Monthly Archives: May 2020

2020-05-20: News Headlines

Peoples Dispatch (2020-05-20). Venezuela invasion bid: US denial on its role is not credible. peoplesdispatch.org Can we believe the claims of the US administration that it had no involvement in the most recent Venezuelan invasion attempt? Anya Parampil of The Grayzone tells more.

Gloria Rubac (2020-05-20). Political Prisoners Teach-In: 'Greetings from Texas, death penalty capital'. workers.org These slightly edited remarks were given April 24 at the "U.S. Empire vs. Political Prisoners" webinar teach-in sponsored by Mobilization4Mumia and held in honor of the 66th birthday of political prisoner and revolutionary Mumia Abu-Jamal, incarcerated for 39 years by the U.S. state. By Gloria Rubac Greetings from the state . . . |

Misión Verdad (2020-05-19). Genocide and military occupation: The five most important keys of the agreement executed between Guaidó and Silvercorp. peoplesdispatch.org Analysis by Misión Verdad of the contract between Silvercorp and the Venezuelan opposition which lays out their plan to overthrow Maduro and install a military occupation…

Emile Schepers (2020-05-19). Trump deportation frenzy threatens the lives of thousands. peoplesworld.org The hostility of President Donald Trump and his entourage toward immigrants from the poorer countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean has long been notorious. It is at the root of a whole series of repressive policies aimed at those communities, including mass deportation and the horror of "children in cages" at the …

Media Lens (2020-05-19). An Illusion of Protection: The Pandemic, the "Criminal" Government and Public Distrust of the Media. dissidentvoice.org Any notion that the UK government actually considers that its primary responsibility is to protect the health and security of the country's population ought to have been demolished in 2020. The appalling death toll that continues to mount during the coronavirus pandemic is largely rooted, not merely in government 'incompetence', but in criminal dereliction of …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-05-19). Mismanagement of pandemic by Haitian President Jovenel MoàØse fuels latest protests demanding his resignation. peoplesdispatch.org In response to the anti-government demonstrations, the Haitian National Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd and arrested many social leaders…

Bill Van Auken (2020-05-19). Washington Places Cuba and Venezuela on "Terror" List. globalresearch.ca Less than two weeks after an abortive mercenary invasion aimed at overthrowing Venezuela's government and murdering its president that was hatched by the Trump White House, the US State Department on Wednesday renewed it classification of the country as "not …

Rà§ikkà∂nen K, Gissler M, Kajantie E. (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.

Walensky RP, del Rio C. (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.

Joe Emersberger (2020-05-18). Disgraceful yet illuminating reactions to the 2002 coup that briefly ousted Hugo Chavez: IACHR, CPJ and RSF. zcomm.org The Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) The IACHR claimed in 2009 report on Venezuela that its reaction to the "the attempted coup d'état [of 2002] was immediate and decisive" and that it "warned that these acts constituted an interruption of the constitutional order as defined in the Democratic Charter." The evidence it offered

Lucas Koerner (2020-05-18). Iran Sends Fuel Tankers to Venezuela, Vows 'Decisive Response' to US Threats. venezuelanalysis.com Crippling US sanctions have caused severe fuel shortages in the Caribbean nation.

Paul Dobson (2020-05-18). Venezuela Sees COVID-19 Surge as Returning Migrants Surpass 40,000. venezuelanalysis.com Authorities say that 75 percent of recent cases have been "imported."

Joe Emersberger (2020-05-17). Attempts to whitewash the military coup of April 2002 in Venezuela. zcomm.org Given the overwhelming support opposition voices have been given in western media since Hugo Chavez was first elected in 1998, it is unsurprising that some would have had the audacity to attempt at least a partial whitewash of what the opposition and its foreign allies did in April of 2002. I'll address some of those

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2020-05-17). Venezuela: Guaido's Leadership in Question Following Failed Coup Attempt. venezuelanalysis.com A letter from Silvercorp's lawyers demanding payment has cast doubt on Guaido's denials of involvement in a recent paramilitary operation.

Gary L Ross (2020-05-17). [Letter] Clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients undergoing surgeries during the incubation period of COVID-19 infection. What are the implications for the commencement of elective surgery? thelancet.com

news.un (2020-05-15). FROM THE FIELD: Venezuelan refugee counsellor hears 'pain, anger and frustration'. news.un.org A Venezuelan psychologist who moved to Peru as a refugee, has been telling the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, about the "pain, anger and frustration" that has been expressed by fellow displaced and local people he has counselled.

Staff (2020-05-14). Who's Fighting The War Against Cash? therealnews.com Mastercard, Visa, and Bill Gates are all pushing for polices to make it harder to use cash, hoping to keep closer tabs on the population through the trail of electronic transactions.

Ricardo Vaz (2020-05-13). [UPDATED] Venezuelan Oil Sector Continues Slump Amid Pandemic, US Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com The Maduro government is working to repair refineries with Chinese and Iranian assistance to tackle fuel shortages.

Matt Sedlar (2020-05-13). El ministerio de las Colonias estadounidenses. cepr.net Le Monde diplomatique en español, mayo de 2020 Ver artículo en sitio original Creada en 1948, en el marco del enfrentamiento entre Estados Unidos y la Unión Soviética (URSS), la Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA) constituye uno de los instrumentos de la proyección geopolítica de Washington en América Latina y los Estados del Caribe, …

Alan MacLeod (2020-05-11). Guaidó's mercenary hit contract on Venezuela's Maduro mirrors official US bounty, authorizes death squad killings. thegrayzone.com The leaked contract between Juan Guaidó and the Silvercorp USA mercenary firm closely resembles a DEA bounty placed on the…

Zero Hedge (2020-05-18). US Headed For Another 'Tanker War' With Iran — This Time Off Venezuela's Coast. iranian.com Iranian state TV has announced at least five least five Iranian-flagged tankers are transporting fuel to Venezuela through the Atlantic Ocean and plan to break the American blockade on the Latin American country. Iran has warned that any US attempt at intercepting its fuel tankers "would have serious repercussions for the Trump administration ahead of the November elections." State-funded PressTV underscores that "Iran is shipping …

Press TV (2020-05-18). US unable to block Iran gasoline shipments to Venezuela: Source. iranian.com A senior source within the Iranian petroleum industry says the United States would be practically unable to block shipments of gasoline from Iran to Venezuela at a time the two countries need to cooperate to mitigate the impacts of American sanctions on their energy sectors. Hamid Hosseini, who serves as the spokesman of the Iranian …

M. K. Bhadrakumar (2020-05-15). Russia makes a botch of its Syrian alliance. iranian.com Russia's relationships with its client states have never been easy. Of course, managing client states is always a complicated exercise. The Kremlin's cupboard is full of skeletons — Hungary (1956), Czechoslovakia (1968), Cuba (1962), Afghanistan (1980), Ukraine (2014) and so on. What complicates Russia's relationship with Syria is that two strong-willed, highly self-opinionated leaders are also …

Sputnik News (2020-05-15). Iranian Warns US Acts Over Venezuela Fuel Shipments Will Not 'Go Without Repercussion'. iranian.com An Iranian news agency has warned the US against taking action against several Iranian-flagged tankers transporting fuel to Venezuela, as Washington has threatened. "If the United States, just like pirates, intends to create insecurity on international waterways, it would be taking a dangerous risk and that will certainly not go without repercussion," Iran's Nour News …

Staff (2020-05-15). "The Wuhan of the Americas": U.S. Deports COVID-19-Positive Immigrants to Haiti & Guatemala. democracynow.org The United States continues to deport thousands during the coronavirus pandemic, causing a dangerous spread of COVID-19 to Central America and the Caribbean. We speak with Haitian American novelist Edwidge Danticat, who says "U.S. deportations to Haiti during coronavirus pandemic are 'unconscionable,'" and go to Guatemala City for an update from reporter José Alejandro García Escobar.

Staff (2020-05-12). "Losing the Fabric of the City": COVID-19 Took Chicago Black Lives First & Exposed Structural Racism. democracynow.org We look at the coronavirus pandemic's disproportionate toll on African Americans through the story of Chicago's first 100 recorded deaths. A report by ProPublica found that 70 of the first 100 people to die were African American. Black people account for 30% of Chicago's population and 72% of COVID-19 deaths. We speak with ProPublica reporter Adriana Gallardo, who contributed to the report "COVID-19 Took Black Lives First. It Didn't Have To." She says the story paints a picture of "sophisticated structural racism" in Chicago.

Adam Tooze (2020-05-20). The Forgotten History of the Financial Crisis. indybay.org In the United States between late 2008 and early 2009, 800,000 people were losing their jobs every month. By 2015, over nine million American families would lose their homes to foreclosure—the largest forced population movement in the United States since the Dust Bowl.

John McEvoy (2020-05-19). "I was outraged": Venezuelan foreign minister responds to secretive British 'reconstruction' plans. thecanary.co On 13 May, The Canary

RT (2020-05-20). Was Maduro the 'jackpot'? Former US Green Berets reveal new details of botched Venezuela coup in interrogation tapes. rt.com Detained US ex-soldiers said they were tasked with securing an airfield in Venezuela in order to put President Nicolas Maduro on a plane after toppling him. The men were charged with plotting a coup against the government. | Venezuelan state TV has aired new interrogation tapes of the two former US Green Berets charged with participating in failed plot to oust Maduro. | American national Luke Denman told an interrogator that Jordan Goudreau, a US special forces veteran and founder of private security firm Silvercorp USA, had proposed that he take part in removing Maduro from power between late November and ear…

sputniknews (2020-05-20). 'Wiretapping Entire Populations': Whistleblower Slams Apple's 'Lack of Action' on Privacy Issues. sputniknews.com Exposés on Apple's sharing of users' Siri recordings with third parties in 2019 prompted the tech giant to pledge changes to how data obtained from the devices is used and stored, underscoring that "privacy is a fundamental human right."

Staff (2020-05-11). Headlines for May 11, 2020. democracynow.org COVID-19 Cases Mount as States Reopen Economies, NY Investigating Deaths of at Least 3 Children Linked to COVID-19, Bronx Hospital Investigating Nurse Who Shared Video of Medical Staff Speaking Out About Lack of PPE, Cheyenne River Sioux Defies South Dakota Order to Remove Coronavirus Checkpoints, Another COVID-19 Case Confirmed at White House as Barack Obama Blasts Trump's "Chaotic" Response, Hunger-Striking Immigrant Women Released from California Prison, U.S. Continues to Deport Haitian Immigrants, Including Those with COVID-19 Infections, WSJ: Trump Planning to Ban H-1B Visas, Three Prisoners Die at Chino Fac…

Paul Dobson (2020-05-11). Western Venezuela Rocked by Rolling Blackouts. venezuelanalysis.com Low water levels at hydroelectric dams, "terrorist sabotage" and damaged infrastructure have been blamed for the power cuts.

Ricardo Vaz (2020-05-10). [UPDATED] Venezuela Makes Fresh Arrests as Opposition Splinters over Failed Coup. venezuelanalysis.com Trump said the operation "was not a good attack," again denying any US involvement.

Anya Parampil (2020-05-08). Silvercorp co-founder speaks with The Grayzone: What did State Department know about failed Venezuela invasion? thegrayzone.com The Grayzone speaks to Drew White — a close friend and business partner of Silvercorp mercenary firm founder and failed…

Ricardo Vaz and Lucas Koerner (2020-05-07). US Investigating Ex-Green Beret, Denies 'Direct' Involvement in Failed Venezuela Coup. venezuelanalysis.com New documents confirm that the Venezuelan opposition signed a contract with Florida-based Silvercorp to kidnap President Nicolas Maduro.

Ryan Cristián (2020-05-06). A Massive "COVID-19" Cover Up Is Underway & 'US Mercenaries' Caught In Venezuelan Coup Attempt. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (5/5/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Ryan Cristián (2020-05-06). Horrifying Glimpse Into How DARPA Will "Save" You From COVID-19 & Venezuela Coup Tied Back To Trump. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (5/6/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Nic de la Riva (2020-05-05). Paramilitary invasions in Venezuela: Made in USA. liberationnews.org Attempted invasion taken care of swiftly and efficiently by the Venezuelan government.

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2020-05-05). Venezuela: Two US Citizens Captured in Botched Coup Attempt. venezuelanalysis.com Two former green berets were arrested in a second failed assault on Venezuelan shores on Monday.

Alberto E Paniz-Mondolfi, Emilia M Sordillo, Marilianna C Márquez-Colmenarez, Lourdes A Delgado-Noguera, Alfonso J Rodriguez-Morales (2020-05-04). [Correspondence] The arrival of SARS-CoV-2 in Venezuela. thelancet.com We read with interest the World Report about the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Venezuelan migrants.1 We concur wholeheartedly that the COVID-19 pandemic will have a negative impact on Venezuelans who have taken refuge in neighbouring countries.

Paul Dobson (2020-05-04). Venezuela: 45 Killed in Guanare Prison Riot. venezuelanalysis.com The government pledged to investigate the May 1 riot, which it described as an attempted breakout.

Ricardo Vaz (2020-05-03). Venezuelan Armed Forces: Paramilitary Incursion Neutralized. venezuelanalysis.com Former US green beret Jordan Goudreau, reported to have led preparations for a coup, confirmed the operation.

Joe Emersberger (2020-05-02). Remembering Henri Falcon's May 2018 Presidential campaign in Venezuela. zcomm.org Henri Falcon was a viable candidate — attacked by his own side Venezuela's opposition had a viable candidate in Henri Falcon, a two-time governor of the state of Lara. He was first elected governor of the state of Lara in 2008 as a pro-Chavez candidate.[1] He broke with Chavez in 2010 and was then re-elected

Lucas Koerner (2020-05-02). Former US Special Ops Soldier Led Plot to Invade Venezuela: Sources. venezuelanalysis.com AP reports that the Venezuelan opposition and Colombian authorities were aware of the plan.

Anderson TS, Odden M, Penko J, et al. (2020-05-01). Generalizability of Clinical Trials Supporting the 2017 ACA/AHA Blood Pressure Guideline. jamanetwork.com This study uses National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data to evaluate whether patients enrolled in the clinical trials that support the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guideline are representative of the US adult population recommended additional pharmacotherapy by the ACC/AHA guideline.

Kunst N, Long JB, Xu X, et al. (2020-05-01). Use and Costs of Breast Cancer Screening for Women in Their 40s in a US Population With Private Insurance. jamanetwork.com This study uses Blue Cross Blue Shield Axis data to examine the total annual cost of breast cancer screening for women aged 40 through 49 years in the United States.

Ricardo Vaz and Lucas Koerner (2020-04-30). US to Mobilize Military Reservists in 'Anti-Drug' Operation Against Venezuela. venezuelanalysis.com The Trump administration is also targeting oil-for-food deals involving the Venezuelan government and Mexican companies.

Venezuelanalysis (2020-04-27). Venezuela Rolls out Cabinet Change, Economic Measures to Combat Inflation. venezuelanalysis.com Measures include a 60 percent wage increase and a push to bring food prices under control.

Lucas Koerner (2020-04-23). Venezuela: Guaido to Use Funds Frozen in US to Pay Loyalists $5000 Monthly Salaries. venezuelanalysis.com Pro-Guaido lawmakers and diplomats will take nearly a third of an $80 million "Liberation Fund."

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2020-04-22). Trump Administration Orders Chevron to Shutter Venezuela Operations. venezuelanalysis.com The latest measures followed reports of fresh dialogue between the government and the opposition.

2020-05-19: News Headlines

Emile Schepers (2020-05-19). Trump deportation frenzy threatens the lives of thousands. peoplesworld.org The hostility of President Donald Trump and his entourage toward immigrants from the poorer countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean has long been notorious. It is at the root of a whole series of repressive policies aimed at those communities, including mass deportation and the horror of "children in cages" at the …

Media Lens (2020-05-19). An Illusion Of Protection: The Pandemic, The "Criminal" Government And Public Distrust of The Media. dissidentvoice.org Any notion that the UK government actually considers that its primary responsibility is to protect the health and security of the country's population ought to have been demolished in 2020. The appalling death toll that continues to mount during the coronavirus pandemic is largely rooted, not merely in government 'incompetence', but in criminal dereliction of …

WSWS (2020-05-19). Cruise ship workers take action in defiance of company threats. wsws.org Crew members on board the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's (RCCL) Majesty of the Seas staged a protest Friday on the upper deck of the ship, demanding answers from the captain as to when they would be sent home.

Bill Van Auken (2020-05-19). Washington Places Cuba and Venezuela on "Terror" List. globalresearch.ca Less than two weeks after an abortive mercenary invasion aimed at overthrowing Venezuela's government and murdering its president that was hatched by the Trump White House, the US State Department on Wednesday renewed it classification of the country as "not …

WSWS (2020-05-19). Trump official blames high US coronavirus death toll on the diversity that "unfortunately" exists in the population. wsws.org The fascistic comment is the latest attempt by the Trump administration to find an excuse for its catastrophic performance in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yves Engler (2020-05-18). Ottawa's Ties with Far Right Colombian President Undermines Human Rights Rhetoric Regarding Venezuela. globalresearch.ca A week ago a former Canadian soldier instigated a harebrained bid to kidnap or kill Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Launched from Colombia, the plot failed spectacularly with most of the men captured or killed. | Still, the leader of the …

Joe Emersberger (2020-05-18). Disgraceful yet illuminating reactions to the 2002 coup that briefly ousted Hugo Chavez: IACHR, CPJ and RSF. zcomm.org The Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) The IACHR claimed in 2009 report on Venezuela that its reaction to the "the attempted coup d'état [of 2002] was immediate and decisive" and that it "warned that these acts constituted an interruption of the constitutional order as defined in the Democratic Charter." The evidence it offered

Phyllis Bennis (2020-05-18). Sanctions in the Era of Pandemic. zcomm.org From Venezuela to Iran, Washington's illegal and inhumane economic sanctions are putting millions of lives at risk…

Lucas Koerner (2020-05-18). Iran Sends Fuel Tankers to Venezuela, Vows 'Decisive Response' to US Threats. venezuelanalysis.com Crippling US sanctions have caused severe fuel shortages in the Caribbean nation.

Eds. (2020-05-18). Freedom Rider: New attacks on Venezuela. mronline.org The Democratic Party's "left" wing is mute on the latest US aggression against the people and government of Venezuela, thus giving assent to Trump by their silence.

Raúl Capote (2020-05-18). Attack on Cuban Embassy in Washington Brings Complicit Silence From U.S. Government. globalresearch.ca Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla discussed the April 30 attack on the country's embassy in Washington with the press yesterday, stating: "Here is the attacker, an AK-47 rifle, 32 shell casings, 32 bullet holes and a statement — by …

WSWS (2020-05-18). Even as death toll climbs, Indonesian government urges workers under 45 to resume work. wsws.org Indonesian epidemiologists have warned that a return to work will dramatically increase transmission of the virus and put the entire population, regardless of age, at extreme risk.

Paul Dobson (2020-05-18). Venezuela Sees COVID-19 Surge as Returning Migrants Surpass 40,000. venezuelanalysis.com Authorities say that 75 percent of recent cases have been "imported."

Patricio Zamorano (2020-05-18). Guaido Was the 'Commander in Chief' of the Failed Mercenary Operation Against Venezuela. globalresearch.ca New information divulged this week reveals that Juan Guaidó was designated as "commander and chief" of the mercenary operation that completely unraveled on the shores of Venezuela. The 41 page contract that formed the basis of the already known eight …

Steve Sweeney (2020-05-18). Britain Warned Against 'Coup-mongering' in Venezuela After Embassy Discovery. globalresearch.ca Venezuela has warned Britain against "coup-mongering" after the discovery of a "Venezuelan reconstruction unit" in the Foreign Office. | Demanding an urgent explanation, Foreign Minister Jorge Arreeaza lodged a formal complaint with ambassador Duncan Hill, who the minister said confirmed …

Joe Emersberger (2020-05-17). Attempts to whitewash the military coup of April 2002 in Venezuela. zcomm.org Given the overwhelming support opposition voices have been given in western media since Hugo Chavez was first elected in 1998, it is unsurprising that some would have had the audacity to attempt at least a partial whitewash of what the opposition and its foreign allies did in April of 2002. I'll address some of those

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2020-05-17). Venezuela: Guaido's Leadership in Question Following Failed Coup Attempt. venezuelanalysis.com A letter from Silvercorp's lawyers demanding payment has cast doubt on Guaido's denials of involvement in a recent paramilitary operation.

Gary L Ross (2020-05-17). [Letter] Clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients undergoing surgeries during the incubation period of COVID-19 infection. What are the implications for the commencement of elective surgery? thelancet.com

Rania Khalek (2020-05-16). Rania & Anya Show: Venezuela invasion, Bolivia coup, China conspiracies w/ Wyatt Reed. thealtworld.com Rania Khalek and Anya Parampil discuss the attempted mercenary invasion of Venezuela, conspiracies about China and Covid-19, and the aftermath of the US-backed military coup against Bolivia's democratically elected government, with journalist Wyatt Reed, who was on the ground in Bolivia reporting on the violent repression.

Gabriella N. Báez, The Nation, Magnum Foundation (2020-05-18). Puerto Rico's Sex Workers Are Struggling to Survive. thenation.com Gabriella N. Báez, The Nation, Magnum Foundation Puerto Rico's Sex Workers Are Struggling to Survive…

The Canary (2020-05-16). Wild white storks hatch in UK for first time in centuries. thecanary.co White stork chicks have hatched in the wild in the UK for the first time in centuries.Eggs in one of three nests at the Knepp Estate in West Sussex have hatched, the White Stork Project announced.Observers watched as the parents incubated the nest of five eggs located in an oak tree.They were seen removing eggshells from the nest and later regurgitating food for the chicks.It comes after the same pair of white storks unsuccessfully tried to breed at Knepp last year.Lucy Groves, project officer for the White Stork Project, said it was the first time in hundreds of years that wild white stork chicks have hatched in…

Global Research News (2020-05-18). Selected Articles: Who Is Behind the Failed Invasion of Venezuela? globalresearch.ca Lying is a money making activity and lies are commodities. There is a profitable global market for media and public figures committed to spreading disinformation. | Needless to say, "Telling the Truth", on the other hand, Is Not a Money-Making Proposition. …

Zero Hedge (2020-05-18). US Headed For Another 'Tanker War' With Iran — This Time Off Venezuela's Coast. iranian.com Iranian state TV has announced at least five least five Iranian-flagged tankers are transporting fuel to Venezuela through the Atlantic Ocean and plan to break the American blockade on the Latin American country. Iran has warned that any US attempt at intercepting its fuel tankers "would have serious repercussions for the Trump administration ahead of the November elections." State-funded PressTV underscores that "Iran is shipping …

Press TV (2020-05-18). US unable to block Iran gasoline shipments to Venezuela: Source. iranian.com A senior source within the Iranian petroleum industry says the United States would be practically unable to block shipments of gasoline from Iran to Venezuela at a time the two countries need to cooperate to mitigate the impacts of American sanctions on their energy sectors. Hamid Hosseini, who serves as the spokesman of the Iranian …

John McEvoy (2020-05-19). "I was outraged": Venezuelan foreign minister responds to secretive British 'reconstruction' plans. thecanary.co On 13 May, The Canary

RT (2020-05-18). Saudi-backed Yemen's govt accuses Houthis of covering up coronavirus outbreak, calls for global assistance. rt.com Yemen's Saudi-backed government accused the Houthi movement of covering up a big outbreak of coronavirus in areas it holds. The Aden-based government also called for urgent global assistance to help Yemen's war-ravaged health sector deal with Covid-19, Reuters said. | The United Nations warned that the country could suffer a "catastrophic" food security situation due to the pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) says the virus is spreading undetected among the population in the country, control of which is divided between the government in the south and the Houthi group in the north. | The government ha…

RT (2020-05-18). Personal pods, 'bumper tables' & pool noodle hats? Inventive 'social distancing' enforcers ensure New Normal is anything but. rt.com As populations emerge from Covid-19 lockdown, businesses are scrambling to comply with the onerous social-distancing regulations still in place, deploying everything from repurposed pool noodles to hula hoops to keep people apart. | Schools and 'non-essential' businesses like restaurants and bars are preparing to reopen after lengthy lockdowns, but many governments are insisting on the need for continued "social distancing" – keeping people six feet apart at all times to prevent the spread of Covid-19. After months all but trapped in their homes, many people want nothing more than human contact. How to prevent…

sputniknews (2020-05-18). Coronavirus; US Election; Venezuela. sputniknews.com Join George Galloway on the new home for the Mother of All Talk Shows – this week we talk all about coronavirus and US election…

yenisafak (2020-05-19). Iran's fuel shipments to Venezuela face US threat. yenisafak.com In a symbolic defiance to US sanctions, Iran has sent fuel shipments to Venezuela in a move that seems to be fraught with danger. | Five Iranian super-tankers carrying gasoline and other similar products, estimated to be worth $45.5 million, have sailed towards Venezuela, an ally of Tehran and adversary of Washington. | The tankers embarked on the long journey to Venezuela from Iran's coastal city of Bandar Abbas in the Persian Gulf region and traveled around the Arabian Peninsula through the Suez Canal before entering the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, according to data gathered from the ship's Automatic Iden…

yenisafak (2020-05-18). Bangladesh may see coronavirus peak next week: Experts. yenisafak.com As the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus continues to rise in Bangladesh, experts say the South Asian nation may see a peak in infections in the next two weeks. The country on Monday registered 1,602 new infections of COVID-19, with 21 deaths, marking the single day record in the country of around 165 million population."Bangladesh may see a peak in COVID-19 cases in next two weeks or so," said Dr. Bijon Kumar Sil, leader of a Bangladeshi research team at Gonoshasthaya Kendra Hospital that invented a $3 test kit that can detect the coronavirus in less than 15 minutes.Since the first positive case…

John McEvoy (2020-05-16). Venezuela calls on UK government to 'abandon coup-mongering plans' after The Canary's investigation. thecanary.co Following an investigation by The Canary, the Venezuelan government has Venezuela Reconstruction Unit: | On 13 May, The Canary

Staff (2020-05-15). "The Wuhan of the Americas": U.S. Deports COVID-19-Positive Immigrants to Haiti & Guatemala. democracynow.org The United States continues to deport thousands during the coronavirus pandemic, causing a dangerous spread of COVID-19 to Central America and the Caribbean. We speak with Haitian American novelist Edwidge Danticat, who says "U.S. deportations to Haiti during coronavirus pandemic are 'unconscionable,'" and go to Guatemala City for an update from reporter José Alejandro García Escobar.

M. K. Bhadrakumar (2020-05-15). Russia makes a botch of its Syrian alliance. iranian.com Russia's relationships with its client states have never been easy. Of course, managing client states is always a complicated exercise. The Kremlin's cupboard is full of skeletons — Hungary (1956), Czechoslovakia (1968), Cuba (1962), Afghanistan (1980), Ukraine (2014) and so on. What complicates Russia's relationship with Syria is that two strong-willed, highly self-opinionated leaders are also …

A. Majumdar (2020-05-15). PDF download of May 14 issue. workers.org Download entire 12-page PDF here. Justice for Ahmaud Arbery. Kent State and Jackson State. Also: COVID‚Äë19: capitalism's end stage; workers resist. Editorial: Changing narrative in Michigan. World: China, Vietnam, Haiti, Ecuador. Tear down prisons: victory in PA; San Quentin caravan; No cages for migrants; Global prisons & white supremacy; Solidarity . . . |

Patricio Zamorano (2020-05-15). Guaidó and the Failed Military Operation Against Venezuela: a Story of Betrayal and Financial Corruption. counterpunch.org Now that we have had a few days to study the failed, illegal paramilitary incursion by a group of American and Venezuelan mercenaries into Venezuela, some key details have emerged in this incredible story. They reveal the internal dynamics of the fractured, demoralized, and financially corrupt nature of the hardline sectors of the opposition. Much

RT (2020-05-15). Define 'distribute'! Trump mobilizing MILITARY to deliver Covid-19 vaccine 'assuming we get it,' sparks conspiracy frenzy. rt.com US President Donald Trump said the military is gearing up to distribute a coronavirus vaccine when one is ready, unleashing a torrent of takes from conspiracy-minded netizens, many sounding alarms over mandatory inoculations. | American GIs are already being mobilized to parcel out a future vaccine to "most of the population," Trump told Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo in an interview on Thursday, giving a highly optimistic end-of-the-year time frame even as many experts suggest a remedy won't be ready for mass distribution for another 12 to 18 months. | "We're mobilizing our military on the basis that we do hav…

news.un (2020-05-15). FROM THE FIELD: Venezuelan refugee counsellor hears 'pain, anger and frustration'. news.un.org A Venezuelan psychologist who moved to Peru as a refugee, has been telling the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, about the "pain, anger and frustration" that has been expressed by fellow displaced and local people he has counselled.

Sputnik News (2020-05-15). Iranian Warns US Acts Over Venezuela Fuel Shipments Will Not 'Go Without Repercussion'. iranian.com An Iranian news agency has warned the US against taking action against several Iranian-flagged tankers transporting fuel to Venezuela, as Washington has threatened. "If the United States, just like pirates, intends to create insecurity on international waterways, it would be taking a dangerous risk and that will certainly not go without repercussion," Iran's Nour News …