(2020-05-23). Mercenaries, pandemic and riots in Venezuela: A grassroots perspective. mronline.org 
Venezuela is confronting COVID-19 amid foreign sanctions and mercenary incursions. Complicating matters further is the explosive combination of deep recession and a nationwide lockdown, which has triggered incidents of looting and riots.
(2020-05-23). [World Report] England and Wales see 20‚Äà000 excess deaths in care homes. thelancet.com PPE shortages, lack of testing, and a vulnerable population have seen care homes in England and Wales become hotspots of the COVID-19 epidemic. Talha Burki reports.
(2020-05-23). [Perspectives] Stereotype threat. thelancet.com Among the disturbing statistics to have emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic has been the disproportionate impact in terms of death and severe illness on ethnic minorities in the UK and the USA. On April 7, 2020, it was reported that in the US city of Chicago, where the black population is roughly 30%, nearly 70% of COVID-19 deaths were in this demographic. A report released by the UK Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre on April 17, 2020, showed that 34% of patients in the UK receiving advanced respiratory support were non-white, despite the non-white population nationally being about 14%.
(2020-05-22). Palestine — Quds Day 2020: Marwa Osman. thealtworld.com TeleSur English- Political Commentator Dr. Marwa Osman joins Camila on From the Lebanon to discuss the history and significance of Quds Day and analyzes today's geopolitical context. Dr. Osman discusses the U.S. and Israeli regime's intensifying threats against the Palestinian people within the context of the "deal of the century" saying the 'deal' constitutes the imprisonment of Palestinians. Blockaded Palestine has much in common with other blockaded nations included Iran and Venezuela.
(2020-05-22). Cuba has maintained a lower infant morality rate than Canada since 2009. zcomm.org According to UNICEF's latest figures which can be downloaded here. I should add that UN agencies like UNICEF are not biased in favor of states like Cuba that the US has been trying to destroy for decades.
(2020-05-22). Venezuelan Army to escort Iranian tankers bringing gasoline to Venezuelans blockaded by U.S. sanctions. mronline.org 
This was announced by the Minister for Defense, Vladimir Padrino López, this Wednesday. "We have established contact with the Minister of Defense of Iran. All these ships, when they enter our exclusive economic zone (370Km), will be escorted by ships and planes of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), to welcome them and say to …
(2020-05-22). Trump Claims to Have Venezuela 'Surrounded' as Iranian Tankers Approach. globalresearch.ca US President Donald Trump issued new threats against Venezuela on Wednesday. | "We've got it [Venezuela] surrounded, it's surrounded at a level that nobody even knows but they know. We are watching to see what happens," he …
(2020-05-22). Venezuela sends military to escort Iranian fuel tankers over US threats. peoplesdispatch.org Officials in the Trump administration have told the press that the US will consider mobilizing its forces in the Caribbean against Iranian shipment of petrol en route to Venezuela…
(2020-05-22). US Militarizes the Caribbean Sea to Surround Venezuela. globalresearch.ca Recently, the number of American ships and planes in the Caribbean Sea has increased exponentially. The most likely hypothesis so far is that there will be an attempt to block Venezuela, as the military flow in the region began to …
(2020-05-22). Cuba Has Sent 2,000 Doctors and Nurses Overseas to Fight Covid-19. thenation.com Cuba Has Sent 2,000 Doctors and Nurses Overseas to Fight Covid-19…
(2020-05-22). Sexual rights and emancipation in Cuba. zcomm.org The 1959 revolution launched a project of social justice and equity, an event that would change policies regarding gender and sexualities, among profound, radical transformations in the nation and its culture…
(2020-05-21). US Blocks UNSC Draft Resolution Denouncing Paramilitary Incursion into Venezuela. venezuelanalysis.com Russia, China and other countries criticized violations of Venezuelan sovereignty.
(2020-05-19). Association Between Antenatal Maternal Corticosteroid Treatment and Mental/Behavioral Disorders in Children. jamanetwork.com This population cohort study uses national Finnish birth registry data to assess associations between antenatal corticosteroid treatment to accelerate fetal maturation and mental and behavioral disorders in term and preterm children.
(2020-05-19). From Mitigation to Containment of the COVID-19 Pandemic. jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint discusses public health strategies necessary for the US to relax its mitigation strategies—most notably expanded testing, isolation, and contact-tracing in ways that avoid stigmatization of vulnerable populations—and proposes investing returns from a reopened economy to finance testing and public health infrastructure.
(2020-05-22). Trump issues new threats as Iranian tankers approach Venezuela. iranian.com In a telephone conference with right-wing Hispanic supporters in the United States Wednesday, President Donald Trump issued new threats against Venezuela, bragging about the US military siege that has been mounted against the embattled South American country. Referring to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Trump declared,"We have surrounded him at a level that no one knows, …
(2020-05-21). Regime Change Back In Focus: Pompeo Targets Iran, Cuba & Venezuela In Epic Tweet Thread. iranian.com Given the very noticeable rise in threatening rhetoric focused on Iran over the past week, it seems thoughts of regime change in Tehran are once again top of the agenda. Or perhaps simultaneously the administration needs a significant distraction of sorts amid the coronavirus pandemic, and the persistent national reopening question and agenda. On Wednesday, Secretary …
(2020-05-21). Iran's population growth drops to less than 1% for first time. iranian.com The country's population growth rate has decreased to less than one percent for the first time over the past four decades, Seyed Hamed Barakati, deputy health minister for family and school population has said. The marriage rate in the country has dropped by 40 percent since 10 years ago, which is an alarm that threatens …
(2020-05-21). Venezuelan Military to Escort Iranian Tankers Delivering Fuel — Defense Minister. iranian.com Venezuela's military will escort Iranian tankers delivering fuel to the country when they enter Venezuela's exclusive economic zone, the country's Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino revealed Wednesday. In a state television interview, Padrino said the escort would "welcome them in and thank the Iranian people for their solidarity and cooperation," Reuters reported. Padrino also said that …
(2020-05-22). Why the West Is Not the Best When It Comes to COVID-19. strategic-culture.org 
East Asia fares significantly better in terms of the impact of COVID-19 than the West. Although the virus is believed to have originated in East Asia, as of May 22, 2020 no East Asian nation was among the first ten countries in number of total cases of COVID-19. No matter what type of rule — democratic or autocratic — the numbers of total cases and deaths per 1 million of population in East Asian countries are significantly lower than in the West despite huge population density.
(2020-05-22). Medicaid Providers Are Last in Line for Federal COVID Funding. truthout.org Casa de Salud, a nonprofit clinic in Albuquerque, New Mexico, provides primary medical care, opioid addiction services and non-Western therapies, including acupuncture and reiki, to a largely low-income population. | And, like so many other health care providers that serve as a safety net, its revenue — and its future — are threatened by the COVID-19 epidemic. | "I've been working for the past six weeks to figure out how to keep the doors open," said the clinic's executive director, Dr. Anjali T…
(2020-05-22). New hydrophobic membrane could hold key to combating global mask shortage. rt.com 
While shortages of protective equipment against Covid-19 are still common worldwide, researchers have created a hydrophobic membrane that makes the surgical grade N95 mask, used globally in hospitals, reusable and more effective.
| While shortages of protective equipment against Covid-19 are still common worldwide, researchers have created a hydrophobic membrane that makes the surgical grade N95 mask, used globally in hospitals, reusable and more effective. | Populations have…
(2020-05-23). Iran to respond to any US aggression against its oil tankers: Rouhani. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 23 (MNA) — In a telephone conversation with Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned that the Islamic Republic will respond to any possible US aggression against Iranian oil tankers in the Caribean Sea or any other point in the world.
(2020-05-23). Iranian fuel tankers approach Caribbean: report. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 23 (MNA) — A flotilla of five tankers carrying Iranian fuel for Venezuela is approaching the Caribbean, with the first vessel expected to reach the South American country's waters on Sunday.
(2020-05-22). The role of the state in Venezuela. mronline.org 
Venezuelan former Vice President Elias Jaua calls for the government to rebuild the state and retake the reins of the economy.
(2020-05-22). UNAC denounces any attempts by the US to stop shipments of Iranian fuel to Venezuela. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC). | Last week, an Iran-flagged tanker passed the Suez Canal, reportedly bound for Venezuela with a shipment of refined fuel. Despite having the largest proven oil reserves in the world, Venezuela's refining capacity has been damaged by the U.S. embargo, greatly hindering its economy US officials have claimed that Venezuela has begun to purchase fuel from Iran directly with gold, thereby bypassing U.S. controlled imperialist trade mechanisms. | Four additional Iran-flagged tankers loaded with refined fue…