2020-05-05: News Headlines

South Front (2020-05-05). Video: ISIS Rears Its Ugly Head in Southern Syria and Central Iraq. globalresearch.ca Tensions between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Syrian Army are growing in southern Idlib. Recently, government forces repeatedly shelled positions of the terrorist groups in the Zawiya Mountain area. The most intense shelling targeted Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorists near Fatterah …

The Canary (2020-05-05). Headteachers say low staff numbers and lack of PPE could make it hard to reopen. thecanary.co The majority of headteachers say reduced staff numbers, an inability to implement social distancing measures and a lack of PPE could make it hard for schools to reopen to more pupils.The government should improve its guidance on social distancing, and provide the scientific evidence for pupils returning to class, as "prerequisites" to schools reopening, heads say.Parents will not have the confidence to send their children back to class if schools are not given enough time to prepare, the leader of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has warned.More than one in four (29%) heads do not believe it will…

RT (2020-05-05). A new strain has come: Meet Spike D614G, the new & improved coronavirus. rt.com Fears that the coronavirus would mutate into a more dangerous strain appear to have been borne out, as research has identified that a new, more contagious strain of SARS-CoV-2 has become the dominant form worldwide. | The new strain, which has been dubbed 'Spike D614G' has been proliferating in Europe since at least mid-February, and spread to become the dominant form during the month of March. It is far more contagious than the original strain which emerged from Wuhan, for reasons as yet unknown. | Wherever it emerged it became dominant very quickly, and in some countries it became the only common strain with…

RT (2020-05-05). Alien life could thrive on hydrogen worlds says new study, forcing rethink of how we hunt for ET. rt.com New research indicates that organic life could thrive on planets with hydrogen-dense atmospheres, throwing the search for extraterrestrial life wide open, just as the next generation of space telescopes comes online. | Astronomer Sara Seager, professor of Planetary Science, Physics, and Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT, is wary of our "terra-centric" view of life and wanted to explore what other kinds of habitats beyond Earth might foster life — just not necessarily oxygen-dependent, carbon-based life as we know it. | We already know of organisms — such as methanogens — here on Earth which th…

RT (2020-05-05). 'Not surprising' earlier Covid-19 cases from December reported, more early cases possible — WHO. rt.com Reports that the first cases of Covid-19 in France could have occurred a month earlier than official figures suggest are "not surprising," the World Health Organization (WHO) has said. | The WHO said on Tuesday it's possible that more early cases will now emerge after researchers concluded that the first infection in France was in late December and not January or February, which was originally thought. | French media reported that the Avicenne Hospital in Bobigny re-analyzed negative tests on people who were admitted and diagnosed with pneumonia in December. Of the 24 patients, one came back positive for Covid…

RT (2020-05-05). Russia's lead spacecraft designer & architect of ISS modules dies due to Covid-19. rt.com Yevgeny Mikrin, a top scientist behind Russia's manned spaceflight program and a contributor to the International Space Station designs, succumbed to the coronavirus in a Moscow hospital, the Academy of Sciences said. | Mikrin, who was due to turn 65 this year, has passed away "in the prime of life," President of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) Alexander Sergeev told the media on Tuesday, calling him an "outstanding scholar" and "a very bright man." | The scientist, who served as a chief designer for Russia's famed corporation Energia — founded by the forefather of the Soviet space program, Sergey K…

The Canary (2020-05-05). UK officially surpasses Italy death toll as experts warn comparing countries is difficult. thecanary.co The UK has passed Italy as the country with the most Covid-19 deaths in Europe, new figures show — but academics have warned that cross-country comparisons are "difficult".The latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that 29,710 deaths involving Covid-19 in England and Wales had been registered up to 2 May.Together with the latest equivalent numbers for Scotland (2,272 deaths registered up to 26 April) and Northern Ireland (393 deaths registered up to 29 April), it means a total of 32,375 deaths involving Covid-19 have now been registered across the UK.The official number of Covid-19 d…

Deirdre Griswold (2020-05-05). What the statistics reveal about Trump, China and the virus. workers.org May 4 — The Trump administration is trying to deflect anger at its dangerously neglectful attitude toward the COVID-19 pandemic by blaming China. No surprise there. Hikers observing COVID-19 social distancing and masking precautions on the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall on May Day, the beginning of a five-day . . . |

Andrew Korybko (2020-05-05). Putin Didn't Disappear: Russia's Ongoing Decentralization Process. globalresearch.ca The Western Mainstream Media's aggressively propagated infowar narrative that President Putin "disappeared" and is "paralyzed" in the face of World War C is factually false because it ignores the Russian leader's regular video conferences with various officials that are widely …

Staff (2020-05-05). Headlines for May 5, 2020. democracynow.org Dire Forecasts Warn U.S. Death Toll Could Surge in Coming Weeks as States Move to Relax Restrictions, China Rebukes Trump Admin Claim That Coronavirus Was Man-Made, Report Says Brooklyn Jail Destroying Medical Records to Hide Toll of COVID-19, J. Crew Files for Bankruptcy, Betsy DeVos Sued for Garnishing Wages of Student Loan Holders During Pandemic, EU, World Leaders Pledge Billions to Fund Coronavirus Vaccine; U.S. Sits Out, Questions Raised After 3 Healthcare Workers in Russia Fall from Hospital Windows, U.K. May Have Second-Highest Coronavirus Death Toll; France Identifies COVID-19 Case from December, Venezue…

Peter Koenig (2020-05-05). WHO's Integrity Increasingly Questioned. Skepticism? globalresearch.ca Russian NTV: Donald Trump refused to Fund WHO. There are more and more people in the world who are skeptical of the organization. Does this skepticism have any Foundation? | Peter Koenig: Yes, it is true, and yes it does. WHO's …

Rep. Ron Paul (2020-05-05). The Federal Reserve: More Lethal Than Coronavirus. globalresearch.ca Last week the Federal Reserve announced it will keep interest rates at or near zero until the economy recovers from the government-imposed shutdown. Following this announcement, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell urged Congress and the Trump administration to put aside …

Dave DeCamp (2020-05-05). OPCW Insiders Denounce Latest Syria Report. globalresearch.ca Over the past year, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has been quietly facing a crisis of credibility. The crisis started when whistleblowers within the organization shared information that contradicted the findings of an OPCW investigation into …

Finn Andreen (2020-05-05). Economic Cataclysm: Politicians Have Destroyed Markets and Ignored Human Rights with Alarming Enthusiasm. globalresearch.ca An economic cataclysm has been unleashed upon the world by Western politicians and bureaucrats. Unbelievably, economic activity in the West has slowed to a creep, as entire populations have been confined to their homes for weeks, if not months. As …

imperial.ac.uk (2020-05-05). Team of experts put forward a sustainable approach to coronavirus recovery. imperial.ac.uk Researchers from the UK's top universities have found that climate-friendly investment policies are the best medicine for a failing economy.

Sundance (2020-05-05). The Ministry of COVID-Compliance Reminder. globalresearch.ca The Ministry of Covid Compliance is reminding us this week how the virus has a genetic targeting mechanism able to differentiate between essential cans of vegetables, bottles of liquor, lottery tickets and non-essential products like sneakers and paint. Thus the …

Shane Quinn (2020-05-05). 75 Years Ago: Nazi Germany Lies in Rubble and How the Wehrmacht's Ultimate Defeat Came About. globalresearch.ca Three-quarters of a century ago the Third Reich lay in ruins, its ruler Adolf Hitler dead, having shot himself in the right temple with his 7.65mm pistol on 30 April 1945. Hitler had refused to leave Berlin over previous days, …

The Canary (2020-05-05). Just 22% of carers needing a Covid-19 test can get one, research says. thecanary.co Just 22% of social care workers considered a priority for a Covid-19 test have been able to access one, research by a body representing the sector has found. | A survey by the National Care Forum (NCF) found that out of a sample of 31,262 care staff, 6,469 were in urgent need of testing due to having symptoms of the virus. | But despite a government pledge made on 15 April that all frontline care workers in need of a test should have one, only 1,463 — or 22% — had received one. | In its Social Care Action Plan, the government claimed: "There is now capacity available for every social care worker who n…

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2020-05-05). Pandemic Revisionism: The George W. Bush Whitewash. globalresearch.ca "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful. And so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people. And neither do we." — President George W. Bush, Aug. 5, 2004 | Hatred is disorientating, and …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-05). Physicians, scientists and physician-scientists connect dots between heart disease, potential for worse COVID-19 outcomes. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org ROCHESTER, Minn. ? People with certain heart diseases may be more susceptible to worse outcomes with COVID-19, but the reason why has remained unknown. New research from Mayo Clinic indicates that in patients with one specific type of heart disease ? obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) ? the heart increases production of the ACE2 RNA transcript …

Adam Ramsay (2020-05-05). Thousands at risk from COVID-19 in 'dangerous' UK call centres. zcomm.org Labour and Lib Dems urge government to stop firms playing 'Russian roulette' with workers' lives — as 'harrowing stories' emerge from new research…

Alan Hope (2020-05-05). Health Workers Call for Caution Over 5G Roll-out. globalresearch.ca Some 400 doctors and 900 health care workers have signed The …

Samson Atekojo Usman (2020-05-05). Compulsory Vaccination in Africa: Bill Gates Allegedly Offered Nigeria House of Representatives $10 Million Bribe for Speedy Passage of Compulsory Vaccine Bill: CUPP Opposition Party. globalresearch.ca This article is based on a statement yet to be confirmed of Nigeria's opposition party CUPP. | Compulsory vaccination in Africa's most populated country would set the stage for a vaccination program for the entire continent. | *** | The Coalition of United …

Robert F. Kennedy Jr (2020-05-05). Video: Robert F Kennedy Jr "The Rest of the Story" Statement on Vaccines (Oct 2015). globalresearch.ca Our good friend, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom we affectionately call "Bobby," was invited by Minister Louis Farrakhan to speak at the Million Man March Anniversary in October 2015. This is a clip of his complete message warning us …

imperial.ac.uk (2020-05-05). New report models Italy's potential exit strategy from COVID-19 lockdown. imperial.ac.uk Imperial researchers have analysed the likely impact of easing lockdown measures in Italy and the impact on transmission of coronavirus.

James J. Zogby (2020-05-05). 100 Years After San Remo and the Denial of Arab Rights Continues. globalresearch.ca It was appropriate that during the week in which we commemorated the 100th anniversary of the San Remo Conference, Israelis and Americans were discussing the Israeli government's declared intention to annex large portions of occupied Palestinian lands. As was the …

Samson Atekojo Usman (2020-05-05). Compulsory Vaccination in Africa? Bill Gates Allegedly Offered Nigeria House of Representatives $10 Million Bribe for Speedy Passage of Compulsory Vaccine Bill: CUPP Opposition Party. globalresearch.ca This article published in Nigeria's Daily Post (Abuja) is based on a statement yet to be confirmed of Nigeria's opposition party CUPP. | Compulsory vaccination in Africa's most populated country would set the stage for a vaccination program for the entire …

The Global Research Team (2020-05-05). Global Research: Stay Informed, Be Prepared. globalresearch.ca To say that the public has become disillusioned and wary of constant doomsday media reports and news coverage is a gross understatement — people see their world changing and they want to understand what is happening, and why. They want …

Ryan Cristián (2020-05-05). Dr. Andrew Kaufman Interview — The COVID-19 Theory That You Are Not Allowed To Hear. thelastamericanvagabond.com Joining me today is Dr. Andrew Kaufman to discuss a topic that, despite being rooted in facts, evidence and years of research, has been suppressed, censored and ignored by the entirety of the mainstream medical and scientific community. (d.tube/c/tlavagabond) Bitcoin Donations Are Appreciated: www.thelastamericanvagabond.com/bitcoin-donation (3FSozj9gQ1UniHvEiRmkPnXzHSVMc68U9f)…

Susan Price (2020-05-05). Rohingyas lock down at the world's largest refugee camp. greenleft.org.au

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-05). Science Saturday: Antimalarials, COVID-19, cardiac arrest. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Over the last few weeks, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine have become household words. These antiparasitic drugs normally prescribed for malaria were introduced early in the rush to find potential treatments for COVID-19. As time goes on, the public discussion has centered on who should get these particular drugs and when. Meanwhile many doctors and medical researchers …

Colin Todhunter (2020-05-05). The Scourge of Authoritarianism in the Age of Pseudoscience. globalresearch.ca Following the court decision in the US to

Chris Kanthan (2020-05-05). How Rockefeller Founded Modern Medicine and Killed Natural Cures. globalresearch.ca This was originally published in October 2015. | People these days look at you like a weirdo if you talk about the healing properties of plants or any other holistic practices. Much like anything else, there is a lot of politics …

Manlio Dinucci (2020-05-05). Pandemia della Spesa Militare. globalresearch.ca Ogni minuto si spendono nel mondo circa 4 milioni di dollari a scopo militare. Lo indicano le ultime stime del Sipri: nel 2019 [

Manlio Dinucci (2020-05-05). A Pandemia da Despesa Militar. globalresearch.ca A cada minuto gastam-se no mundo, cerca de 4 milhàµes de dólares para fins militares. Indicam-no as últimas estimativas de Sipri: em 2019 [1], a despesa militar mundial quase atingiu 2 triliàµes de dólares, o nível mais alto desde 1988, …

sputniknews (2020-05-05). Close Shave, No Impact? Bold Theory Challenges the Enigma of Tunguska Event. sputniknews.com The researchers suggest that the iron asteroid which produced the event in question didn't slam into Earth but shot back into space instead.

sputniknews (2020-05-05). Huawei, China Mobile Build 5G Base Stations on Mount Everest to Test IT Tech in Harsh Environments. sputniknews.com Two of China's major telecoms have successfully built several 5G masts Mount Everest to show how telecoms can operate under extreme conditions, it was reported.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-05). SHAD system creates a teacher-student relationship during pandemic. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 5 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that online SHAD system has created a teacher-student relationship during the outbreak of coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, in the country.

Santa Cruz News (2020-05-05). May Day Caravan in Santa Cruz. indybay.org #COLA4ALL activists in Santa Cruz organized a May Day Caravan to support those "striking and fighting for their right to live in this city". Beginning on the UC Santa Cruz campus to support the striking COLA graduate students, the caravan traveled downtown to the Santa Cruz Main Jail, and then on to support Food Not Bombs at Front and Laurel Streets. (Photos taken downtown by Keith McHenry of Santa Cruz Food Not Bombs.)…

David Vine (2020-05-05). What 9/11 Taught Me About COVID-19. counterpunch.org On the morning of September 11, 2001, I heard the impact of a plane hitting a building. I was a second-year graduate student living near downtown Brooklyn, not far from the World Trade Center towers. I watched one of the towers fall from a park near my home. For at least four days after the

WSWS (2020-05-05). Australian governments reopen schools despite studies warning of COVID-19 danger. wsws.org The federal government's attack on the Victorian state premier was aimed at suppressing opposition by teachers and parents.

Dr. Bischara A. Egal (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) …

RT (2020-05-04). House Republicans demand probe into Chinese investment in American colleges. rt.com In addition to blaming China for the Covid-19 pandemic, Republicans in Congress want to start a probe into Beijing's investment in US universities, insisting that China is attempting to "steal" ideas. | "Besides China peddling money for influence in US institutions of higher education, China is restricting any research regarding the origins of Covid-19 that does not comport with [Chinese Communist Party] propaganda," read a letter sent on Monday to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, calling for an investigation. "To nations battling peak pandemic outbreaks, the CCP's machinations undoubtedly hamper the global…

Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research (2020-05-04). This is what anti-imperialism looks like: Call for posters. peoplesdispatch.org Art and anti-imperialism | In the small French commune of Vallauris sits a 14th century chapel. On its walls, Spanish socialist painter Pablo Picasso created one of his largest murals — the diptych, War and Peace (1952). After preparing 278 sketches, Picasso's finished mural portrays a disease-carrying demon of war battling a heroic figure wielding a spear and shielded by a dove. It is a portrait of imperialism. Against the backdrop of this painting were the U.S. military aggressions in the Korean War that had begun two years earlier, which would claim three million lives by 1953. | "Painting is not made to…

Mark Gruenberg (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. …

Morning Star (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 …

Global Research News (2020-05-04). Selected Articles: If We Want to Return to Normal, We Have to Fix the Policy. globalresearch.ca By On Sunday, Trump was his usual congenital lying self, falsely boasting to viewers that he's "done more than any other president in …

Whitney Webb (2020-05-04). Coronavirus Gives a Dangerous Boost to DARPA's Darkest Agenda. thelastamericanvagabond.com Technology developed by the Pentagon's controversial research branch is getting a huge boost amid the current coronavirus crisis, with little attention going to the agency's ulterior motives for developing said technologies, their potential for weaponization or their unintended consequences. In January, well before the coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis would result in lockdowns, quarantines and economic devastation …

Fight Back (2020-05-04). Boyle Heights celebrates May Day for the 6th consecutive year. fightbacknews.org Los Angeles, CA – On Friday, May 1, a car protest of over 40 vehicles driven by workers, teachers and activists took to the streets for the sixth consecutive year to celebrate International Workers Day, May Day, in the Boyle Heights neighborhood. Organized by Centro CSO, this year's May Day protest focused on Trump's attacks on immigrants and called for free healthcare for COVID-19 patients, support for public education, jailing killer cops and community control over the police. | "The coronavirus pandemic has affected oppressed nationalities like African Americans, Chicanos and American Indians the most. Unsafe…

The Canary (2020-05-04). Queen's University Belfast given funding to develop rapid test for Covid-19. thecanary.co Queen's University Belfast has received funding to develop a rapid diagnostic test for Covid-19. | The trial is aimed at finding a highly accurate test which can show results within an hour, eliminating the need to send tests to a laboratory. | Professor Cliff Taggart, lead researcher from the Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine at Queen's University, said: "The local availability, speed and accuracy of the test will help inform public health preparedness and response in the ongoing pandemic." | The study is in partnership with HiberGene Diagnostics Ltd, Medcaptain in China, and Italian Hospital…