unorthodox press briefing will be attended by fifteen journalists from Russia and across the world. Lavrov, who is currently in Moscow, is expected to touch on a range of current international topics during the video conference.

Mark Gruenberg (2020-04-14). Progressive lawmakers say pandemic underlines need for Workers' Bill of Rights. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Progressive lawmakers are using workers' sacrifices due to the coronavirus pandemic — especially the sacrifices of those who put their lives on the line to serve all of us — to argue for approval of a Workers Bill of Rights, guaranteed pay, retraining money and other pro-labor reforms. The common denominator: All the lawmakers want …

RT (2020-04-14). WWE deemed 'essential business' in Florida, will continue to operate live shows despite coronavirus lockdown. rt.com World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has been designated as an 'essential business' in Florida and will continue to operate live events alongside other indispensable services, per a local government official in the state. | WWE has long preached a 'show must go on' mentality. Terrorist attacks, natural disasters and even the death of one of their performers during a show couldn't get Vince McMahon's traveling road show taken off the air, even temporarily, so what chance a global pandemic? | In contrast to practically every other sport in the United States, the WWE has been granted dispensation by Orange County…

RT (2020-04-14). Stock markets have not hit 'absolute bottom' yet — investment guru Mark Mobius. rt.com The economic damage from a protracted coronavirus pandemic shutdown will be "incredible," according to veteran emerging-markets investor Mark Mobius, who says there's an urgent need to restart the global economy. | "I think we have to open up again in some way, because otherwise the collateral damage is going to be incredible," he warned, in an interview with CNBC. "You think about the people who live day to day … you got to get the economy going again." | Mobius suggested that markets have probably not bottomed-out yet, urging investors to keep more cash on hand in case another crash occurs. "I don't think…

RT (2020-04-14). 'That's the bloody point!' UK journalist roasted after saying govt's Covid-19 'furlough scheme' removes 'incentive to work'. rt.com A prominent UK political journalist has provoked anger after claiming the government's economic safeguarding initiative — commonly known as the furlough scheme — is a "straightforward bribe to stop working." | Robert Peston tweeted a link to his Spectator article on Tuesday, which was titled: "Has the furlough scheme removed the incentive to work?" He was ostensibly frustrated at the idea that people are being "paid to do nothing at home." | Under the UK government scheme, non-essential workers furloughed during the Covid-19 pandemic are being paid 80 percent of their monthly wages up to £2,…

Walkiria Juanes Sánchez, Ronald Suárez Rivas (2020-04-14). U.S. company buys ventilator suppliers and then cancels shipments to Cuba. peoplesworld.org HAVANA (Granma)—While Cuban medical collaboration is extended around the world to help contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the blockade imposed by the United States on that country has just denied its public health system access to two regular suppliers of ventilators, key to the care of the most serious cases of the disease. Manufacturers IMTMedical AG …

RT (2020-04-14). 'We've turned the dollar into toilet paper', chief investment officer tells Keiser Report. rt.com Central banks and fiscal policy makers worldwide are launching huge stimulus measures in an effort to backstop the global economy, as the Covid-19 pandemic takes its toll. | RT's Keiser Report talks to Mark Yusko of Morgan Creek Capital to figure out what lies ahead for the world economies, as entire industries are shutting down. | "The real issue today is that it's not the virus that's the threat," Yusko says. According to him, there are lots of viral threats around the world that are actually worse than Covid-19. The "unprecedented response" from fiscal and monetary stimulus around the world will lead to a g…

Staff (2020-04-14). Essential or Expendable? Farmworkers Condemn Lack of Protection and Economic Help During Pandemic. democracynow.org As the coronavirus sweeps through the United States, the country's 2.5 million farmworkers are continuing to go to work every day, often facing crowded and unsanitary conditions without personal protective equipment, for poverty wages. We speak with Gerardo Reyes Chávez, a farmworker leader with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, who describes the conditions farmworkers in Florida are facing and how they are calling on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to protect farmworkers during the COVID-19 crisis, and with Mónica Ramírez, president and founder of Justice for Migrant Women and co-founder of the National Farmwork…

RT (2020-04-14). 'The value of your lives is supreme': Modi extends India's nationwide Covid-19 lockdown until May 3 as country tops 10,000 cases. rt.com Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an extension of the country's coronavirus lockdown, noting that while social distancing is working, another month of restrictions is needed as the nation fights the pandemic. | The prolonged lockdown came on Tuesday morning, with the PM telling citizens in a national address that their efforts were paying off, but that India is still not ready to lift its national quarantine. | Initially imposed in late March for 21 days, the measures are now set expire on May 3, Modi said, adding however that restrictions in some areas may be relaxed. | These measures have com…

Macdonald Stainsby (2020-04-14). Why is Canada Refusing Cuban Doctors? counterpunch.org We all have this feeling right now. Fear, sometimes verging on terror, and the main strategy to stay human is to never panic. Still, there is a lot of reason to be greatly afraid. Covid-19 has passed into every country, and most people on earth are on some variant of lockdown. The psychology of it is immense. There is an invisible enemy, somewhere out there, and it is threatening immediately our families and loved ones, and it has removed all outdoor life, socialization, schooling, etc.

Alexander Main (2020-04-14). COVID-19 in Brazil: Favela Residents and Indigenous Communities Among Those Most at Risk. counterpunch.org As of noon on April 8th the total number of Covid-19 positive cases reported by Brazil's health ministry exceeded 14,000 and the number of deaths exceeded 700. This is, by far, the highest number of reported cases in Latin America (though Ecuador has a greater number of reported cases and deaths on a per capita

Gary Bono (2020-04-14). Three New York City transit workers dying every day of coronavirus. peoplesworld.org NEW YORK — This city's bus and subway workers are dying at a faster rate than their counterparts anywhere across the country. The shocking death rate among the employees of the New York Transit system is triple the death rate for any other group of front line workers in this city. More than 7,500 have …

RT (2020-04-14). North Korea fires suspected short-range cruise missiles into the East Sea – S. Korean military. rt.com Multiple short-range anti-ship projectiles, launched by the North Korean military on Tuesday, have landed in the sea between Japan and the Korean Peninsula, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff reported. | "Our military spotted two projectiles believed to be short-range ballistic missiles fired from the Wonsan area around 6: 10am [local time] to the northeast of the east coast," the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS)

Staff (2020-04-14). "Terrified to Go to Work": Hundreds of Workers in Meat & Poultry Plants Test Positive for COVID-19. democracynow.org We look at the spike in coronavirus infections at meatpacking plants. In just one case, Smithfield Foods shut down a plant responsible for 5% of U.S. pork production after more than 350 workers at the facility tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, deaths of slaughterhouse workers have been reported in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Colorado. Many meat processing facilities employ large numbers of immigrants, including undocumented workers. We speak with Wenonah Hauter, executive director and founder of Food & Water Watch, and with Magaly Licolli, executive director of Venceremos, an advocacy group for poultry plant…

Subin Dennis (2020-04-14). Why It's Going to be Much Harder for Neoliberals to Prevent Government Spending. counterpunch.org It is a sign of how bad things are when the editorial board of the Financial Times, the world's leading business newspaper, carries an editorial calling for "radical reforms… reversing the prevailing policy direction of the last four decades." The FT editorial of April 3 has advocated, among other things, a more active role for

Chris Kuntz (2020-04-14). Five Ways to Get Rid of Coronavirus. counterpunch.org …

Gary Macfarlane — Mike Garrity (2020-04-14). Conservation Groups Will Sue Feds to Stop Massive Timber Sale in Critical Habitat for Snake River Steelhead. counterpunch.org Since time immemorial Pacific salmon and ocean-run steelhead trout have fought their way up the tumultuous waters of the Columbia and Snake Rivers to spawn in the headwater streams that flow west from Idaho's towering snow-capped mountains. Their vast numbers fed wildlife such as bears and eagles, while sustaining the Indian tribes along the migration route. But

Michael Welton (2020-04-14). Apocalypse Around Every Corner. counterpunch.org I used to read my three kids their favourite story book series on Frog and Toad. Frog, more cheery than his friend Toad, who takes things a wee bit too literally and frets too much, says that "spring is just around the corner." Thinking for a few seconds, Toad asks Frog if they could go

Glen Ford (2020-04-14). Resistance growing to covid-capitalism. mronline.org Covid-19 has laid bare a fundamental truth: that capitalist healthcare is a contradiction in terms, since capital—like the killer virus—cares for nothing but reproducing itself.

RT (2020-04-14). Covid-19 vaccine could take '12 months or longer,' WHO warns as almost 2mn people infected with deadly virus. rt.com An effective vaccine against the novel coronavirus is unlikely to be available until the spring of 2021, World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson, Dr. Margaret Harris, has warned. | Dr. Harris told a briefing in Geneva that "We really shouldn't be expecting to see the vaccine at least for 12 months or longer." | Vaccinations take a long time to become available due to stringent regulations surrounding clinical trials. While there has been speculation about the effectiveness of some existing medications — such as the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine — these have not been proven to be effective ag…

RT (2020-04-14). Leaked footage shows Emmanuel Macron arguing with hospital worker just days before extending France's Covid-19 lockdown. rt.com A video has emerged of the French president having a blazing row with a medic just days before he admitted France had been under-prepared for the coronavirus outbreak. | Emmanuel Macron was filmed arguing with the hospital worker while he was on a visit to the Kremlin-Bicetre hospital in Paris on April 9. | Shortly after the clip, which was released by a medical workers union, the president was shown in footage released by his office leading a round of applause with staff at the facility. | In the footage of the argument, he can be seen telling hospital workers "we haven't made up for 15 years of hospital tari…

RT (2020-04-14). Southeast Asian leaders hold video conference summit, vow to cooperate in Covid-19 fight. rt.com Leaders of Southeast Asian states agreed at their first video conference summit on Tuesday to fight together against the "gravest public health crisis" in 100 years. Coronavirus cases in countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) over the past month have soared to more than 20,000 from fewer than 840. | The death toll has grown to 866 from 14, Reuters said. Due to limited testing in some countries, medical professionals suspect the real numbers may be much higher. "It's critical for us and ASEAN to mount a united response because of how connected and interdependent our countries are," Sing…

RT (2020-04-14). German lower-league club sells record 125,000 tickets to match despite coronavirus curbs… but there's a catch. rt.com With global sport currently at a standstill due to restrictions designed to stop the spread of Covid-19, one German side has found a novel way of keeping their finances ticking over by selling 125,000 tickets to a 'virtual game'. | Lower tier side Lokomotive Leipzig announced this week that they had set a new club record for ticket sales for what they describe as a 'virtual game against an invisible opponent'. | The game, which they say will take place on May 8, comes amid a global lockdown of most major sports in the world as various governments battle to tackle the spread of the novel coronavirus. | Also on…

The Canary (2020-04-14). Care homes struggling with PPE price hikes, says National Care Association. thecanary.co Virus-hit care homes are struggling to pay "unsustainable" prices for personal protective equipment as they try to shield staff and vulnerable residents from coronavirus (Covid-19), an industry association claims.The spotlight has shifted to Britain's social care sector after industry bosses said daily death tolls are "airbrushing out" hundreds of older people who have died in the care system.The UK's largest operator said Covid-19 had invaded around two-thirds of its homes while the chief executive of Care England said thousands are showing symptoms and there are "thousands of people who've died".Nadra Ahmed, ch…

Xinhua News Agency (2020-04-14). Lucha contra COVID-19 refleja amistad profunda entre China y Venezuela. peoplesworld.org CARACAS (Xinhua) — La solidaridad demostrada por China a Venezuela en medio de la pandemia del nuevo coronavirus refleja la amistad profunda entre ambos pueblos de Venezuela y de China, expresó hoy el analista internacional Sergio Rodríguez Gelfenstein. En entrevista con Xinhua, el experto explicó que "esta es la continuidad de lo que se ha …

RT (2020-04-14). Covid-19 isolation could lead to DIVORCE EPIDEMIC, according to Russian expert. rt.com It's only April, but 2020 is certain to be remembered for more than just the fact that its first two digits match its second pair of digits. It has been one of those years in which, to paraphrase Vladimir Lenin, "decades happen."

RT (2020-04-14). Huge spike in deaths in England & Wales as Covid-19 linked to 1 in every 5 fatalities, suggesting UK is UNDERREPORTING. rt.com Covid-19 death tolls in England and Wales have shot up dramatically, with one in every five now linked to the coronavirus, while the UK government has been accused of underreporting fatalities among the elderly in care homes. | New data

Joan Walsh (2020-04-14). Newly Blue Virginia Leaves Workers Behind. thenation.com The Democratic governor used Covid-19 as an excuse to delay pro-labor bills. But unions say the virus shows why workers need protection ASAP.

RT (2020-04-14). US coronavirus deaths top 25,000. rt.com The number of deaths in the US due to Covid-19 has reached 25,000, according to multiple databases keeping track of the coronavirus toll. | There have been more than 584,000 total US cases registered as of Tuesday morning.This puts the US in the first place globally in both known cases and fatalities, ahead of the next hardest-hit country, Italy, where the death toll is just over 21,000. | The state of New York remains the hardest hit, with almost 11,000 of the deaths and over 202,000 cases. New York City alone accounts for 7,900 coronavirus fatalities and 110,000 cases. | A total of 1.95 million Covid-19 case…

RT (2020-04-14). Cannes, but in different 'form'? Film festival orgs hint it'll have to CHANGE as France extends Covid-19 shutdown. rt.com Organizers of the Cannes International Film Festival have not yet given up on holding it "one way or another" this summer, but have conceded it will be impossible in "its original form," due to extended coronavirus lockdowns. | The festival, which serves as a springboard for a wide variety of films, was originally scheduled to start on May 12. Last month, the organizers On Monday, howev…

RT (2020-04-14). Russian Covid-19 cases exceed 21,000 after Putin warns country faces 'extraordinary crisis'. rt.com The day after President Vladimir Putin told Russians that the next few weeks will be "decisive" in the battle with coronavirus, the country has posted a new daily record rise in infections, with 2,774 new cases discovered. | Over two-thirds (1,949) were found in Moscow and its surrounding region, with others dotted around the country. The national total now stands at 21,102. | Worryingly, the remote northern Komi Republic is Russia's fourth most affected region overall. The resource-rich territory recorded 97 fresh Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing its tally to 305, with three dead. | Twenty-two new deaths h…

RT (2020-04-14). Over 100k infections in, France becomes 4th country to surpass 15,000 coronavirus deaths. rt.com The death toll from Covid-19 has reached 15,729 in France, making it the fourth country after the US, Italy and Spain to cross the unsettling threshold. The number of confirmed cases of the disease also went beyond 100,000. | There were 762 new deaths in the past 24 hours, Jerome Salomon, the head of the public health authority, said. The figure indicated a slight increase in the rate of fatalities, which remained stable for the few previous days. | The number of the infected in the country has also risen by almost 5,500 since Monday, reaching 103,573 people. | Despite the somber figures, the French health chi…

RT (2020-04-14). Europe's 'mixed picture': Optimism fading in UK as lockdown may be extended, while some European nations ease restrictions. rt.com The UK Foreign Secretary has said the restrictions to slow the spread of Covid-19 in Britain will remain in place until at least May 7, as other European nations re-open small businesses and non-essential stores. | Dominic Raab, who is deputizing for Boris Johnson while the latter continues his recovery, said on Monday that the UK still has a "long way to go" in its battle against the disease. | Read more | | Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Valance also warned that the…

Nomaan Merchant (2020-04-14). Privately-run immigrant jails denying detainees masks, dodging responsibility. peoplesworld.org HOUSTON (AP)—Elsy was on the phone in an immigration detention center when guards showed up with face masks and forms to sign. The asylum-seeker from El Salvador and others had resorted to tearing their T-shirts into face coverings after a woman in their unit tested positive for COVID-19. But the guards would not give out …

RT (2020-04-14). Germany's drop in Covid-19 cases may only be due to lack of testing at Easter, public health chief warns, amid lockdown debate. rt.com Germany's top health official has cautioned that a recent slowdown in new coronavirus infections is likely the result of a temporary decrease in testing. The warning comes as Berlin considers lifting containment measures. | Daily tallies of new coronavirus cases have begun to gradually decline, but the recent figures may be the result of less testing over the Easter holiday, Lothar Wieler, the head of the Robert Koch health institute, noted. | "We can therefore not yet conclusively assess whether the number of cases is actually falling," the public health chief argued, adding that Germans should not think that…

Federico Fuentes (2020-04-14). Combatting COVID-19 through solidarity. mronline.org Despite a deep economic recession, a profound political crisis and international sanctions that have ravaged its health sector, the South American nation of Venezuela is demonstrating that prioritising lives is possible in the battle against COVID-19.

The Canary (2020-04-14). Covid-19: Man wrongly convicted under Coronavirus Act. thecanary.co A 21-year-old man was wrongly convicted and fined £60 under new coronavirus laws, Britain's largest police force has admitted.The case of a 15-year-old boy, who was also charged under the Coronavirus Act 2020, is being reviewed by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).The PA news agency raised concerns with the Metropolitan Police about how the law had been applied in cases identified in an analysis of available London magistrates' court lists.UK civil liberties group Big Brother Watch said it was "astonishing" the legislation is still being misused. | The Coronavirus Act, which came into force last month, al…

The Canary (2020-04-14). Survivor tells of friendship with British soldier after Bergen-Belsen liberation. thecanary.co A Holocaust survivor has paid tribute to the "remarkable" British soldier who came to liberate the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp 75 years ago.Mady Gerrard, 90, has a picture of Lieutenant John Randall — with whom she became friends decades later — on display at her home in Cardiff today.Lt Randall and his driver, Cpl Brown, were the first men to enter the camp after stumbling upon it during a reconnaissance mission.They found more than 50,000 prisoners suffering from disease, starvation, neglect and torture, as well as the bodies of thousands of those who had already died. | Gerrard was 14 when she w…