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 …

RT (2020-05-05). Kim Jong-un accepts WWII medal awarded by Putin days after DEATH rumors spread by Western media. rt.com He may have been reported dead last week by US/UK media, but today North Korean leader Kim Jong-un received a medal from President Putin for his contribution to perpetuating the memory of Soviet citizens buried in North Korea. | In 2019, the Kremlin announced the creation of a brand new award named \'75 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945\', to be given to those chosen by the president. The award has already been presented to multiple people, many of whom are Russian veterans. | | @ Russian Embassy in North Korea | According to the Facebook page of the Russian Embassy in North Korea, Kim was…

Philip Giraldi (2020-05-05). Israel\'s War Crimes Have Killed Americans. thealtworld.com If the president loves to honor the military, start with the U.S.S. Liberty | Imagine if you will a ship from a nation not at war with anyone sailing in international waters on a quiet June day being suddenly attacked by unidentified warplanes and torpedo boats, their markings covered up to conceal their country of origin. The vessel under attack had little with which to defend itself, but its crew heroically made sure that a large national flag was hoisted to demonstrate that it was not a belligerent in anyone\'s conflict. The attackers noted the nationality of the vessel, but persisted in their aggression in a c…

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 …

Vijay Prashad, Paola Estrada, Ana Maldonado, and Zoe PC (2020-05-05). Defeat of a Dirty Military Incursion into Venezuela on a Sunday Morning. counterpunch.org In the early morning hours of Sunday, May 3, speedboats left the Colombian coastlines and headed toward Venezuela. These boats had no authorization to cross the maritime border. They landed on the Venezuelan coastline at La Guaira. This was clearly a hostile action, since the boats carried heavy weaponry, including assault rifles and ammunition; the people on the boats possessed satellite phones as well as uniforms and helmets with the flag of the United States of America.

M. K. Bhadrakumar (2020-05-05). Trump\'s Threat to Iran Has a Hollow, Angsty Ring. counterpunch.org A tweet by the U.S. President Donald Trump on April 22 said, \"I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea.\" Trump seems to be talking the language of war while indulging in politics by other means. Like his ban

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 …

Joe Emersberger (2020-05-05). Paying the Price for Defeating Chevron: an Interview with Steven Donziger. counterpunch.org U.S. attorney Steven Donziger has been in house arrest in Manhattan for almost eight months. His pre-trial detention stems from a judgement he and a team of Ecuadorian lawyers won over Chevron that could cost the company billions of dollars — and combat climate change. In 1993, Donziger and other lawyers filed a lawsuit in

Aaron Maté (2020-05-05). US refuses to extradite CIA agent who killed UK teen Harry Dunn. thegrayzone.com As the US government hunts Julian Assange, it refuses to extradite a CIA agent who killed UK teen Harry Dunn…

WSWS Repost (2020-05-05). Former top officials in Bernie Sanders campaign form super PAC to back Joe Biden. indybay.org With the Democratic Party uniting to promote Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders holds his nose to let his supporters build a super PAC.

Staff (2020-05-05). Navajo Nation Suffers Third-Highest COVID-19 Infection Rate in U.S. with Limited Healthcare & Water. democracynow.org We get an update from two doctors treating patients with the Navajo Nation, the largest Indigenous reservation in the country, which has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Michelle Tom is a member of the Navajo Nation and a family physician treating COVID-19 patients at the Winslow Indian Health Care Center and Little Colorado Medical Center in northern Arizona near the Navajo reservation. In Gallup, New Mexico, Dr. Sriram Shamasunder is leading a medical volunteer group of 21 nurses and doctors from the University of California, San Francisco as part of the HEAL Initiative. He says the coronavirus hi…

Staff (2020-05-05). Remembering Valentina Blackhorse, Beloved 28-Year-Old Navajo Community Activist Who Died of COVID-19. democracynow.org After New York and New Jersey, the next highest number of coronavirus infections per capita in the United States is in the Navajo Nation, the largest Indigenous reservation in the country. We go to Kayenta, Arizona, to speak with Robby Jones, a member of the Navajo Nation and the partner of one of those to die from the virus: 28-year-old Valentina Blackhorse, a beloved community leader who promoted Navajo culture and left behind a daughter named Poet.

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…

Staff (2020-05-05). The Case for Prison Abolition: Ruth Wilson Gilmore on COVID-19, Racial Capitalism & Decarceration. democracynow.org The spread of COVID-19 threatens the lives of more than 2.3 million people locked up in prisons and jails throughout the United States. We look at how the call to release prisoners during the coronavirus pandemic makes the case for prison abolition, with scholar Ruth Wilson Gilmore, co-founder of California Prison Moratorium Project and Critical Resistance and the author of \"Golden Gulag: Prison, Surplus, Crisis, and Opposition in Globalizing California.\" Her forthcoming book is \"Change Everything: Racial Capitalism and the Case for Abolition.\"

Staff (2020-05-05). Calls Grow for Mass Release from Ohio\'s Marion Prison as 80% of Prisoners Test Positive for COVID-19. democracynow.org We get an update on one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the United States, at the Marion Correctional Institution in Ohio, where 11 prisoners and one staff member have died, and at least 80% of prisoners and half of the prison staff tested positive. Despite growing calls to release thousands of Ohio\'s nearly 50,000 incarcerated people as the coronavirus spreads, Governor Mike DeWine has only approved the release of more than 100 people in the state\'s prisons. \"We\'re seeing a few people being released … but not anywhere near the 20,000 [we are] demanding,\" says Azzurra Crispino, whose husband, James, is in…

Steve Sweeney (2020-05-05). Venezuela says U.S. behind another attempted coup this past weekend. peoplesworld.org Washington has been accused of orchestrating a coup attempt against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro after the police and armed forces stopped \"a terrorist group\" entering the country by sea on Sunday. President of Venezuela\'s constituent assembly Diosdado Cabello Rondón described the attack as \"a coup financed from the United States, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) …

The Canary (2020-05-05). Handful of new cases in South Korea and China as containment efforts pay off. thecanary.co China and South Korea, which had early outbreaks of coronavirus, have together reported only four new infections and are slowly resuming public events after months of containment efforts.South Korea\'s three new cases represented the lowest daily jump in nearly three months.More than 10,000 people have been infected in the nation\'s outbreak, and over 250 have died.As cases slow, South Korea will start reopening schools in phases next week, and its professional baseball league began its new season on Tuesday.A TV cameraman walks through the spectators\' seats covered with pictures of fans before a baseball game in I…

Ryan Foley (2020-05-05). Coronavirus cuts \'deep scars\' through meatpacking towns across the country. peoplesworld.org IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP)—As the coronavirus spread from the nation\'s meatpacking plants to the broader communities where they are located, it burned through a modest duplex in Waterloo, Iowa. In the downstairs unit lived Jim Orvis, 65, a beloved friend and uncle who worked in the laundry department at the Tyson Foods pork processing facility, the largest …

RT (2020-05-05). Bone-breaking cart crashes & black widow spider bites: Swedish golfer Daniela Holmqvist opens up on horrific injury agony. rt.com Sweden\'s Daniela Holmqvist has discussed playing through the pain after a buggy she was traveling in flipped and smashed into a wall, causing severe injury – although Holmqvist already boasts a reputation as a tough cookie. | Golf may not seem the most demanding of sports at first glance but there\'s no denying Holmqvist is made of pretty strong stuff. | The 32-year-old from Sweden has suffered with constant pain since a bad accident in 2018 left her needing several injections in her back in order to play. | Holmqvist was in China competing on the tour when a golf cart she was riding in flipped backwards and lo…

RT (2020-05-05). First murder hornets, now tiger mosquitos? Over half of France warned of dengue & Zika-transmitting insects just as lockdown lifts. rt.com Almost 65 percent of France has been placed on red alert following another invasion by the aggressive tiger mosquito, a known carrier of dengue fever, chikungunya and the Zika virus, right before the country emerges from lockdown. | As the US braces for its own invasion by so-called \'murder hornets\', a total of 57 of France\'s 101 departments have been placed on red alert as tiger mosquito hordes descend on the country — just as citizens prepare to return to work on May 11 following weeks of coronavirus lockdown. | A further 10 departments have been placed on orange alert, as experts predict that France wi…

RT (2020-05-05). Germany issues warrant for \'GRU hacker\' allegedly behind hacking parliament & US presidential election — report. rt.com A German media report suggests prosecutors have begun proceedings to arrest Dmitry Badin, who they believe to be a Russian agent behind a string of hacks dating back as far as 2014, and who is also wanted by the FBI. | German prosecutors have issued a warrant for the arrest of an alleged GRU agent accused of hacking the Bundestag, according to the country\'s Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. | The suspect is named as Dmitry Badin, wanted in Germany and the US in connection with numerous offences — among them, a cyber-attack on the German parliament and hacking the 2016 US presidential election. | Badin is bel…

RT (2020-05-05). Pre-crime: Twitter will warn users about their 'HARMFUL' language, BEFORE they tweet. rt.com Twitter will now notify some users whenever they\'re about to post a reply using \"harmful\" language. On a platform that\'s already been pilloried for enforcing its rules haphazardly, the plan will surely offend potential offenders. | According to the social media giant, users on iOS who hit \'send\' on a reply — be it a reasoned argument or a tirade of abuse — will receive a notification if Twitter determines their message \"uses language that could be harmful.\" | The experiment began on Tuesday, and will run for several weeks. | Explaining the decision, Twitter took a motherly tone. \"When things get heat…

RT (2020-05-05). Russia waging \'HYBRID WAR\' on Europe by protesting removal of Soviet liberator statue, claims Czech official who had it torn down. rt.com A Prague official responsible for removing a statue of Marshal Konev urged Brussels to protect the EU against Moscow\'s \"interference\" and \"hybrid war,\" playing the time-tested \'Russia scare\' card that never fails to be effective. | Proving that a strong offense sometimes makes the best defense, head of Prague\'s District 6 Ondrej Kolar wrote an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Read m…

RT (2020-05-05). Russian Embassy ridicules Pulitzer Board for awarding prize to NYT\'s \'undiluted fabrications\'. rt.com The New York Times\' staff have won a prestigious Pulitzer Prize for \"exposing the predations of Vladimir Putin\'s regime.\" Russia, however, says the paper made it up. | The Pulitzer Prize Board loves a good yarn about Russia, and the New York Times certainly feeds their appetite. 2017 saw the paper score an award for reporting on the Kremlin\'s online \"troll army;\" while 2018 saw it

RT (2020-05-05). \'Corona is under control\': Bavaria lets residents go out & businesses reopen despite Covid-19 still blighting Germany. rt.com Despite warnings the Covid-19 crisis isn\'t over, one of Germany\'s wealthiest states is set to open up, allowing people to go out for any reason and letting almost all businesses — from retail to tourism — welcome visitors again. | \"Now it is time to act,\" proclaimed Bavaria\'s Prime Minister Markus Soeder as he

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 . . . |

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…

The Canary (2020-05-05). Campaigners warn government over \'unlawful\' unconditional airline bailout. thecanary.co Green campaigners have warned the government not to give airlines an unconditional bailout, as a poll suggests people do not think the sector is a priority for public money. | Lawyers acting for climate action charity Possible have written to the chancellor asking for assurances any bailout of the UK aviation industry will have conditions to ensure there are meaningful emissions cuts from planes. | Legal firm Leigh Day has warned Rishi Sunak that a failure to attach carbon-cutting conditions to a bailout would be unlawful, because it would not be in line with the UK\'s legal goals to cut greenhouse gases. | It wou…

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…

M. K. Bhadrakumar (2020-05-05). Pompeo and the capricious virus. iranian.com Iran has delivered a devastating blow to the ego of the Trump administration, puncturing it beyond repair, by its announcement Sunday that mosques will start reopening in low-risk areas of the country from May 5. President Hassan Rouhani said mosques would reopen in 132 regions designated as white under a colour-coded system after being consistently …

RT (2020-05-05). A new song or same old tune? Memo warns of Russian \'plot\' to influence 2020 vote by \'secretly advising\' candidates. rt.com An internal American intelligence memo reportedly warns of a sinister Russian plot in the making to meddle in the upcoming US presidential election, including by directly advising the candidates and their campaigns. | Cobbled together by \'cyber experts\' at the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI in February, the memo effectively regurgitates the old Russiagate narrative, which quietly fizzled out after a special counsel probe led by Robert Mueller failed to find any proof of conspiracy or collusion between President Donald Trump and Russia. Excerpts from the document — dubbed \"Possible Ru…

Dr. Johan Giesecke (2020-05-05). \"Gradually Everyone Is Approaching the Swedish Model\" — Rock Star of Epidemiology, Dr. Giesecke, Points Out the Obvious (VIDEO). anti-empire.com www.youtube.com/watch?v=CajLDNg-Fb4&feature=youtu.be | Highlights: \"I must say I have been inwardly laughing when I see all the other countries in Europe puttin…

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…

RT (2020-05-05). \'It's a donation to the country\': Indians shrug off 70% CORONAVIRUS TAX as they queue up outside liquor shops (PHOTOS/VIDEOS). rt.com An eye-watering tax imposed on alcohol hasn\'t stopped Indians from swarming Delhi\'s liquor shops, which have reopened as the world\'s largest coronavirus lockdown begins to ease. | From Tuesday, the Delhi government will charge a staggering 70% \"special corona fee\" on all alcohol. The measure was introduced to improve Delhi\'s \"financial condition,\" Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told local media. Across the country, huge queues formed as liquor stores opened their doors for the first time in 40 days. It\'s not clear how long the new tax will remain. | Delhi: Large crowd of people seen at a government liquo…

The Canary (2020-05-05). Strict lockdown measures unlikely to be lifted \'overnight\' — Rees-Mogg. thecanary.co Jacob Rees-Mogg has warned that the lockdown will not be eased \"overnight\" as the UK prepares for changes to the current measures in place to control the coronavirus spread.Senior Conservatives, including ex-leader Iain Duncan Smith and Graham Brady, who chairs the influential 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, have piled pressure on the government in recent days to roll back the lockdown \"as quickly as possible\" in order to kick-start the UK economy.But Commons leader Rees-Mogg has looked to calm public and Tory expectations, suggesting the country should not expect complete freedoms to be restored immediately…

(2020-05-05). \'Get back to work!\' — Trump tells meatpacking workers facing COVID-19 threat to their lives. workers.org The Southern Workers Assembly \"Safe Jobs Save Lives\" campaign released this statement on May 2 after the April 28 presidential \"Get back to work\" order was issued. On April 28, Workers Memorial Day — a day when the labor movement commemorates workers who have died on the job — and . . . |

Larry Holmes (2020-05-05). WWP message on May Day 2020 is Organize! workers.org This edited talk was given by First Secretary of Workers World Party Larry Holmes at \"May Day Webinar! Workers Power: Building Workers Assemblies\" sponsored by WWP on May 1. Larry Holmes, speaking during the WWP May Day webinar. Happy May Day to everyone. This is the perfect occasion for everybody . . . |

Nigel Bouvart (2020-05-05). The catastrophic unemployment crisis. workers.org The COVID-19 crisis has led to mass layoffs, putting millions out of work in a country where roughly 80 percent of workers lived paycheck to paycheck even prior to the pandemic. As of May 1, 30 million unemployment claims had been filed, yet the real number of unemployed is likely . . . |

(2020-05-05). Tenants take on Philadelphia gentrifier. workers.org By Doris Grass Philadelphia—A new and rapidly growing association of residential and commercial tenants of OCF Realty was formed to demand that OCF meet the needs of its tenants during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. Since the inception of Tenants of OCF several weeks ago, members have faced a high . . . |

Betsey Piette (2020-05-05). Pennies for the workers, billions for the bosses. workers.org The distribution of government funds in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has torn away any facade of the U.S. as a \"democracy,\" with equal access to wealth. Even as unemployment, poverty and hunger reach levels not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s, banks and corporations look to their . . . |

RT (2020-05-05). Oil prices rally as lockdowns ease & OPEC cuts pave way for recovery. rt.com Crude prices have been gaining for the fifth straight session as the production curbs agreed by OPEC and allied countries came into force and some countries started to ease coronavirus restrictions. | Futures for American oil benchmark jumped more than nine percent on Tuesday, extending their earlier gains. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for June delivery was trading at over $22 a barrel as of 07: 30 GMT, more than doubling from last week\'s intraday lows. | Meanwhile, international benchmark Brent for July delivery gained more than six percent to $29.02 after climbing in the previous session. | Also on rt.com…

RT (2020-05-05). 'Professor lockdown' Ferguson resigns after violating quarantine he designed to meet married lover. rt.com Professor Neil Ferguson, author of apocalyptic coronavirus models, has resigned from his position as adviser to 10 Downing Street after revelations that he violated quarantine himself to meet with a married lover. | Following Ferguson\'s resignation on Tuesday night, the Daily Telegraph made it public that the man known as \'Professor Lockdown\' had allowed a married mother with whom he was having an affair to visit him at least twice during the quarantine. The woman was identified as Antonia Staats, 38. | üî¥ Prof Ferguson allowed the woman to visit him at home during the lockdown while le…

RT (2020-05-05). Hundreds protest coronavirus lockdown at Massachusetts State House after reopening delayed for two weeks (PHOTOS & VIDEOS). rt.com Scores of protesters hit the streets to demand Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker streamline the reopening of non-essential businesses, delayed due to the lack of progress in slowing down the spread of Covid-19. | Hundreds of demonstrators filled the streets around the Massachusetts State House in Boston on Monday for what event organizers dubbed a \"Liberty Rally,\" voicing outrage over Baker\'s decision to extend the state\'s lockdown another two weeks to May 18, further putting off the reopening of nonessential businesses as hundreds of thousands of residents file for unemployment. | \"Let my people go\", \"We a…

RT (2020-05-05). 'I will beat you': Seven-year-old blasts 'WEAK' Arshavin after ex-Russia star accuses Olympic champ of forcing child into videos. rt.com A bizarre row has broken out between Evgeni Plushenko\'s son and Andrey Arshavin after the Russia legend accused the figure-skating champion and his wife of forcing the infant to perform in a series of \"painful\" Instagram videos. | Two-time Olympic champion Plushenko and his wife, producer and TV personality Yana Rudkovskaya, have been prolific makers of videos with their son, Alexander, in the family\'s opulent home. | While Russia has been in lockdown under health guidelines aimed at stopping the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak, the seven-year-old known as Sasha has joined his parents indoors to test gym equip…

The Canary (2020-05-05). National bereavement service rolled out for mourners during coronavirus lockdown. thecanary.co An end-of-life charity has launched a national bereavement service to support people struggling with losing loved ones during the coronavirus (Covid-19) lockdown.People finding it difficult to grieve will be able to access up to six weeks of support over the phone from a dedicated volunteer trained by the Marie Curie charity.More than 450,000 people will be mourning the loss of a family member or friend since the start of the lockdown, the charity estimates.Some 90,392 deaths from all causes were registered in England and Wales from the week ending March 27 to the week ending April 17, figures from the Office for…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-05-05). Pandemic profits: Analysis shows the ultra-rich got ultra-richer as coronavirus hit. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Call it pandemic profits: A new report by the Institute for Policy Studies, the latest in its biannual series, shows the ultra-rich got ultra-richer in the months since the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. And the richest of them all, Jeff Bezos, profited big time from the ensuing crash. Not that Bezos needed it. His …

RT (2020-05-05). UK health secretary branded a \'bully\' after telling Labour doctor MP to check her 'tone\' amid Covid-19 criticism. rt.com Health Secretary Matt Hancock has provoked a furious backlash after rebuking a Labour shadow minister — who happens to be an NHS doctor — for her \"tone\" after she suggested the government\'s lack of Covid-19 testing had cost lives. | While putting questions about the coronavirus crisis to Hancock in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Shadow Mental Health Minister Dr. Rosena Allin-Khan asked whether he would concede that his government\'s short supply of testing had been \"responsible for many families being unnecessarily torn apart in grief.\" | The query drew a disgruntled response from Hancock who appe…

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). Hate crimes against Chinese people in UK soar amid Covid-19 outbreak, nearly triple 2018 & 2019 rates. rt.com The number of hate crimes against Chinese people in the UK over the first three months of the year during the coronavirus crisis was almost three times that of the previous two years, according to new data released by police. | The shocking figures obtained from 45 UK police forces and the British Transport Police (BTP) by Sky News through a freedom of information request (FOI), show that as many as 267 offences — including assaults, harassment, robberies and criminal damage — were recorded between January and March 2020. | Most police forces disclosed data of hate crimes recorded against Chinese vic…

RT (2020-05-05). Useless & invasive? UK\'s Covid-19 contact tracing app gets bad reviews after reportedly failing all performance tests. rt.com Many Britons are scoffing at a government plan to roll out an NHS Covid-19 app to trace cases of the virus, describing the initiative as unnecessary and intrusive. The app received poor marks during initial trials. | The tracing app uses Bluetooth technology to register a \"contact\" when people come within six feet of each other. Those who later develop symptoms of coronavirus can inform the app, which then sends an alert to the people they\'ve been in contact with.Similar apps have been adopted in countries such as Singapore and Germany. However, the idea has been met with considerable suspicion in Britain. | F…