(2020-03-18). Tyson Fury shuns coronavirus warnings to head down pub for St. Patrick's Day pint. rt.com 
World heavyweight champion Tyson Fury was not about to let coronavirus warnings KO his St. Patrick's Day celebrations, defying government advice and heading down his local pub for a pint of Guinness. | British PM Boris Johnson declared at the start of the week that the population That meant eerily empty streets and deserted pubs in many places in the UK…
(2020-03-18). Cuba and the Concept of Community of Nations. dissidentvoice.org 
Cuban Medical Brigade (Photo by Bill Hackwell) Some years ago I was talking to a Cuban doctor about what a remarkable achievement it was that Cuba was able to eliminate Malaria in 1973. He took the discussion in stride and said that it didn't mean much until we eradicate Malaria in the entire world. Today …
(2020-03-18). Sanctions against Iran and Venezuela during a pandemic are cruel. zcomm.org Source: Independent Media Institute Swiftly moves the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), dashing across continents, skipping over oceans, terrifying populations in every country. The numbers of those infected rises, as do the numbers of those who have died. Hands are being washed, tests are being done, social distancing has become a new phrase. It is unclear how
(2020-03-18). Why Sanctions During a Pandemic are Cruel. counterpunch.org Swiftly moves the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), dashing across continents, skipping over oceans, terrifying populations in every country. The numbers of those infected rises, as do the numbers of those who have died. Hands are being washed, tests are being done, and social distance has become a new phrase. It is unclear how devastating this pandemic will be.
(2020-03-18). Canada: Coronavirus threatens to ravage Toronto's swelling homeless population. wsws.org Activists have warned that shelters and encampments, which provide inadequate makeshift housing for over 9,000 people in Toronto, will act like a "petri dish" for the spread of the coronavirus.
(2020-03-18). Merkel's response to coronavirus: Draconian measures for German population, unlimited loans for corporations. wsws.org While coronavirus tests are denied and workers are compelled, in spite of an immediate threat of infection, into the factories, the state is opening the treasury without restrictions to the financial oligarchy.
(2020-03-18). Fresno Police Department Officers Assaulted Homeless Man. indybay.org The beating of this homeless man by the Fresno Police Department will be challenged. We will not tolerate this violation of our communities homeless population.
(2020-03-18). POSTPONED: Poetry for Haiti. indybay.org For the safety of our community, March 18's poetry reading to support the construction of a teaching hospital in Haiti has been postponed. When it's safe to meet, the generous devorah major and Tongo Eisen-Martin will schedule a new date.
(2020-03-18). Would Joe and Donald Support Using Cuba Coronavirus Medicine? zcomm.org We need to push hard on those politicians and media spokespeople who put ideology above the much-needed search for the truth and a cure, which we may already have…
(2020-03-18). The UK's Part-Time Prime Minister. counterpunch.org The UK media are starting to refer to Boris "BoJo" Johnson as the "part-time prime minister" or "invisible man". Immediately after he won the general election in December BoJo took off with his latest mistress, Carrie Symonds, for a 2-week break (paid for by an unknown donor) on a private Caribbean island. At the end
(2020-03-18). IMF rules out COVID-19 loan to Venezuela. yenisafak.com The International Monetary Fund (IMF) rejected Venezuela's request for a $5-billion loan to fight the coronavirus pandemic.In a statement, the IMF said the request could not be evaluated because there was "no clarity" among its member states on who was the leader of the South American nation: the democratically elected President Nicolas Maduro or U.S.-backed lawmaker Juan Guaido."Unfortunately, the Fund is not in a position to consider this request […] There is no clarity on recognition at this time," said the statement.Maduro's government requested a $5-billion loan from the IMF to help deal with the novel cor…
(2020-03-18). Selected Articles: Cuban Drug Could Save Thousands of Lives in Coronavirus Pandemic. globalresearch.ca 
By Cuban medicine could treat thousands of coronavirus patients as production of a "flagship" drug known to combat the disease is set to increase …
(2020-03-18). Cuba shows a lead in solidarity amid COVID-19 crisis. greenleft.org.au 
(2020-03-17). Despite U.S. blockade, Cuban pharma industry producing needed COVID-19 medicines. peoplesworld.org 
HAVANA—(Granma) Although there is no preventive vaccine or specific treatment at this time for the new coronavirus SARS COV-2, which causes COVID-19, the Cuban pharmaceutical industry is guaranteeing production of proven, high efficacy treatment medications, including recombinant human interferon alpha 2b, in addition to another group of drugs that are included in protocols for treating …
(2020-03-17). Venezuelan Migrants Face Difficult Conditions in Ecuador. telesurenglish.net Social organizations Monday warned of the vulnerability faced by many Venezuelans in Ecuador due to mobility restrictions implemented to confront the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | "The percentage of Venezuelans who work informally, as well as the percentage of those who work without a visa, is worrisome. Some of their employers have warned them that they will not be paid on the days they do not work," Daniel Regalado, the pre…
(2020-03-17). Italy and UK rely on help from Cuba, China, Venezuela to fight coronavirus — as US steps up brutal sanctions. thegrayzone.com Italy requested doctors from China, Cuba, and Venezuela to contain the coronavirus, while Cuba rescued a ship of British citizens….
(2020-03-17). Amid coronavirus pandemic, Bolsonaro's Brazil begs for Cuban doctors — after expelling them. thegrayzone.com Brazil's far-right government requested the return of thousands of Cuban doctors to help fight the coronavirus. Months ago, President Jair…
(2020-03-17). US ramps up sanctions devastating Venezuela's health sector as coronavirus spreads. thegrayzone.com Promising to "smash" Venezuela's government during a "maximum pressure March," Trump has imposed crushing sanctions that force Venezuela to spend…
(2020-03-17). President Maduro Requests $5B to IMF to Help His People. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza reported Tuesday that the government of RELATED: | These resources will be deplo…
(2020-03-17). COVID-19 Updates: Latin American Cases Rise, Isolation Reigns. telesurenglish.net Update 10: 19 pm. | The IMF rejects Venezuela's Request for US$5 Billion to Fight Coronavirus | The International Monetary Fund (IMF) rejected Tuesday Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's request for US$5 billion emergency funds in order to fight the coronavirus pandemic in the Latin American country. | Update 10: 10 pm. | Colombia declares state of emergency over coronavirus crisis | Colombia's President Ivan Duque declared Tuesday a state of emergency as the country intensifies measures to counter the coronavirus spreading in Latin America. Among the measures was an order for the elderly to stay home until th…
(2020-03-17). IMF Rejects Venezuela's Request for $5B in Virus Aid. telesurenglish.net The International Monetary Fund (IMF) rejected Tuesday Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's request for US$5 billion in order to fight the coronavirus pandemic in the Latin American country. | RELATED: | An IMF spokesperson said the request can't be considered because there was "no clarity" among its 189 member states on who it recognizes as Venezuela's rightful leader: democratically elected President Maduro or U.S.-backed la…
(2020-03-17). Venezuela: American Teamsters tour printing factory. fightbacknews.org Maracay, Venezuela — The Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) labor delegation toured a large printing factory on March 13 in Maracay, Venezuela, about two hours outside Caracas. As the delegates bus pulled up to the factory gates, a huge sign welcomed them, "We don't speak ill of Chavez here!" The head of the factory and a group of workers excitedly gathered around to greet the American members of the Teamsters union. | In a bold and historic move, this factory was taken over by the workers themselves during the presidency of Hugo Chavez in 2005. The previously laid off workers formed a new team…
(2020-03-17). Brazil: Bolsonaro to Be Denounced for Risking the Population. telesurenglish.net The Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL) lawmaker Marcelo Freixo will denounce Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro before the World Health Organization (WHO) for putting the population at risk by promoting the concentration of people in a political act against of the National Congress and the Federal Supreme Court held in Brasilia on March 15. | RELATED: | At an event called by those who long for the return to a military regime, Bolso…
(2020-03-17). Amnesty International USA Urges States to Prioritize Human Rights in their Responses to COVID-19, Particularly in Regards to Marginalized Populations. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-03-17). Cuban Drug Could Save Thousands of Lives in Coronavirus Pandemic. globalresearch.ca Cuban medicine could treat thousands of coronavirus patients as production of a "flagship" drug known to combat the disease is set to increase significantly, pharmaceutical bosses said at a press conference on Friday. | President of the BioCubaFarma group Eduardo Martinez…
(2020-03-17). Cuba's Interferon Alpha 2B, Successful in Treating COVID-19. telesurenglish.net "The world has an opportunity to understand that health is not a commercial asset but a basic right," Cuban doctor Luis Herrera, the creator of the Interferon Alfa 2-B medication, one of the most successful medications in the fight against COVID-19 told teleSUR Tuesday. | RELATED: | Interferon has been known for more than 40 years: first, it was produced from original sources in local sites, then nationally and lat…
(2020-03-17). Cuba's Contribution to Combatting COVID-19. counterpunch.org COVID-19 surged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late December 2019 and by January 2020 it had hit Hubei province like a tidal wave, swirling over China and rippling out overseas. The Chinese state rolled into action to combat the spread and care for those infected. Among the 30 medicines the Chinese National Health Commission selected to fight the virus was a Cuban anti-viral drug Interferon Alpha 2b. This drug has been produced in China since 2003, by the enterprise ChangHeber, a Cuban-Chinese joint venture.
(2020-03-17). Guyana: Vote Recount Suspended Once Again. telesurenglish.net Guyana suspended the vote count again after the Electoral Commission's headquarters was sprayed with pesticides on Monday, Telesur's special envoy in the country Alejandro Kirk, said Tuesday. | RELATED: | "On Monday, Guyana's health ministry suddenly decided to spray the commission's headquarters with pesticides," Kirk said. | As a result, "the police were forced to evict the Caribbean Community of Nations (Caric…
(2020-03-16). Coronavirus calls US' 'world's richest country' bluff: Will it cling to busted myths or evolve under pressure? rt.com 
The coronavirus containment measures the US has (belatedly, reluctantly) taken are revealing enormous fissures in its first-world facade, from legions of hungry schoolchildren to their broke parents left to fend for themselves. | The US puts a lot of effort into maintaining its image as the world's richest country, but while it may have the world's highest GDP, near-record levels of income inequality mean that the "American dream" is out of reach for much of the population. Aside from an upper-crust of fantastically wealthy families and the professional class that supports them, much of the US population strug…
(2020-03-16). Cuba recibirá y brindará atención a viajeros con coronavirus del crucero británico Braemar. peoplesworld.org 
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(2020-03-16). Why sanctions against Iran and Venezuela during a pandemic are cruel. mronline.org 
In the midst of a pandemic, one would expect all countries to collaborate; that a humanitarian crisis of this magnitude would provide ample opportunity to end (or suspend) inhumane economic sanctions. Is this not the time for the imperialist bloc, led by the U.S., to end the sanctions against Cuba, Iran, Venezuela, and a series […] |
(2020-03-16). A case study of corporate media disinformation. mronline.org 
Corporate America's disinformation relies on politicians, media and NGOs to implant their messaging. An essential part of combatting that messaging requires us to question our own views, as none of us are entirely immune to disinformation techniques, which have in effect become an advanced science. |
(2020-03-16). How Cuba is Leading the World in the Fight Against Coronavirus. mintpressnews.com As Cuba sends doctors around the world to help fight coronavirus, a Cuban antiviral drug, Interferon Alpha 2b, is helping countries like China stem the tide of the outbreak.
(2020-03-16). Democratic Socialism Can Prevent the Catastrophe. dissidentvoice.org Capitalism gathered together resources, labor, and capital to start an industrial revolution that brought prosperity and elevated standards of living to much of the earth's inhabitants. Once in motion it generated additional capital that gathered more labor and more resources in a perpetual cycle of increased production that constantly benefitted populations. The achievements did not …
(2020-03-16). UN Population Fund sounds alarm over dire situation facing women and girls in Syria, as 10th year of war begins. news.un.org The UN sexual and reproductive health agency UNFPA, is expressing increasing concern about the women and girls trapped in Syria's dire and escalating humanitarian crisis, especially in the north-west, where hostilities have caused mass displacement, human suffering and damage to civilian facilities.
(2020-03-16). Following House Approval, U.S. Has a Chance to Ban the Cruel Shark Fin Trade. truthdig.com Every year, fins from as many as The global trade in shark fins is contributing to a crisis among shark populations worldwide. Sharks are being killed
(2020-03-16). Chile's Communist Mayor to Import Cuban Meds to Fight COVID-19. telesurenglish.net Chile's Daniel Jadue, Mayor of Recoleta – a borough in Santiago – announced Monday that through the People's Pharmacies initiative they will begin importing Cuban medicine in order to help patients infected with the novel coronavirus. | RELATED: | "We started import procedures for Interferon 2b, a Cuban medicine used successfully in China and Spain. This will be for high-risk infected people," the Mayor from Communist Party s…
(2020-03-15). Corporate Media Condone Destruction of Venezuela's Voting Machines. fair.org 
The vast majority of Venezuela's voting machines were incinerated on March 7 in a fire that engulfed the main warehouse of the National Electoral Council. Corporate outlets followed the familiar script of blaming the victim, repeating the US State Department talking point that the Venezuelan electoral system is "rigged" and floating outlandish conspiracy theories.
(2020-03-15). Accomplishments of Venezuela hailed on International Women's Day. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following speech by Sarah Martin. Martin is a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO). | Happy Women's Day everyone. Our sisters in Venezuela have a lot to celebrate. Just over 20 years ago Hugo Chavez was swept into power on the backs of powerful movements fighting for a better way of life for the vast majority of Venezuelans. The wealth from this oil and mineral rich country was lining the pockets of the oligarchs inside and outside the country while the vast majority of people, mostly black and brown were desperately poor. | Venezuelan women fought in tha…
(2020-03-13). Julio López Varona on Puerto Rico's Disaster Capitalism. fair.org 
Media…
(2020-03-13). No, Venezuela does not have a six child per family policy. zcomm.org I respect UK journalist Andrew Buncombe. As I noted for FAIR last year, he was one of the few corporate journalists who reported on a study linking Trump's financial sanctions on Venezuela to thousands of deaths by the end of 2018. Since 2018, Trump has repeatedly intensified the sanctions and threatened Venezuela with military action,
(2020-03-06). Are Our Prisons and Jails Ready for COVID-19? aclu.org The | country and the world face a public health emergency in the new coronavirus | causing COVID-19. The media is filled with concerns about how we will respond. | Will we close schools? Cancel sporting events and other large gatherings? Work | from home? Avoid public transportation? | But | little has been said about one of the most vulnerable sectors of our | population: the people in our prisons and jails. Although people often think of | prisons and jails as closed environments, they are not. Medical staff, correctional | staff, and visitors come from the community into the facilities every day and | then…
(2020-02-06). Embassy Protection Collective: "We Are Not the Ones Who Violated the Law" theantimedia.com In this exclusive interview, VA talks to the activists who defended the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington DC ahead of their trial.