RT (2020-04-16). Terrifying crash landing & evacuation shown in dramatic video as probe finds pilot error in 2019 Superjet tragedy. rt.com Russia\'s Investigative Committee has finished its inquiry into the fatal crash of Superjet-100 passenger aircraft at Moscow\'s Sheremetyevo airport. It published a new video of the incident, which it blamed on pilot error. | Sukhoi Superjet-100 captain Denis Evdokimov will face charges of improper aircraft handling over the incident that took place on May 5, 2019 and claimed the lives of 41 people. On that day, the aircraft had to return to the airport because of malfunctions with the communications system and autopilot. As it hit the runway, the plane suddenly burst into flames that turned into a real firestor…

RT (2020-04-15). California gov announces $125 million relief for illegal immigrants over Covid-19. rt.com California will be the first state in the US to provide financial relief to illegal immigrants amid the Covid-19 pandemic. | California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a series of new measures by his state to provide financial relief to citizens suffering because of Covid-19 lockdown measures. Among the measures is an eye-catching $125 million fund for illegal immigrants living within the state. | \"California is the most diverse state in the nation. Our diversity makes us stronger and more resilient. Every Californian, including our undocumented neighbors and friends, should know that California is here to sup…

Luke Butterly (2020-04-15). Locked Down and Cast Out: Europe\'s Migrants Navigate the Pandemic. thenation.com Locked Down and Cast Out: Europe\'s Migrants Navigate the Pandemic…

KOAT (2020-04-15). Philanthropists helping provide $500, $1,000 checks to undocumented migrants in California. koat.com California Gov. Gavin Newsom said $50 million is being put up by philanthropists.

RT (2020-04-15). Greek authorities send 1st group of unaccompanied young refugees to EU countries. rt.com Greece transferred a dozen unaccompanied children from overcrowded migrant camps to Luxembourg on Wednesday. The group is the first of more than 1,000 relocations that are being expedited amid concerns over the impact of coronavirus on vulnerable groups. | Another group of 50 children is expected to fly from Athens to Germany on Saturday, and 20 more will head to Switzerland at a later date. Greece hopes to relocate some 1,600 unaccompanied minors in the coming months. | The children relocated on Wednesday were aged between 11 and 15. Ten were from Afghanistan and two from Syria. At least 5,200 migrant childre…

repost (2020-04-15). A Surprising Plea on Behalf of Julian Assange. indybay.org In a recent video, attorney Stella Morris surprises the world by revealing that she has a partnership and children with whistleblower Julian Assange.

Medea Benjamin (2020-04-15). UN Ceasefire Defines War As a Non-Essential Activity. zcomm.org Let\'s insist that the U.S. government call off its airstrikes, artillery and night raids in Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Syria and West Africa, and support ceasefires in Yemen, Libya and around the world…

Vijay Prashad, Du Xiaojun — Weiyan Zhu (2020-04-15). How China Broke the Chain of Infection. counterpunch.org The speed of the production of medical equipment, particularly protective equipment for the medical workers, was breathtaking. On January 28, China made fewer than 10,000 sets of personal protective equipment (PPE) a day, and by February 24, its production capacity exceeded 200,000 per day. On February 1, the government produced 773,000 test kits a day; by February 25, it was producing 1.7 million kits per day; by March 31, 4.26 million test kits were produced per day

Kurt Nimmo (2020-04-15). German Lawyer Sent to Psychiatric Ward for Organizing Protest Against COVID-19 Lockdown. globalresearch.ca In the Soviet Union, activists were sent to state psychiatric wards. According to the state, any and all opposition to government policy was considered a form of mental illness. |

RT (2020-04-15). Anti-surveillance activists claim they set fire outside German institute developing Covid-19 tracking app. rt.com Left-wing activists aiming to prevent mass surveillance via the \'Corona App\' claim they caused a fire outside Berlin\'s telecommunications institute, which is developing software designed to track the spread of the disease. | Several power and telecommunication cables were badly damaged during the fire at a construction site in Berlin\'s Charlottenburg district on Tuesday morning, outside the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications. The fire caused a temporary power outage on adjacent streets, and police are investigating the incident as a suspected arsonist attack. | A letter has since been sent to a number…

Harry Blain (2020-04-15). Why Did Our Permanent Emergency Government Fail to Face the Emergency? counterpunch.org Between 1978 and 2018, American presidents declared 58 national emergencies. Their targets ranged from \"Transactions with Terrorists Who Threaten to Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process\" and \"Transactions with Significant Narcotics Traffickers\" to \"the Anchorage and Movement of Vessels with Respect to Cuba\" and \"Persons Undermining Democratic Processes or Institutions in Zimbabwe.\" By the time

Kanoh Nishizawa (2020-04-15). The Coming Revolt – and the peaceful solidarity for a Just World Society. indybay.org As capitalism gets exposed for its savagery, there will be tumult, and revolt of the oppressed. In this new environment, we should express peaceful solidarity if we want a chance at a Just World Society.

WSWS (2020-04-15). Garment workers protest in Bangladesh as COVID-19 spreads. wsws.org Employers have shuttered the plants, sacking thousands of workers and refusing to pay outstanding wages.

sputniknews (2020-04-15). Police Baton Charge in Indian State to Quell Protest Over COVID-19 Patients\' Cremation — Video. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): India is under its second spell of lockdown due to the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases. The country has witnessed over 370 deaths due to the deadly contagious virus so far.

Martin Sieff (2020-04-15). Will Quiet Middle East Last? Or Is It Lull Before Next Storm? iranian.com Across the Middle East, the coronavirus is stirring up both upheavals and more subtle changes from Tel Aviv to Riyadh, little reported and when covered little understood in the Western media. In Israel, the virus has enabled that master political magician Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pull off yet another spectacular escape as improbable as …

RT (2020-04-15). Pentagon looked \'hard\' into theory Covid-19 came from Chinese lab, but \'inconclusive\' evidence still suggests natural origin. rt.com The US military looked \'hard\' at rumors the coronavirus came from a laboratory in Wuhan, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters, but the evidence so far is \'inconclusive\' and points to it emerging naturally. | \"It should be no surprise to you that we have taken a keen interest in that, and we have had a lot of intelligence take a hard look at that,\" General Mark Milley said at a news briefing on Tuesday. | At this point it\'s inconclusive, although the weight of evidence seems to indicate natural, but we do not know for sure. | His top medical officer, Joint Staff Surgeon Brigadier-General Pa…

RT (2020-04-15). Boeing customers cancel 150 jet orders in March amid coronavirus crisis & 737 MAX debacle. rt.com The plunging demand for air travel due to the Covid-19 pandemic has led to massive cancellations of jet orders by Boeing customers. It adds to the American plane-maker\'s continued struggle in the aftermath of the MAX 737 crisis. | The company said that 150 orders for 737 MAX jets were canceled in March, which is the most in a decade. Brazilian airline Gol canceled 34 orders for the narrow-body planes, while leasing firm Avolon scrapped orders for 75 of them. Boeing had also reported 41 canceled orders for the jet in February. | \"We are working closely with our customers, many of whom are facing significant fin…

RT (2020-04-15). \'My child is not a guinea pig\' petition gets thousands of signatures as Denmark re-opens schools amid Covid-19 pandemic. rt.com Denmark has made the decision to reopen schools for younger children after a month-long lockdown, becoming the first country in Europe to relax coronavirus restrictions on education. | Schools have been given new guidelines around limiting the number of children in classrooms and rearranging the desks two meters apart from each other. The measure was welcomed by some parents. Caroline, a 38-year-old mother of two, told AFP that she feels \"really good about the kids going back to school.\" | However, others are still worried that the easing of restrictions may be coming too soon. A petition titled \'My child is n…

Kenneth Surin (2020-04-15). Boris Johnson and COVID-19. counterpunch.org BoJo Johnson was admitted to hospital on 5th April, after spending several days at his residence in self-isolation as a result of testing positive for the COVID-19 virus. When his condition worsened while in hospital he was put in intensive care, where he spent 3 nights before being discharged on 12th April. He is expected make a slow recovery.

Johann Beckford (2020-04-15). The myth of British exceptionalism has driven the inept response to coronavirus. bright-green.org We are seemingly becoming used to dramatic and disturbing headlines on a daily basis during the coronavirus pandemic. Reported deaths in the UK from Covid-19 have risen to over 10,000, …

RT (2020-04-15). Trump globally scolded for denying funds to WHO amid Covid-19 pandemic. rt.com Nations and medics around the world have blasted US President Donald Trump for defunding the UN\'s health agency over alleged pro-Chinese bias. Even the head of America\'s own Centers for Disease Control had kind words for the WHO. | The US leader accused the World Health Organization (WHO) of \"severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus,\" claiming the agency conspired with Beijing to cover up the severity of the Covid-19 pandemic. Trump said American funding would be frozen pending a US investigation into his theory. | Withdrawing the money at a time when the disease is months from being…

Eds. (2020-04-15). On social reproduction and the Covid-19 pandemic. mronline.org \"This pandemic can, and should, be a moment when the left puts forward a concrete agenda for how to support life over profit in a way that will help us move beyond capitalism.\"

RT (2020-04-15). 'Complete nonsense': Piers Morgan savages UK care minister over Covid-19 death toll among health and care workers (VIDEOS). rt.com Piers Morgan has lashed out at the UK government\'s care minister, branding her numbers on Covid-19 deaths in the health and care sector \"complete nonsense\" as anger grows over the apparent lack of protection for frontline workers. | The 55-year-old Good Morning Britain TV presenter grilled Care Minister Helen Whately in a heated interview on Wednesday morning on the working conditions for health and care staff at the center of the coronavirus crisis. | Morgan asked Whately what the death toll was for health and care professionals who have fallen victim to the deadly Covid-19 disease. The stuttering minister re…

Staff (2020-04-15). \"I Want an Apology\": Black Doctor Who Tests Homeless for Coronavirus Handcuffed by Miami Police. democracynow.org We speak with Dr. Armen Henderson, an African-American doctor who was handcuffed and detained outside his home Friday as he was wearing a mask and preparing for a volunteer shift to test homeless people for COVID-19. \"I want the officer held accountable. There\'s no way that you racially profile me and then you arrest me, detain me, during a pandemic, when you have no mask on, where hundreds of police officers throughout Miami-Dade County have tested positive,\" says Dr. Henderson, who is an internal medicine physician, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Miami and an organizer with Dream Defenders…

Eds. (2020-04-15). Coronavirus and the politics of disposability. mronline.org COVID-19 is having a disproportionate effect among vulnerable populations. When the dust settles, as in all U.S. disasters, there will be a tale to tell of who mattered and who was sacrificed.

Conn Hallinan (2020-04-15). Only good news allowed—India\'s independent media fights government\'s COVID-19 censorship. peoplesworld.org While the coronavirus has focused much of the world on Europe and the United States lately, India promises to be the greatest victim of the disease. But other than a slick public relations campaign, the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done little to confront the crisis. Indeed, a number of policy moves by …

RT (2020-04-15). More than half of French industry restarts after Covid-19 shutdown — Finance Ministry. rt.com A large part of France\'s economy \"is functioning,\" according to Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, who said that close to 60 percent of the country\'s industry has restarted after being shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. | Speaking on RTL radio on Wednesday, Le Maire said that the cost of the government\'s economic relief package had risen by €10 billion ($10.9 billion) from the previously announced €100 billion ($109.3 billion). | He also said that Air France-KLM will receive support in a \"matter of days,\" as the carrier needs backing from the government because its planes are grounded. | Also o…

RT (2020-04-15). Over ONE THIRD of crew on France\'s only aircraft carrier have contracted coronavirus — military. rt.com At least 668 servicemen from the Charles de Gaulle carrier group have tested positive for coronavirus, the French defense ministry has said. The country\'s only aircraft carrier was forced to return to port due to the outbreak. | \"As of the evening of April 14, 1,767 sailors from the carrier strike group have been tested,\" the ministry said in a statement Wednesday. | Some 668 have returned positive. | Over 30 sailors have been hospitalized with Covid-19 at a military hospital in Toulon, including one serviceman in an intensive care unit, the military added. | The coronavirus outbreak abroad the aircraft carrie…

RT (2020-04-15). WHO is \'one of the best investments\': German FM blasts US after Trump cuts health organization\'s funding. rt.com Providing money to the \"underfunded\" World Health Organization is among the best ways to help develop a vaccine against Covid-19, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has said after Trump halted the WHO\'s funding. | \"Apportioning blame doesn\'t help. The virus knows no borders,\" Maas We have to work closely together against Covid-19. One of the best investments is to strengthen the UN, especially the under-funded WHO, for example for developing and distributing tests and vaccines.

The Canary (2020-04-15). Pandemic fraud warning as two arrested over false Covid-19 test claims. thecanary.co The coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic is increasingly being used as \"a hook to commit fraud\", a senior investigator has warned.Director general of the National Economic Crime Centre Graeme Biggar expects to see an increase in scams amid the Covid-19 outbreak and said that individuals and businesses need to be prepared.He spoke out as the National Crime Agency said it had arrested two people on suspicion of illegally selling tests for the virus.A 46-year-old pharmacist from Croydon, south London, was arrested under the Fraud Act on Saturday after he allegedly made false and misleading claims about the tests.Officers…

RT (2020-04-15). Covid-19 pandemic tops 2 MILLION cases worldwide — AFP tally. rt.com More than two million people have contracted Covid-19 globally since the lethal outbreak began last December, passing another dark milestone as the World Health Organization is pulled into a war of words between the US and China. | The worldwide coronavirus case count now sits at over two million, the latest figures from AFP showed on Wednesday. More than half of the number relates to outbreaks in European nations, but globally the single worst-hit country is the United States, with almost 610,000 identified Covid-19 patients and over 26,000 deaths recorded, according to Johns Hopkins University. | As the pand…

RT (2020-04-15). Trump says US has \'passed the peak\' on new Covid-19 infections as daily death toll sets new record. rt.com US President Donald Trump said the data so far suggests the number of new cases nationwide has peaked, and promised to unveil guidelines for reopening the country on Thursday. | Speaking at the daily press conference in the White House garden on Wednesday, the president said the \"war against the invisible enemy\" isn\'t over, but that the latest data shows the number of new cases declining as testing is ramped up across the nation, with more than 3 million carried out in total. | The battle continues, but the data suggests that nationwide he have passed the peak on new cases. | \"These encouraging developments ha…

RT (2020-04-15). Digital Coronavirus commuting chaos in Moscow: Metro sees long lines as motorists face 5km tailbacks. rt.com The particular type of Western Twitter user who believes Russia\'s IT savvy can hack elections anywhere —and rule the world remotely— will be astonished that the roll-out of Moscow\'s new digital pass hasn\'t been very smooth. | As of Wednesday, every Muscovite using public or private transport is required to have a pass, obtained online; all part of the city\'s bid to fight the spread of Covid-19 by preventing non-essential journeys. In theory, the system was supposed to reduce crowds. Sadly, on the first day of the scheme, the reality was quite different. | Social media was full of pictures of queues…

RT (2020-04-15). US cutting WHO funding will \'undermine\' intl efforts against pandemic at \'critical moment\' — Beijing. rt.com Beijing has blasted US President Donald Trump for cutting funds for the World Health Organization (WHO), warning it would have serious implications for the global Covid-19 response. | Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, said the battle against coronavirus is now \"at a critical moment,\" AFP reports. The US decision to withdraw funding from the WHO will \"undermine the international cooperation against the epidemic,\" which makes China \"seriously concerned.\" | Zhao added that China is urging \"the United States to earnestly fulfill their responsibilities and obligations, and support the WHO-led internationa…

RT (2020-04-15). Scandal in the making? A HUGE 70% of UK care homes could be riddled with Covid-19, private healthcare chief warns. rt.com Coronavirus infection rates in UK care homes may be as high as 70 percent, the chief executive of a major care provider has claimed, casting doubts over the validity of the government\'s official Covid-19 figures. | Jeremy Richardson, head of Four Seasons Health Care, one of Britain\'s biggest independent providers of care for the elderly, claimed on Sky News on Wednesday that the number of Covid-19 infections in such facilities is being massively underreported by PM Boris Johnson\'s administration. | I think the number is probably up at 60 or 70 percent. We\'re running at a similar number; I think the numbers are…

RT (2020-04-15). Bolsonaro ORDERED by Brazil lawmakers to disclose results of his Covid-19 tests. rt.com Brazil\'s legislators have cornered President Jair Bolsonaro on Covid-19, obliging him to show evidence of his coronavirus status. He claimed he\'d tested negative twice, yet refused to make the results public. | The country\'s Chamber of Deputies submitted a formal request to the presidency on Wednesday, giving it 30 days to release documents on Bolsonaro\'s coronavirus tests. Refusal to provide the information to the legislators is apparently not an option, as it would violate Article 50 of Brazil\'s constitution and invoke criminal liability. | Bolsonaro was tested twice for the new coronavirus in March, after h…

Mark Blyth, Jeffrey Sommers (2020-04-15). COVID-19 and the Return of a Dangerous Idea, Austerity. counterpunch.org The past decade delivered powerful lessons of what not to do in an economic crisis. Many countries pursued, or had imposed on them, austerity policies. That is, cutting government spending when the economy tanks in order to balance the books. The idea is that with less spending now, taxes will be lower later on, which will make people feel more confident now, thereby shortening the recession. It\'s a nice idea. But it actually makes things worse.

RT (2020-04-15). \'Now is not the time!\' UN chief says WHO is \'critical\' in global war against Covid-19 as US cuts funding to probe its \'China ties\'. rt.com The United Nations has urged continued support for the World Health Organization (WHO) as countries around the globe battle the coronavirus pandemic, just hours after US President Donald Trump froze American funding to the agency. | The WHO and its thousands of staff are fighting the health crisis on the front lines, supporting the most vulnerable nations with \"concrete life-saving services,\" UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrote in a It is my belief…

RT (2020-04-15). Resistance loses it as Trump offers extra US ventilators to RUSSIA to help with Covid-19. rt.com Arguing the US was so well supplied with ventilators to deal with the coronavirus outbreak, President Donald Trump said he will send spares to other hard-hit places such as Russia, immediately triggering his critics. | \"I think Russia is going to need ventilators. They\'re having a hard time in Moscow. We\'re going to help them,\" Trump said on Wednesday, during the daily press conference in the White House garden. | The online Resistance — die-hard believers in the conspiracy theory that Trump colluded with Russia in the 2016 US presidential election, pushed for years by the Democrats and the mainstream med…

RT (2020-04-15). Mysterious Covid-19 outbreak forces US Navy to quarantine 116 crew on HOSPITAL ship treating handful of non-coronavirus patients. rt.com The US Navy has removed more than 100 sailors from a hospital ship docked in Los Angeles to aid the city\'s fight against Covid-19 after seven crew members contracted the lethal virus — but exactly how remains a mystery. | The 116 medical staff members were pulled off the USNS \'Mercy\' on Tuesday and brought to a nearby base where they entered quarantine, Lieutenant Rochelle Rieger of the 3rd Fleet told the Associated Press, adding that none have been hospitalized. | More puzzling, however, is how — and where — the seven infected sailors could have picked up the virus, given that the ship\'s entir…

RT (2020-04-15). Covid-19 \'avalanche\' in Africa & India could lead to FOUR waves of virus hitting Europe & US, health expert says. rt.com A WHO public health expert has warned that if the coronavirus is allowed to \"march through\" Sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian sub-continent unarrested, the rest of the world risks being hit by repeated bouts of Covid-19. | Professor Lawrence Gostin, director of the World Health Organization\'s Center on Public Health and Human Rights, told BBC Radio 4\'s Today program on Wednesday that we are \"only as safe as the weakest link in the global chain\" on tackling coronavirus. | If you\'ve got Covid rages in other parts of the world, in this interconnected society we live in, it will come back to Europe and the United…

RT (2020-04-15). Researchers blast Swedish govt for disastrous Covid-19 strategy, claim country\'s death toll headed for \'heights of Italy\'. rt.com A group of 22 researchers has penned a letter demanding \"swift and radical action\" by the Swedish government to prevent the further spread of coronavirus in the country and the potential collapse of its healthcare system. | The scientists According to the group, Sweden\'s Public H…

RT (2020-04-15). \'Post-mortem\' analysis needed: US disease control chief says too early to say whether WHO failed, after Trump suspends funding. rt.com The US CDC director, Robert Redfield, has hailed America\'s \'productive cooperation\' with the WHO as President Donald Trump blamed if for failed response to Covid-19 crisis. It was too early to decide if it failed, Redfield said. | \"The CDC and WHO have had a long history of working together in multiple outbreaks throughout the world, and we continue to do [so] on this one,\" Robert Redfield

RT (2020-04-15). Putin promises strong support for Russian businesses hurt by coronavirus crisis. rt.com Russia\'s President Vladimir Putin has suggested new measures to support small and medium-sized businesses by providing them with funds to continue paying salaries to employees instead of laying them off amid the Covid-19 pandemic. | During a meeting with the members of the government on Wednesday, Putin proposed adding the hardest-hit non-food companies to the list of small and medium-sized businesses. | The president said that, starting from May 18, companies that retained at least 90 percent of their employees will receive salary funds from the state. Support will be calculated based on the total number of e…

RT (2020-04-15). Amazon threatens to shut down all warehouses in France amid Covid-19 after court ruled it violated workers' safety rights. rt.com Amazon said it may close down its warehouses in France instead of limiting its operations to the delivery of essential goods, after a court ruled that it has failed to protect its workers\' safety. | \"Our interpretation [of the ruling] suggests that we may be forced to suspend the activity of our distribution centers in France,\" the US-based e-commerce giant said on Wednesday, promising to appeal the decision. | Amazon said that it was \"puzzled\" by the court ruling given \"the hard evidence brought forward regarding security measures put in place to protect our employees.\" | On Tuesday, a court in Nanterre, outs…

RT (2020-04-15). Russia reports 3,388 new coronavirus cases, overall nationwide tally stands at 24,490. rt.com The coronavirus case count in Russia has grown by 3,388 over the past day to 24,490 in 84 regions, the crisis center said on Wednesday. | The Altai Republic remains the only Russian region which has not been affected by the virus. A total of 1,986 people have recovered from the disease and 198 people have died, TASS reports. | Moscow has confirmed 1,774 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the official count in the Russian capital to 14,776. New cases of the disease have been recorded in 64 other regions, including in the Moscow Region (272), the Murmansk Region (137), St. Petersburg (130), the Leningrad Region (108),…

RT (2020-04-15). Indian scientists discover new type of coronavirus in two species of fruit BAT. rt.com While the world battles against the rapidly spreading Covid-19 disease, another type of coronavirus has been discovered in bats inhabiting India, a new study has found. | Some 25 bats have tested positive for the new coronavirus dubbed BtCoV, local media reported, citing a study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The tested animals are from the bat species Rousettus and Pteropus, commonly referred to as fruit bats. They were found in India\'s southern states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, as well as in Himachal Pradesh state in the Western Himalayas. | \"These bat coronaviruses have no rela…

RT (2020-04-15). Should Biden create his own \'SHADOW GOVT, shadow cabinet, shadow SWAT team\' to counter Trump… asks MSNBC host. rt.com MSNBC\'s Stephanie Ruhle went beyond the point of shilling for Joe Biden by asking whether the former vice president should set up a \"shadow government\" to counter Donald Trump\'s coronavirus daily briefings. | Biden may be riding the momentum of endorsements from previous competitors Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, as well as from former President Barack Obama, but one MSNBC host thinks he needs to do more to \"counter-program\" Trump during the Covid-19 pandemic. | \"Should he be creating his own shadow government, shadow cabinet, shadow SWAT team, and getting up there on a podium every night saying, \'here\'s…

RT (2020-04-15). Mandatory masks in public places, fines for spitting: India issues revised Covid-19 guidelines as PM Modi extends lockdown. rt.com The Indian government has updated its rules for combatting Covid-19 after the nationwide quarantine was extended to May 3 as the infection continues to spread across the country. | All Indians must wear masks or other face covers in public places and at work, the Hindu reported, citing an order from the government issued on Wednesday. The police will continue to enforce the nationwide quarantine as people can be fined for spitting at each other. | Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier extended the lockdown until May 3. Shopping malls, cinemas, gyms, bars and restaurants remain closed, as do all other establ…

Robert Hunziker (2020-04-15). Abrupt Ecosystem Collapse. counterpunch.org A new study in Nature (April 2020) casts a disturbing light on the prospects of abrupt ecosystem collapse. The report analyzes the probabilities of collapsing ecosystems en masse, and not simply the loss of individual species. (Source: Trisos, C.H. et al, The Projected Timing of Abrupt Ecological Disruption From Climate Change, Nature, April 8, 2020)

Michael Welton (2020-04-14). Apocalypse Around Every Corner. counterpunch.org I used to read my three kids their favourite story book series on Frog and Toad. Frog, more cheery than his friend Toad, who takes things a wee bit too literally and frets too much, says that \"spring is just around the corner.\" Thinking for a few seconds, Toad asks Frog if they could go

Patrick Cockburn (2020-04-14). A Pandemic May be Reported Like a War, But They\'re Very Different. counterpunch.org I was walking in the early evening down an empty street in Canterbury, wondering how residents were coping with fear and isolation stemming from the coronavirus outbreak. People living there must have been in their houses judging by the cars parked outside, but there were few lights in the windows suggesting that they were in their kitchens out the back.

Gary Bono (2020-04-14). Three New York City transit workers dying every day of coronavirus. peoplesworld.org NEW YORK — This city\'s bus and subway workers are dying at a faster rate than their counterparts anywhere across the country. The shocking death rate among the employees of the New York Transit system is triple the death rate for any other group of front line workers in this city. More than 7,500 have …

Subin Dennis (2020-04-14). Why It\'s Going to be Much Harder for Neoliberals to Prevent Government Spending. counterpunch.org It is a sign of how bad things are when the editorial board of the Financial Times, the world\'s leading business newspaper, carries an editorial calling for \"radical reforms… reversing the prevailing policy direction of the last four decades.\" The FT editorial of April 3 has advocated, among other things, a more active role for

Macdonald Stainsby (2020-04-14). Why is Canada Refusing Cuban Doctors? counterpunch.org We all have this feeling right now. Fear, sometimes verging on terror, and the main strategy to stay human is to never panic. Still, there is a lot of reason to be greatly afraid. Covid-19 has passed into every country, and most people on earth are on some variant of lockdown. The psychology of it is immense. There is an invisible enemy, somewhere out there, and it is threatening immediately our families and loved ones, and it has removed all outdoor life, socialization, schooling, etc.

Alexander Main (2020-04-14). COVID-19 in Brazil: Favela Residents and Indigenous Communities Among Those Most at Risk. counterpunch.org As of noon on April 8th the total number of Covid-19 positive cases reported by Brazil\'s health ministry exceeded 14,000 and the number of deaths exceeded 700. This is, by far, the highest number of reported cases in Latin America (though Ecuador has a greater number of reported cases and deaths on a per capita

Gary Macfarlane — Mike Garrity (2020-04-14). Conservation Groups Will Sue Feds to Stop Massive Timber Sale in Critical Habitat for Snake River Steelhead. counterpunch.org Since time immemorial Pacific salmon and ocean-run steelhead trout have fought their way up the tumultuous waters of the Columbia and Snake Rivers to spawn in the headwater streams that flow west from Idaho\'s towering snow-capped mountains. Their vast numbers fed wildlife such as bears and eagles, while sustaining the Indian tribes along the migration route. But

Chris Kuntz (2020-04-14). Five Ways to Get Rid of Coronavirus. counterpunch.org …

RT (2020-04-14). North Korea fires suspected short-range cruise missiles into the East Sea – S. Korean military. rt.com Multiple short-range anti-ship projectiles, launched by the North Korean military on Tuesday, have landed in the sea between Japan and the Korean Peninsula, Seoul\'s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported. | \"Our military spotted two projectiles believed to be short-range ballistic missiles fired from the Wonsan area around 6: 10am [local time] to the northeast of the east coast,\" the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS)

Staff (2020-04-14). Essential or Expendable? Farmworkers Condemn Lack of Protection and Economic Help During Pandemic. democracynow.org As the coronavirus sweeps through the United States, the country\'s 2.5 million farmworkers are continuing to go to work every day, often facing crowded and unsanitary conditions without personal protective equipment, for poverty wages. We speak with Gerardo Reyes Chávez, a farmworker leader with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, who describes the conditions farmworkers in Florida are facing and how they are calling on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to protect farmworkers during the COVID-19 crisis, and with Mónica Ramírez, president and founder of Justice for Migrant Women and co-founder of the National Farmwork…

Staff (2020-04-14). \"Terrified to Go to Work\": Hundreds of Workers in Meat & Poultry Plants Test Positive for COVID-19. democracynow.org We look at the spike in coronavirus infections at meatpacking plants. In just one case, Smithfield Foods shut down a plant responsible for 5% of U.S. pork production after more than 350 workers at the facility tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, deaths of slaughterhouse workers have been reported in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Colorado. Many meat processing facilities employ large numbers of immigrants, including undocumented workers. We speak with Wenonah Hauter, executive director and founder of Food & Water Watch, and with Magaly Licolli, executive director of Venceremos, an advocacy group for poultry plant…

Xinhua News Agency (2020-04-14). Lucha contra COVID-19 refleja amistad profunda entre China y Venezuela. peoplesworld.org CARACAS (Xinhua) — La solidaridad demostrada por China a Venezuela en medio de la pandemia del nuevo coronavirus refleja la amistad profunda entre ambos pueblos de Venezuela y de China, expresó hoy el analista internacional Sergio Rodríguez Gelfenstein. En entrevista con Xinhua, el experto explicó que \"esta es la continuidad de lo que se ha …

The Canary (2020-04-14). China moves to block new coronavirus flare-up on Russian border. thecanary.co China is facing a new coronavirus flare-up along its remote northern border with Russia.The frontier has been sealed and emergency medical units rushed to the area to prevent travellers from bringing the virus back from overseas.The coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic began in China, which is now striving to keep the virus out while other countries struggle to bring their own outbreaks under control.The long, porous border of Heilongjiang province and neighbouring Inner Mongolia has much less travel than major cities like Beijing and Shanghai. But it is a popular alternative route into the country.Many Chinese live a…

RT (2020-04-14). Russian Covid-19 cases exceed 21,000 after Putin warns country faces 'extraordinary crisis'. rt.com The day after President Vladimir Putin told Russians that the next few weeks will be \"decisive\" in the battle with coronavirus, the country has posted a new daily record rise in infections, with 2,774 new cases discovered. | Over two-thirds (1,949) were found in Moscow and its surrounding region, with others dotted around the country. The national total now stands at 21,102. | Worryingly, the remote northern Komi Republic is Russia\'s fourth most affected region overall. The resource-rich territory recorded 97 fresh Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing its tally to 305, with three dead. | Twenty-two new deaths h…

RT (2020-04-14). Russian MPs approve bill on dual citizenship for foreigners in 1st reading. rt.com The lower house of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, has approved the first reading of the bill, according to which foreigners no longer have to give up their existing citizenship when being granted the Russian one. | Currently, when applying for Russian citizenship, foreigners must confirm that they had addressed their country\'s corresponding bodies in order to give up their original citizenship. The new bill cancels this requirement. | Chairman of the Duma Committee for CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots Leonid Kalashnikov said that previously this measure was in place onl…

RT (2020-04-14). Covid-19 isolation could lead to DIVORCE EPIDEMIC, according to Russian expert. rt.com It\'s only April, but 2020 is certain to be remembered for more than just the fact that its first two digits match its second pair of digits. It has been one of those years in which, to paraphrase Vladimir Lenin, \"decades happen.\"

RT (2020-04-14). Russian FM Lavrov holds video conference with international journalists to discuss pressing global issues amid Covid-19 pandemic. rt.com Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will host a video conference attended by international media to discuss key issues, as the world struggles to contain the coronavirus pandemic. | The unorthodox press briefing will be attended by fifteen journalists from Russia and across the world. Lavrov, who is currently in Moscow, is expected to touch on a range of current international topics during the video conference.

RT (2020-04-14). 'Coronavirus is affecting EVERYBODY': Chinese virologists urge govts to act on Covid-19 as they share frontline experience with RT. rt.com Top Chinese virologists, who were invited to share their experience with Russian colleagues, have revealed how their country tackled Covid-19. They also urged governments to \'get real\' about the unprecedented threat to humanity. | A medical task force was sent to Russia from China on a humanitarian mission last weekend. Two of its members gave their take on the developing pandemic in an exclusive interview with RT. | They warned that Covid-19, which has killed more than 120,000 people around the globe, must be taken seriously because of its contagiousness, the likes of which have rarely been seen before. | Rea…

RT (2020-04-14). US coronavirus deaths top 25,000. rt.com The number of deaths in the US due to Covid-19 has reached 25,000, according to multiple databases keeping track of the coronavirus toll. | There have been more than 584,000 total US cases registered as of Tuesday morning.This puts the US in the first place globally in both known cases and fatalities, ahead of the next hardest-hit country, Italy, where the death toll is just over 21,000. | The state of New York remains the hardest hit, with almost 11,000 of the deaths and over 202,000 cases. New York City alone accounts for 7,900 coronavirus fatalities and 110,000 cases. | A total of 1.95 million Covid-19 case…

RT (2020-04-14). Chinese scientists identify drug that reduces risk of severe pneumonia during Covid-19 infection. rt.com Most of the deaths arising from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic have been due to severe pneumonia caused by the virus. But now Chinese researchers say they may have found a drug that reduces the risk of dangerous complications. | A group of Chinese medics studying 564 coronavirus patients, including 61 with acute pneumonia, in several hospitals across the country during January and February, have discovered an interesting pattern. | Their

RT (2020-04-14). Stock markets have not hit \'absolute bottom\' yet — investment guru Mark Mobius. rt.com The economic damage from a protracted coronavirus pandemic shutdown will be \"incredible,\" according to veteran emerging-markets investor Mark Mobius, who says there\'s an urgent need to restart the global economy. | \"I think we have to open up again in some way, because otherwise the collateral damage is going to be incredible,\" he warned, in an interview with CNBC. \"You think about the people who live day to day … you got to get the economy going again.\" | Mobius suggested that markets have probably not bottomed-out yet, urging investors to keep more cash on hand in case another crash occurs. \"I don\'t think…

The Canary (2020-04-14). Care homes struggling with PPE price hikes, says National Care Association. thecanary.co Virus-hit care homes are struggling to pay \"unsustainable\" prices for personal protective equipment as they try to shield staff and vulnerable residents from coronavirus (Covid-19), an industry association claims.The spotlight has shifted to Britain\'s social care sector after industry bosses said daily death tolls are \"airbrushing out\" hundreds of older people who have died in the care system.The UK\'s largest operator said Covid-19 had invaded around two-thirds of its homes while the chief executive of Care England said thousands are showing symptoms and there are \"thousands of people who\'ve died\".Nadra Ahmed, ch…

RT (2020-04-14). Europe's 'mixed picture': Optimism fading in UK as lockdown may be extended, while some European nations ease restrictions. rt.com The UK Foreign Secretary has said the restrictions to slow the spread of Covid-19 in Britain will remain in place until at least May 7, as other European nations re-open small businesses and non-essential stores. | Dominic Raab, who is deputizing for Boris Johnson while the latter continues his recovery, said on Monday that the UK still has a \"long way to go\" in its battle against the disease. | Read more | | Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Valance also warned that the…

Joan Walsh (2020-04-14). Newly Blue Virginia Leaves Workers Behind. thenation.com The Democratic governor used Covid-19 as an excuse to delay pro-labor bills. But unions say the virus shows why workers need protection ASAP.

RT (2020-04-14). Polish govt prepares to begin lifting some restrictions from April 19. rt.com Poland will gradually lift lockdown measures imposed to contain the novel coronavirus from April 19, starting with restrictions on convenience stores, the government said on Tuesday. It is also preparing to hold presidential elections by post on May 10. | \"From the 19th we will slowly start unfreezing the economy,\" Health Minister Lukasz Szumowski told Polish radio station RMF FM. Poland\'s government spokesman Piotr Muller told public radio that restrictions on shops are likely to be lifted first. The government in Warsaw will decide on the lifting of further curbs on Wednesday or Thursday, Muller added. | As…

RT (2020-04-14). WWE deemed 'essential business' in Florida, will continue to operate live shows despite coronavirus lockdown. rt.com World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has been designated as an \'essential business\' in Florida and will continue to operate live events alongside other indispensable services, per a local government official in the state. | WWE has long preached a \'show must go on\' mentality. Terrorist attacks, natural disasters and even the death of one of their performers during a show couldn\'t get Vince McMahon\'s traveling road show taken off the air, even temporarily, so what chance a global pandemic? | In contrast to practically every other sport in the United States, the WWE has been granted dispensation by Orange County…

RT (2020-04-14). G7 agrees on need to aid emerging economies amid anti-virus efforts — Tokyo. rt.com The finance leaders of the Group of Seven states agreed on Tuesday on the need to provide financial and technical assistance to emerging economies battling with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, according to Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso. | G7 finance leaders discussed the need for a coordinated response to deal with the damage the health crisis is inflicting on the global economy, Aso said after attending the teleconference. | \"There\'s no doubt the global economy will come under pressure from the coronavirus pandemic,\" Reuters quoted the minister as saying.

RT (2020-04-14). German lower-league club sells record 125,000 tickets to match despite coronavirus curbs… but there's a catch. rt.com With global sport currently at a standstill due to restrictions designed to stop the spread of Covid-19, one German side has found a novel way of keeping their finances ticking over by selling 125,000 tickets to a \'virtual game\'. | Lower tier side Lokomotive Leipzig announced this week that they had set a new club record for ticket sales for what they describe as a \'virtual game against an invisible opponent\'. | The game, which they say will take place on May 8, comes amid a global lockdown of most major sports in the world as various governments battle to tackle the spread of the novel coronavirus. | Also on…

RT (2020-04-14). Huge spike in deaths in England & Wales as Covid-19 linked to 1 in every 5 fatalities, suggesting UK is UNDERREPORTING. rt.com Covid-19 death tolls in England and Wales have shot up dramatically, with one in every five now linked to the coronavirus, while the UK government has been accused of underreporting fatalities among the elderly in care homes. | New data

RT (2020-04-14). 'Zoom-bombed': National swimming organization red-faced after X-RATED content broadcast during FAMILY online workout session. rt.com Scottish Swimming has apologized after an online session aimed at providing workout tips for families during coronavirus lockdown was hijacked by online trolls who played x-rated content to an audience of around 300 people. | The video stream, which was broadcast live on the live broadcasting service Zoom, was intended to provide tips for people looking to exercise remotely and was co-ordinated by Scottish Swimming, the country\'s national body for the sport. | It featured a host of the Scotland\'s top swimmers but organizers were forced to pull the plug when the feed was hacked and what was later referred to as…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-04-14). Workers are essential, bosses are not. peoplesworld.org Who\'s an \"essential worker\" in the time of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent shutdowns, financial decline, and rising joblessness from coast to coast? And who isn\'t? We ask because that\'s a big issue these days as the country struggles to figure out who should go back to work, armed with masks and other protective gear, …

RT (2020-04-14). Southeast Asian leaders hold video conference summit, vow to cooperate in Covid-19 fight. rt.com Leaders of Southeast Asian states agreed at their first video conference summit on Tuesday to fight together against the \"gravest public health crisis\" in 100 years. Coronavirus cases in countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) over the past month have soared to more than 20,000 from fewer than 840. | The death toll has grown to 866 from 14, Reuters said. Due to limited testing in some countries, medical professionals suspect the real numbers may be much higher. \"It\'s critical for us and ASEAN to mount a united response because of how connected and interdependent our countries are,\" Sing…

RT (2020-04-14). Denmark\'s PM proposes \'quicker reopening\' of society. rt.com Denmark\'s government wants to reopen society quicker than previously anticipated, as the number of coronavirus-related hospitalizations continues to fall, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has said. | \"The number of hospitalizations have not risen, they have fallen. And the number of people in intensive care is also falling,\" Frederiksen told reporters on Tuesday. The PM did not specify details of the government\'s proposal, Reuters said. | The move will be discussed with other parties in parliament later on Tuesday, according to the Danish prime minister.

RT (2020-04-14). Czech govt to gradually reopen stores & services by June 8, but \'masks remain obligatory\'. rt.com The Czech government has approved a plan to gradually reopen stores and restaurants between April 20 and June 8. Its official presentation on Tuesday signaled the restart of an economy in standstill due to the coronavirus outbreak. | Under the plan, small stores would reopen on April 20, with larger ones to follow on May 11, while restaurants and shopping malls should resume business on June 8. | Czechs will continue to be required to wear masks for the time being, Health Minister Adam Vojtech said. His deputy, Roman Prymula, added that now \"a person with the virus infects less than one person on average\" and…

RT (2020-04-14). Test for me but not for thee: UK\'s Gove under fire as daughter skips virus-test queue. rt.com UK Cabinet minister Michael Gove is under fire after his daughter was granted permission to skip the coronavirus testing queue, in the latest example of there being one rule for the powerful and another for everyone else. | Gove\'s 17-year-old daughter began showing mild symptoms on April 5, and the family received special permission from Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty to have her tested the following day, along with orders to stay indoors for a period of 14 days. | The teenager\'s results later came back negative, but the incident was yet another example of the rich and powerful appearing to jump to the top…

RT (2020-04-14). 'That's the bloody point!' UK journalist roasted after saying govt's Covid-19 'furlough scheme' removes 'incentive to work'. rt.com A prominent UK political journalist has provoked anger after claiming the government\'s economic safeguarding initiative — commonly known as the furlough scheme — is a \"straightforward bribe to stop working.\" | Robert Peston tweeted a link to his Spectator article on Tuesday, which was titled: \"Has the furlough scheme removed the incentive to work?\" He was ostensibly frustrated at the idea that people are being \"paid to do nothing at home.\" | Under the UK government scheme, non-essential workers furloughed during the Covid-19 pandemic are being paid 80 percent of their monthly wages up to £2,…

RT (2020-04-14). Merkel\'s party may delay leadership vote until December, CDU chief says. rt.com German Chancellor Angela Merkel\'s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) will likely delay the election of a new chief until December due to the coronavirus, according to current leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. | \"The nearer we get to the summer break with a possible special party conference, the less the need for a conference that will take place just a few weeks before the normal one,\" dpa quoted Kramp-Karrenbauer as saying on Tuesday. | The new leader will be in pole position to run as chancellor in the next federal election. Merkel has said she will not seek a fifth term. Kramp-Karrenbauer, Merkel\'s pro…

Michael Berkowitz (2020-04-14). Sickness and the cure: The great pandemic films, and the greatest. peoplesworld.org There are many good pandemic movies. But there is only one great one. It\'s one of the greatest films ever made. With the onslaught of the coronavirus, viewers and reviewers have flocked to their screens to look back at popular pandemic films. The best of them, like Contagion, Outbreak or 28 Days Later, may entertain. …

The Canary (2020-04-14). Covid-19: Man wrongly convicted under Coronavirus Act. thecanary.co A 21-year-old man was wrongly convicted and fined £60 under new coronavirus laws, Britain\'s largest police force has admitted.The case of a 15-year-old boy, who was also charged under the Coronavirus Act 2020, is being reviewed by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).The PA news agency raised concerns with the Metropolitan Police about how the law had been applied in cases identified in an analysis of available London magistrates\' court lists.UK civil liberties group Big Brother Watch said it was \"astonishing\" the legislation is still being misused. | The Coronavirus Act, which came into force last month, al…

RT (2020-04-14). Cannes, but in different \'form\'? Film festival orgs hint it\'ll have to CHANGE as France extends Covid-19 shutdown. rt.com Organizers of the Cannes International Film Festival have not yet given up on holding it \"one way or another\" this summer, but have conceded it will be impossible in \"its original form,\" due to extended coronavirus lockdowns. | The festival, which serves as a springboard for a wide variety of films, was originally scheduled to start on May 12. Last month, the organizers On Monday, howev…

RT (2020-04-14). Covid-19 vaccine could take \'12 months or longer,\' WHO warns as almost 2mn people infected with deadly virus. rt.com An effective vaccine against the novel coronavirus is unlikely to be available until the spring of 2021, World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson, Dr. Margaret Harris, has warned. | Dr. Harris told a briefing in Geneva that \"We really shouldn\'t be expecting to see the vaccine at least for 12 months or longer.\" | Vaccinations take a long time to become available due to stringent regulations surrounding clinical trials. While there has been speculation about the effectiveness of some existing medications — such as the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine — these have not been proven to be effective ag…

RT (2020-04-14). \'We\'ve turned the dollar into toilet paper\', chief investment officer tells Keiser Report. rt.com Central banks and fiscal policy makers worldwide are launching huge stimulus measures in an effort to backstop the global economy, as the Covid-19 pandemic takes its toll. | RT\'s Keiser Report talks to Mark Yusko of Morgan Creek Capital to figure out what lies ahead for the world economies, as entire industries are shutting down. | \"The real issue today is that it\'s not the virus that\'s the threat,\" Yusko says. According to him, there are lots of viral threats around the world that are actually worse than Covid-19. The \"unprecedented response\" from fiscal and monetary stimulus around the world will lead to a g…

Eds. (2020-04-14). President Maduro announced 6 new confirmed coronavirus cases for a 181 total—Venezuela moving to massive screenings. mronline.org The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro Moros , reported this Sunday that 6 new positive cases for Covid -19 were recorded in the country, for a total of 181 infected patients and zero [new] fatalities.

RT (2020-04-14). Trump threatens consequences for Beijing as Senate launches China-centered probe into Covid-19 origins. rt.com China will have to answer for allegedly misleading the world about coronavirus, President Donald Trump has signaled. His thinly-veiled threat comes as the US Senate begins an investigation into the causes of the health crisis. | The US president took a swipe at China — as well as CBS reporter Paula Reid — after the journalist asked him why there had been no \"consequences\" for Beijing\'s \"misinformation\" during the pandemic. | \"I wouldn\'t tell you. China will find out. Why would I tell you?\" Trump fired back. \"How do you know there are no consequences? You\'re going to find out.\" | His warning coincided…

Glen Ford (2020-04-14). Resistance growing to covid-capitalism. mronline.org Covid-19 has laid bare a fundamental truth: that capitalist healthcare is a contradiction in terms, since capital—like the killer virus—cares for nothing but reproducing itself.

RT (2020-04-14). Germany\'s drop in Covid-19 cases may only be due to lack of testing at Easter, public health chief warns, amid lockdown debate. rt.com Germany\'s top health official has cautioned that a recent slowdown in new coronavirus infections is likely the result of a temporary decrease in testing. The warning comes as Berlin considers lifting containment measures. | Daily tallies of new coronavirus cases have begun to gradually decline, but the recent figures may be the result of less testing over the Easter holiday, Lothar Wieler, the head of the Robert Koch health institute, noted. | \"We can therefore not yet conclusively assess whether the number of cases is actually falling,\" the public health chief argued, adding that Germans should not think that…

Joan Walsh (2020-04-14). Newly-Blue Virginia Leaves Workers Behind. thenation.com The Democratic governor used Covid 19 as an excuse to delay pro-labor bills. But unions say the virus shows why workers need protection ASAP.

RT (2020-04-14). Taiwan reports no new coronavirus cases for 1st time in month. rt.com Taiwan on Tuesday reported no new cases of the coronavirus for the first time in more than a month. Health experts have noted Taiwan\'s efforts, including introducing —as early as December 31— checks on passengers arriving from China\'s Wuhan city, where the first cases were reported late last year. | The island has reported 393 cases to date, and six deaths, Reuters said. A total of 338 were \'imported cases,\' where people were suspected of getting infected overseas. \"Of course, we hope it has passed,\" Health Minister Chen Shih-chung told reporters. \"But we still need to be on our guard.\" | The last ti…

RT (2020-04-14). \'The value of your lives is supreme\': Modi extends India\'s nationwide Covid-19 lockdown until May 3 as country tops 10,000 cases. rt.com Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an extension of the country\'s coronavirus lockdown, noting that while social distancing is working, another month of restrictions is needed as the nation fights the pandemic. | The prolonged lockdown came on Tuesday morning, with the PM telling citizens in a national address that their efforts were paying off, but that India is still not ready to lift its national quarantine. | Initially imposed in late March for 21 days, the measures are now set expire on May 3, Modi said, adding however that restrictions in some areas may be relaxed. | These measures have com…

RT (2020-04-14). Austria, Denmark & Italy tentatively emerge from coronavirus lockdown. rt.com The governments of Austria, Denmark and Italy have all begun easing lockdown restrictions, allowing certain segments of the workforce to return to work in a staggered manner, in a bid to revive the countries\' ailing economies. | On March 16, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz ordered everything, except supermarkets and medical facilities, to shut down in the hopes of preventing a coronavirus outbreak similar to the one which ravaged Italy. | Those restrictions are finally beginning to be lifted on Tuesday as non-essential stores under 400 square meters (4,300 square feet), such as hardware stores and garden ce…