2020-02-01: News Headlines

RT (2020-02-01). Oil prices see biggest January loss in 30 years. rt.com Crude oil prices slid a painful 15% in January – the biggest January slide since 1991- as the coronavirus claims the death of more than 200 souls and counting. | After a couple weeks of continued slippage, the price of the Brent and WTI benchmarks were trading down 0.98 percent and 0.73 percent on the day, respectively, at 9: 51am as the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency. | Also on rt.com | | While the WHO did not recommend any trav…

RT (2020-02-01). Russia stops processing Chinese work visas & scraps visa-free travel amid coronavirus epidemic. rt.com Moscow has temporarily halted issuing work visas to Chinese citizens and suspended visa-free travel for Chinese tourist groups in response to the coronavirus epidemic in the country. | The travel restriction come into force from Sunday. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who ordered them, stressed that the measures are temporary and are only meant to protect people in Russia from health risks posed by the infection — a point he asked the Foreign Ministry to make known to Beijing. | The agreement on visa-free travel for organized tourist groups works both ways, but the suspension by Russia applies only to…

RT (2020-02-01). 'Virus control beyond standards': China warns countries against spreading havoc as more borders shut & flights canceled worldwide. rt.com Beijing has lashed out at countries fanning fears of the novel coronavirus — which so far claimed 259 lives — insisting that its response against the deadly disease goes far beyond standards accepted worldwide. | "We have adopted the most comprehensive and strictest prevention and control measures, and many of them go far beyond the requirements of the International Health Regulations," Foreign Minister Wang Yi China's e…

RT (2020-02-01). US declares public health emergency over coronavirus, limits flights from China to 7 cities. rt.com The US has declared an ongoing coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency, limiting points of entry to incoming Chinese flights and banning from entry some foreign nationals who traveled to China in the last two weeks. | "I have today declared that coronavirus presents a public health emergency in the United States," Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said, announcing the measure on Friday. He stressed that the move was to "complement the work of China and the World Health Organization" that declared a global health crisis on Thursday. | The death toll from the novel virus, which originated in C…

RT (2020-02-01). Germany evacuates 100 from coronavirus-gripped Wuhan. rt.com Over 100 German citizens and family members have been flown from Wuhan to Frankfurt on Saturday. | None of the passengers have manifestations of the disease, which prompted the lockdown of the Chinese city in an attempt to stop the spread of the infection. However, they will be kept in quarantine for a checkup, since the virus may be spread by people without the pneumonia-like symptoms. | Health Minister Jens Spahn bemoaned the dissemination of conspiracy theories about the coronavirus on social media, saying they only "spread uncertainty" about the disease.

teleSUR (2020-02-01). Panama Canal Declares Security Measures Against Coronavirus. telesurenglish.net The Ministry of Public Health of Panama confirmed the strengthening of security measures to prevent the entry of the Coronavirus 2019-nCoV into the country, which also affects the crossing of its transoceanic canal. | RELATED: | Vessels must notify within 30 days before arriving at the isthmus, if they have traveled to ports located in countries that have confirmed cases of the infection, Panama Canal Authorities…

The Canary (2020-02-01). Death toll at 259 as more coronavirus cases confirmed. thecanary.co The death toll from the coronavirus has risen to 259 and the number of confirmed cases of infection has increased to 11,791, Chinese authorities said. | The World Health Organisation (WHO) has Meanwhile, the UK Foreign Office is reportedly withdrawing staf…

savin and Friedrich Steinfeld (2020-02-01). Sanders Beats Trump and Trump Throws Dynamite in the Powder Keg. indybay.org With Sander's election as the Democratic Party candidate, the US would have been the only country to have had a free health insurance policy since Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s… The USA and also Turkey have in fact long since left NATO and are following their own interests without taking their previous "partners" into consideration.

teleSUR (2020-02-01). US Pilots and Flight Attendants Demand Flights to China Stop. telesurenglish.net U.S.-based pilots and flight attendants are demanding their airlines stop flights to China, which have already been substantially reduced over the last week. | RELATED: | The Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents American Airlines (AA) pilots, cited "serious, and in many ways still unknown, health threats posed by the coronavirus" in a lawsuit filed in Texas. | This legal action was supported by AA flig…

Tom Clifford (2020-02-01). Coronavirus Has Been Declared a Global Emergency. What's Happening in China. globalresearch.ca Tom Clifford reporting from Beijing | The new coronavirus has been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization. | "The main reason for this declaration is not what is happening in China but what is happening in other countries," said …

WSWS (2020-02-01). Trump administration announces major attack on Medicaid, capping benefits. wsws.org The Trump administration's proposed changes to Medicaid will potentially slash benefits for millions of recipients, while opening the door for a broader assault on other entitlement programs, including Social Security and Medicare.

Jon Queally (2020-02-01). Second Largest Physicians Group Has New Prescription: Medicare for All. zcomm.org "Major changes are needed," declares the 159,000-member American College of Physicians, "to a system that costs too much, leaves too many behind, and delivers too little."

sputniknews (2020-02-01). Budget 2020-21: Indian Government Allocates Over $615 Million to Combat Air Pollution. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Air pollution in India is regarded as a serious health issue, with 51 percent of it caused by industry, 27 percent by vehicles, eight percent by crop burning, and five percent by festivity-related fireworks. The pollution contributes to the premature deaths of about two million Indians yearly.

yenisafak (2020-02-01). Turkish plane lands in Mongolia with evacuees. yenisafak.com A Turkish cargo plane, en route to Turkey on Saturday to evacuate Turkish citizens from Wuhan, the heart of deadly coronavirus outbreak, landed in Mongolia's capital to refuel after three hours flight. Turkish Armed Forces' A400M type cargo plane departed from Wuhan, China on Saturday airlifting 42 people, including the citizens of Turkey and other nearby countries.Passengers' health conditions are good and their oxygen levels as well as body temperature are normal, the officials told Anadolu Agency reporter on board.With 11 military personnel, six health employees, two press members and one Foreign Ministry rep…

yenisafak (2020-02-01). Taiwan confirms 10th case of coronavirus. yenisafak.com A total of 10 cases of coronavirus that caused pneumonia have been confirmed so far in Taiwan, according to China's news agency.The 10th patient had returned from Wuhan, China, the heart of coronavirus outbreak on Jan. 12, and was later misdiagnosed with flu on Jan. 22, with "no symptoms of pneumonia", Chinese news agency Xinhua on Friday reported, citing Taiwan's epidemic monitoring agency.He went through further medical examination and the infection was confirmed after his wife, the 9th confirmed case, was found Thursday infected by a coronavirus.Additionally, people who have close contacts with the couple were…

RT (2020-02-01). 'This could be a disaster': Ken Livingstone downbeat on 'pretty grim' prospect of Johnson's EU trade talks. rt.com Former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has said he believes there's a "very real chance" of the UK crashing out of the EU without any trade deal in place as Boris Johnson has just 11 months to lock down an agreement.

Al Neal, John Wojcik (2020-01-31). UN agency declares the coronavirus a global health emergency. peoplesworld.org The World Health Organization, an agency of the United Nations, declared the outbreak ignited by a new strain of the coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in China that has spread to over a dozen countries as a global health emergency Thursday after a rapid spike in the number of cases this past week. To date, more than 7,800 …

Staff (2020-01-31). U.S. Declares Virus Emergency, New Entry Restrictions. truthdig.com WASHINGTON — The United States on Friday declared a public health emergency and announced significant entry restrictions because of a new virus that hit China and has spread to other nations. | Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, who is coordinating the federal response, announced that President Donald Trump has signed an order that will temporarily bar entry to the U.S. of foreign nationals, other than immediate family of U.S. citizens and permanent residents, who have traveled in China within the last 14 days. The new restrictions take effect at 5 p.m. EST on Sunday. | "It is likely that we wil…

Staff (2020-01-31). Headlines for January 31, 2020. democracynow.org Senate Poised to Acquit President Trump in Impeachment Trial, World Health Organization Declares International Public Health Emergency, U.S. Special Envoy Warns of International Crisis in Idlib, Syria, Britain Formally Withdrawing from European Union Tonight, Pentagon Deploys 1st Low-Yield Nuclear Warhead-Armed Submarine, Trump Admin Poised to Loosen Restrictions on Use of Landmines, Human Rights Groups Condemn Mexico for Crackdown on Central American Migrants, Mexican Butterfly Conservationist Found Dead, Bolivia's Movement for Socialism Candidate Luis Arce Returns to Bolivia, U.S. Pushes EU to End Ban on Chemic…

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-01-31). Coronavirus Epidemic: WHO Declares a "Fake" Global Public Health Emergency. globalresearch.ca Out of 9600 confirmed cases, approximately 150 cases of infection have been recorded outside China. Moreover, (based on the above data, Jan 30), the 2019 nCoV has a low mortality rate (2.1%) compared to the Seasonal flu.

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-01-31). Coronavirus Epidemic: WHO Declares a Global Public Health Crisis, Can We Trust the WHO? globalresearch.ca In the course of the last two weeks, the World Health Organization (WHO) had already pointed to a possible Global Public Health crisis in relation to China's novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) categorized as a viral pneumonia. The virus outbreak is centred …

Staff (2020-01-31). Right-Wing Business Billionaires Launch Attack on Bernie Sanders. truthout.org Conservative business executives launched an ad campaign against Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders this week, attacking the democratic socialist on his plans to provide health care to all Americans and clean up the planet with a major public works program. | The wealthy manufacturing, poultry, fast food, and finance magnates, several of whom are Charles Koch allies, have recently donated millions of dollars to (CFGA), the super PAC affiliated with the right-wing political advocacy group

James Cogan (2020-01-31). World Health Organisation Officially Declares Coronavirus a "Global Health Emergency" globalresearch.ca The World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday decided to formally declare the outbreak of 2019-nCoV, the new coronavirus first identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan, as a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)." The PHEIC classification was only established …

(2020-01-31). EPA Reapproves Glyphosate, Claims Pesticide Poses No Human Health Threat. globalresearch.ca Relying on confidential industry research, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a final interim The EPA's assessment contradicts a 2015 World Health Organization …

Larry Romanoff (2020-01-31). China's Coronavirus: A Global Health Emergency is Launched. What are the Facts. globalresearch.ca On January 30, the WHO declared the virus outbreak as a global emergency, an "extraordinary event" that constitutes a risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response. This was prompted by the rapid rise in reported infections…

Peter Koenig (2020-01-31). Chinese Resilience and Silent, Simple and Steady Resistance: a Model for Mankind. dissidentvoice.org In a positive appeal to the Chinese people last Saturday, President Xi Jinping has called on the nation's courage to defeat the deadly epidemic which has already claimed more than 80 lives and more than 2,000 infected worldwide, the vast majority in China. These figures are changing fast, as the spread of the epidemic is …

Pepe Escobar (2020-01-31). China's Virus Response Has Been 'Breathtaking'. globalresearch.ca President Xi Jinping formally told WHO head Tedros Ghebreyesus, at their meeting in Beijing earlier this week, that the coronavirus epidemic "is a devil and we cannot allow the devil to hide." | Ghebreyesus for his part could not but …

Global Research News (2020-01-31). Selected Articles: How the FBI Sabotaged Trump Foreign Policy. globalresearch.ca By President Xi Jinping formally told WHO head Tedros Ghebreyesus, at their meeting in Beijing earlier this week, that the coronavirus epidemic "is a devil and we …

The Canary (2020-01-31). British Medical Association says issues around medicine supplies after Brexit still unresolved. thecanary.co More work is needed to ensure the supply of vital medicines is not disrupted after Brexit, leading doctors have said.Practical questions surrounding the transport of prescription drugs across the Irish border still need to be resolved, according to the BMA in the north of Ireland.Chair Dr Tom Black expressed concern: With just 11 months to finish negotiations on our future relationship with the EU, there are still issues to be resolved: current cross-border health services must be able to continue and indeed expand; the practicalities around the transport of medicines over the border still needs to be resolved and…

RT (2020-01-30). First case of direct transmission of coronavirus confirmed in US — CDC. rt.com The first US case of person-to-person coronavirus transmission has been recorded in Chicago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Illinois officials confirmed. | The new patient is the husband of a Chinese woman who brought the infection over from Wuhan, officials said Thursday at a press briefing. His wife is being held in isolation at a local hospital. | "Despite the case that we are reporting the first instance of person-to-person transmission in the United States, it is important to note that these two individuals were in close contact," said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's Nation…

Alan Macleod (2020-01-30). Cuba is Testing Products Against Cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease. mintpressnews.com While demonized in the United States, the Cuban government has built a comprehensive nationalized healthcare system based on preventative medicine, rather than the curative model the U.S. employs…

news.un (2020-01-30). Coronavirus spread now a global emergency declares World Health Organization. news.un.org The rise in new coronavirus cases outside China, now constitutes a global health emergency, the World Health Organization's Emergency Committee declared on Thursday, calling on all countries to take urgent measures to contain the respiratory disease.

news.un (2020-01-29). Coronavirus: First case confirmed in Gulf region, more than 6,000 worldwide. news.un.org On Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that the coronavirus outbreak has now spread to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The vast majority of cases continue to be declared in China, with more than 6,000 confirmed, 68 of them outside of the country.

Staff (2020-01-29). South Dakota May Criminalize Lifesaving Healthcare for Trans Youth in Latest Attack on LGBTQ Rights. democracynow.org The South Dakota Legislature is expected to debate a bill today that would criminalize gender-affirming surgery for transgender youth. If passed, House Bill 1057 would make it a felony for doctors to provide anyone under the age of 16 with puberty blockers, hormones and other transition-related healthcare. Medical professionals who provide this care could face up to 10 years in prison under the terms of the Republican-backed bill, which was passed in committee last week. On Tuesday, South Dakota introduced another anti-trans bill that would authorize parents to deny gender-affirming treatment to their children. I…

Jay Stanley (2020-01-28). What You Need to Know About the Coronavirus Outbreak: A Civil Liberties Perspective. aclu.org The world is watching anxiously to see what happens with the | coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China. As scientists and public health | officials in the United States learn more about the virus, and as we all see | how bad the outbreak turns out to be, it is important that public policymaking | remain firmly centered around science. | Unfortunately, our history of reactions to infectious | disease outbreaks suggests that if this outbreak becomes severe, we're likely | to see strong pressure to the contrary. In particular, we can expect three | things: | We can expect some to | panic.: | Unfortu…

Staff (2020-01-27). Headlines for January 27, 2020. democracynow.org Impeachment Trial Resumes as Leaked Bolton Manuscript Bolsters Democrats' Case, Coronavirus Death Toll Reaches 81 in China as Disease Spreads Around the World, Pentagon: 34 U.S. Troops Have Brain Injuries After Iranian Attack on Iraqi Airbase, Deadly Crackdown on Iraqi Protests Continue as 100,000s March Against U.S. Military Presence, Turkey Earthquake Kills 38; At Least 1,600 Hospitalized, Ugandan Activist Vanessa Nakate Slams Racist Media After Being Cropped from Photo with White Activists, Trump Attends Anti-Abortion "March for Life" as Admin Continues Assault on Reproductive Rights, High-Ranking Pharma Exec…

Joshua Cho (2020-01-24). Insurance Lobby Talking Points Don't Come With Warning Labels. fair.org Ever since The Intercept (