Daily Archives: October 1, 2020

2020-10-01: News Headlines

MEE and agencies (2020-10-01). Coronavirus: Turkish government admits excluding asymptomatic cases from figures. middleeasteye.net Coronavirus: Turkish government admits excluding asymptomatic cases from figures | Revelation prompts outrage as Turkish Medical Association accuses government of 'hiding the facts' | Thu, 10/01/2020 – 09: 23 | The official number of daily coronavirus cases in Turkey have begun to decline in recent days after rising over the past several weeks (Reuters) | Doctors and politicians in Turkey…

RT (2020-10-01). DOJ charges hundreds doctors & nurses in massive $6bn 'healthcare fraud' and opioid bust. rt.com The US Department of Justice has announced charges for nearly 350 suspects in a sweeping bust linked to healthcare fraud. Among them are scores of medical professionals accused of scamming federal programs and private insurers. | The DOJ went public with the nationwide takedown on Wednesday, saying it had filed charges against 345 defendants across 51 federal districts, including more than 100 doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers. | "These defendants have been charged with submitting more than $6 billion in false and fraudulent claims to federal health care programs and private insurers," the departmen…

RT (2020-10-01). 'You cannot lock down everybody': Madrid leaders oppose Spanish govt's plan to lock down capital. rt.com Conservative-led authorities in the Madrid region on Thursday criticized the Spanish government's plan to confine the capital city in an effort to tackle a surge in Covid-19 cases. | Announcing its plan late on Wednesday, the Health Ministry said the central government was overriding regional authorities to impose a lockdown of the city of over 3 million people in the coming days. Nine surrounding municipalities with populations of at least 100,000 each will also be included in the plan. | "You cannot lock down everybody," regional chief Isabel Diaz Ayuso said, speaking on esRadio. "I'm sure the Madrid plan is…

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-01). COVID-19 infects 3,825, kills 211 in Iran in 24h. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 01 (MNA) — According to the Iranian Health Ministry, the novel coronavirus disease has claimed 211 lives in the country in the past 24 hours.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-01). Iran ready to coop. with China on COVID-19 vaccine. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 01 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani felicitated the Chinese National Day and expressed readiness for increased cooperation with Beijing, especially in producing the COVID-19 vaccine.

sputniknews (2020-10-01). FBI Reportedly Tipped Off on Ghislaine Maxwell by Woman Claiming 'Predator Combed Gyms for Recruits'. sputniknews.com A woman has come forward claiming she could have easily fallen victim to Ghislaine Maxwell's dealings. She said that when the socialite offered her a modelling job, she had different career aspirations and declined the offer due to health issues.

yenisafak (2020-10-01). South Africa opens borders for global travelers. yenisafak.com South Africa Thursday opened its borders to international travelers, barring those coming from high-risk countries.The government has listed 60 countries as being high risk, including the US, the UK, Russia, and several countries in the Middle East and Latin America.The country had closed ports of entry in March to stem the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.In a statement, the government said that all travelers visiting the country will be expected to abide by the health regulations which include mandatory wearing of masks, practicing social distancing in public spaces and sanitizing hands.Travelers are also requir…

yenisafak (2020-10-01). Not all COVID-19 cases are patients: Turkish official. yenisafak.com Since most who test positive for the novel coronavirus in Turkey do not show symptoms, "not all cases are patients," the country's top health official said Wednesday.Explaining that all those who test positive for the virus are listed as "cases," Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said the vast majority infections were asymptomatic."The rest are those who show symptoms of the disease and are brought under treatment," said Koca, adding that these patients are either monitored in hospitals or their homes."We report those that we treat in hospitals separately as inpatients," he added.Amid swelling case numbers across Eu…

Edna Bonhomme (2020-10-01). Covid Threatens to Worsen Disparities in Maternal and Reproductive Care. thenation.com Covid Threatens to Worsen Disparities in Maternal and Reproductive Care…

Staff (2020-09-30). Headlines for September 30, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Refuses to Condemn White Supremacists or Rule Out Post-Election Violence, New York City Coronavirus Infections Surge for First Time in Months, Indian Health Officials Claim 60 Million Coronavirus Infections Nationwide, House Democrats Unveil Pared-Down $2.2 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Bill, Texas Sheriff and Prosecutor Indicted for Evidence Tampering in Javier Ambler Police Killing, Kentucky AG Didn't Recommend Murder Charges for Breonna Taylor's Killers, Trump Plans Pre-Election ICE Raids in U.S. Sanctuary Cities, More Women Detail Forced Sterilizations, Unnecessary Surgeries at Georgia ICE Jail, World Hea…

Staff (2020-09-30). COVID U.S. Death Toll Tops 205,000 & 7M Infections as Trump Mocks Biden's Mask, Attacks the ACA. democracynow.org During the first presidential debate, former Vice President Joe Biden repeatedly criticized President Trump over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed over 205,000 people in the United States — the highest death toll in the world. Trump mocked Biden for wearing a mask, while claiming that a vaccine would be available within weeks. "It was very bizarre," says Marc Lamont Hill, author and professor of media studies and urban education at Temple University. "The idea of not erring on the side of caution is representative of the entire Trump administration's handling of the COVID-19 crisis.

Brigitte Amiri, Meagan Burrows (2020-09-30). Victory: After Three Years of Battling in Court, the Trump Administration Abandons its Policy of Banning Abortion for Unaccompanied Immigrant Minors. commondreams.org We will continue to fight for access to reproductive health care for people in federal custody and beyond. (Photo: Victoria Pickering/Flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

RT (2020-09-30). 'Political theater'?! Pennsylvania lawmaker, governor caught joking about taking their MASKS OFF before speech in 'hot mic' VIDEO. rt.com Pennsylvania State Representative Wendy Ullman and Governor Tom Wolf were caught joking off camera about taking their masks off just before they spoke at a press conference touting the need to defend Obamacare during Covid-19. | Just as Ullman was preparing to speak behind the podium on Tuesday at a press conference north of Philadelphia, Wolf can be heard off camera to her left, saying: "So Wendy, I'm gonna take, I'm gonna take my mask off when I speak." | Ullman walks toward Wolf, off camera, and says: "I will as well, just, I'm waiting so that we can do a little political theater." | Wolf replies, "OK," and…

MEE and agencies (2020-09-30). Israel's parliament curbs protests with new coronavirus laws. middleeasteye.net Israel's parliament curbs protests with new coronavirus laws | Critics fear that the measures have been introduced to stop anti-Netanyahu protests over the prime minister's alleged corruption | Wed, 09/30/2020 – 10: 24 | The new laws also give the government powers to declare a 'special emergency caused by the coronavirus pandemic' for renewable periods of one week (Reuters) | Israel's par…

news.un (2020-09-30). Listen to older people's 'suggestions and ideas' for more inclusive societies, urges UN chief. news.un.org Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is reckoning with the disproportionate and severe impact that the virus has wrought on the "health…rights and well being" of older persons, the UN chief has said, marking the international day highlighting their issues.

Thom Hartmann (2020-09-30). A COVID Primer for Your Trump-Loving Friends. counterpunch.org America's first COVID death was on February 29 of this year, roughly 200 days ago. In that time, more than 200,000 Americans have died of the disease, the equivalent of 1,000 people a day. That's how many people would have died if between February 29 and today three fully-loaded jumbo jets had crashed every single

Ashley Curtin (2020-09-30). Up to half a million sharks could be killed to create global coronavirus vaccines, conservationists warn. nationofchange.org Conservationists fear that if two doses of the vaccine are needed to immunize the global population than half a million sharks would subsequently die.

Imani Countess (2020-09-30). COVID-19, Hunger, and State Violence are on the Rise in Zimbabwe. counterpunch.org Africa reports 1.3 million positive COVID-19 cases, leading some health officials to consider that the continent may have escaped the worst of the coronavirus. In Zimbabwe, the health ministry reports low levels of the virus, with cumulative reports of 7,400 positive cases and 218 deaths by early September. Yet local sources believe that the infection

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-30). Iran registers 3,582 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 30 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry has confirmed 3,582 COVID-19 infections and 183 deaths due to the disease in the past 24 hours.

sputniknews (2020-09-30). 'Not According to Harris': Biden Sets Off Meme Storm After Saying 'I'm the Democratic Party'. sputniknews.com The 29th of September saw the first presidential debate between incumbent Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden, during which the two exchanged barbs over a spate of issues, including the coronavirus, healthcare, and election integrity.

Staff (2020-09-30). White House Overrules "No-Sail Ban" Despite Cruise Ships Being Hotbeds of COVID. truthout.org Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was overruled by other members of President Trump's coronavirus task force over whether a "no-sail ban" on cruise ships should continue for another four months, apparently thwarting a public health expert's understanding and concern about COVID-19 in favor of appeasing the cruise ship industry. | The current no-sail ban was set to expire on Wednesday, although an industry-imposed ban may continue through O…

yenisafak (2020-09-30). Germany's Merkel pledges $100 mln for COVID-19 vacine for poor countries. yenisafak.com German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday pledged $100 million to help developing countries access a COVID-19 vaccine as World Bank President David Malpass said "broad, rapid and affordable" access to vaccines "will be at the core of a resilient global economic recovery that lifts everyone."Merkel also called on "those who are still dithering" to commit to the global vaccine effort.

yenisafak (2020-09-30). What you need to know about the coronavirus right now. yenisafak.com Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Vaccine hopesResults from an early safety study of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine candidate in older adults showed that it produced virus-neutralizing antibodies at levels similar to those seen in younger adults, with side effects roughly on par with high-dose flu shots.The findings are reassuring because immunity tends to weaken with age, Dr. Evan Anderson, one of the study's lead researchers, said in a phone interview.Meanwhile, the chief executive of GlaxoSmithKline, the world's largest maker of vaccines, said she was optimistic the industr…

commondreams (2020-09-30). Trump Administration Set to Steamroll CDC on Cruise Ships, Prioritizing Foreign Corporations Over Public Health. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Paul Craig Roberts (2020-09-30). Where Did Covid-19 Come From? thealtworld.com Evidence indicates that it came from NIH funding of EcoHealth Alliance, an entity doing "gain-of-function" research in collaboration with the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Many experts believe that the virus was created by that research and escaped from the Wuhan lab. | Gain-of-function research involves enhancing the pathogenicity and transmissibility of pathogens. Many scientists are opposed to this research as it amounts in effect to bioweapons research. The rationale for the research is that it enhances with pre-knowledge the ability to respond to some emerging pandemic. In the case of the research at Wuhan, i…

Binoy Kampmark (2020-09-29). Assange's Fifteenth Day at the Old Bailey: Solitary Confinement and Parlous Health Care. dissidentvoice.org September 28. Central Criminal Court, London. Throughout the sham process formally known as the Julian Assange extradition trial, prosecutors representing the United States have been adamant: the carceral conditions awaiting him in freedom's land will be pleasant, accommodating and appropriate. Confronting 17 charges under the US Espionage Act and one under the Computer Fraud and …

Binoy Kampmark (2020-09-29). Assange on Trial: Solitary Confinement and Parlous Health Care. counterpunch.org September 28. Central Criminal Court, London. Throughout the sham process formally known as the Julian Assange extradition trial, prosecutors representing the United States have been adamant: the carceral conditions awaiting him in freedom's land will be pleasant, accommodating and appropriate. Confronting 17 charges under the US Espionage Act and one under the Computer Fraud and

F. William Engdahl (2020-09-29). Gates Vaccine Spreads Polio Across Africa. globalresearch.ca Microsoft founder Bill Gates has made himself the global vaccine czar as his foundation spends billions on spreading new vaccines globally. While much attention has been given to the role of Gates behind the corrupt WHO in promoting radical untested …

Patrick Cockburn (2020-09-29). Britain Will Seek Coronavirus 'Herd Immunity' Covertly or by Default, Thanks to an Inability to Get anything Done. counterpunch.org I was six years old in 1956 when my parents decided to return to Ireland from London, though a polio epidemic was in full swing in Cork city thirty miles from where we lived. They thought we would be safe in our house deep in the countryside and were encouraged by the fact that there were no cases in the nearest town.

Evaggelos Vallianatos (2020-09-29). On the Precipice of Tyranny. counterpunch.org As if climate change, its consuming heat and fires, and the killer pandemic plague were not enough, the country is getting closer to tyranny — by the day. Trump refuses peaceful transfer of power President Trump keeps saying the only result of the November 3 elections he will accept is his own reelection. His refusal

Editor (2020-09-29). Stop the war against Black and Brown communities! workers.org Following the 2014 police murders of Eric Gardner and Michael Brown, activists raised concerns about an "epidemic" of police brutality. Six years later it is clear that Black and Brown communities, living under police occupation, are confronting a very real war. The numbers do not lie. Documented police killings of . . . |

The Canary (2020-09-29). Former Sainsbury's boss to take on key Test and Trace role. thecanary.co The former chief executive of Sainsbury's is to take over as testing director at Test and Trace.Mike Coupe, who retired as chief executive officer of Sainsbury's at the end of May, is set to replace Sarah-Jane Marsh who is returning to her post as chief executive of Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust.Dido Harding, who runs NHS Test and Trace and is interim executive chair of the National Institute for Health Protection, said in an email to staff that Mr Coupe "will bring a wealth of experience in large scale supply chains, logistics and digital transformation".Baroness Dido Harding (Dominic Li…

RT (2020-09-29). Progressive Democrats denounce Biden's 'shift to left' with 'Bidenomics' as nothing more than REAGANOMICS. rt.com Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's attempt to woo estranged left-leaning voters with an economic plan presented as a 21st-century New Deal has been slammed by progressive voters as too little, too late. | The Democratic challenger's economic policy, dubbed "Bidenomics" and aimed at propping up the country's ailing healthcare, education, and infrastructure with a hefty infusion of taxpayer dollars, has triggered a backlash from the Left, after a detailed explainer on it appeared in Financial Times on Monday. | The plan, which Biden earlier linked to the New Deal deployed by former president Franklin…

RT (2020-09-29). Major US health care firm hit by cyberattack, forcing hospitals to revert to 'pen and paper'. rt.com Universal Health Services, one of the largest US for-profit hospital operators, was hit by a massive cyberattack over the weekend, reportedly forcing staff at some of its facilities to record patient data with "pen and paper." | The attack "looks and smells like ransomware," Al…

RT (2020-09-29). Less than 50% of Americans would take Covid-19 vaccine, even if they were paid $100 — poll. rt.com Mounting skepticism around a Covid-19 vaccine in the US continues, with less than half of respondents saying they'd take one even if they were offered $100, according to a new poll. | Of the 1,000-plus adults who participated in the Axios-Ipsos poll, only 44 percent said they'd take a vaccine if offered the incentive of $100. They would be even less likely to get the vaccine if they were the ones who had to pay $100, with only 26 percent saying they'd be willing to take on the cost. | More than half, however, said they'd be more "likely" to get it if their health insurance covered the entire cost. | Also on rt…

RT (2020-09-29). Russia faces potential autumn Covid-19 hospital crisis as cases rise sharply & 90% of allocated beds are already in use. rt.com Almost 90 percent of the 129,000 hospital beds allocated for Covid-19 patients in Russia are occupied. That's according to Alexey Kuznetsov, an assistant to the country's Health Minister, who was speaking on Tuesday. | Kuznetsov's comments came as it was revealed that the number of daily cases in Russia has almost doubled in the last month. | At the peak of the outbreak in late spring, Russian hospitals rapidly managed to increase the number of available beds from 50,000 to 184,000. As case numbers began to fall off, the extra capacity was used for regular patient treatment. Now, with coronavirus cases rising,…

RT (2020-09-29). No jab, no movement? UK MP pushes mandatory Covid-19 vaccination for travel, suggests army should oversee rollout. rt.com A British Conservative MP has urged the government to draft in the armed forces for the rollout of a mass coronavirus vaccination program, which would include mandatory certificates that allow people to travel internationally. | Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday night, Tobias Ellwood argued that the mass vaccination scheme is a challenge of the scale and complexity of "the D-day landings and Dunkirk." | The MP for Bournemouth East told the parliament that a vaccine could be six months away and urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to use the armed forces to oversee the process of delivering it to the UK…

WSWS (2020-09-29). Socialist Equality Party (Australia) holds online health workers' forum. wsws.org Australian health workers speak out over the lack of PPE and proper training to deal with COVID-19, and the government's run-down of the healthcare system.

yenisafak (2020-09-29). Indian court set to deliver verdict in Babri mosque demolition case. yenisafak.com A special court in India will deliver on Wednesday the verdict in the criminal case related to the Babri mosque demolition, almost 28 years after the structure in the Ayodhya town was pulled down.Last month, the Supreme Court had set Sept. 30 as the deadline to conclude the trial and pronounce the judgment.However, many senior defendants above 90 years of age may not be able to attend the court proceedings on that day due to health concerns although they are legally required to be present in court. It is not clear what arrangements the court would make for them.As many as 32 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders w…

news.un (2020-09-29). Climate change 'the defining challenge of our generation' says New Zealand Ambassador. news.un.org There is no vaccine against climate change, the Permanent Representative of New Zealand told the UN General Assembly debate on Tuesday, noting that now more than ever, the international community must "step up, collectively and in the common interest."

WSWS (2020-09-29). Workers Struggles: The Americas. wsws.org Protesting health care workers in Chile and teachers in Mexico faced police repression while call center workers in Cordoba, Argentina and transit workers in Recife, Brazil have launched strikes.

Newsclick (2020-09-29). Are we close to herd immunity? peoplesdispatch.org In this interview with scientist Satyajit Rath, we talk about whether the world is reaching any closer to herd immunity. While COVID-19 cases continue to rise almost exponentially, Rath talks about what is happening with the vaccine and more.

SLCUNCC (2020-09-29). Universal Collaboration is Needed to End This Pandemic. dissidentvoice.org Cuba, battling successfully to contain COVID-19 at home, also provides medical internationalism and solidarity abroad. While Cuba dispatches the Henry Reeve Brigade to countries requesting healthcare assistance, Donald Trump's administration escalates the anti-Cuba economic, financial and commercial blockade while threatening sovereign states who request needed Cuban medical solidarity — in a global pandemic. The limited measures implemented …

news.un (2020-09-29). WHO promises 'robust' investigation of sexual abuse allegations against workers in DR Congo. news.un.org The UN World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday, promised that any of its staff working as part of the agency's Ebola response team in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) found to have been involved in sexual exploitation and abuse, would face "serious consequences, including instant dismissal."

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-29). Public healthcare strikes continue in Kenya as workers demand their rights. peoplesdispatch.org Doctors and nurses at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi have downed tools. Meanwhile, the strike by medics in Embu county's government hospitals was called off after the government committed to a timeline to address their grievances…

_____ (2020-09-29). UK imports Dutch sewage for use on farmland despite being banned in Holland. truepublica.org.uk The UK is importing thousands of tonnes of sewage sludge to be used on farmland despite serious health and environmental concerns over the controversial practice, Unearthed can reveal. Documents obtained using freedom of information rules show that the Environment Agency (EA) has approved shipments that would see the arrival of 27,500 tonnes of sewage waste …

_____ (2020-09-29). Natural Gas Fracking Under Fire In Pennsylvania. popularresistance.org In a blistering report on Pennsylvania's 12-year experience with hydraulic fracturing for natural gas, a special statewide grand jury said public health and the environment have suffered and the state's environmental and health agencies, rather than acting as watchdogs, had a "culture of inadequate oversight." | "When it comes to fracking, Pennsylvania failed," said Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who convened the Investigating Statewide Grand Jury that listened to scores of witnesses and reports of investigators over two years.

Staff (2020-09-29). White House Pressured CDC to Produce Data Backing Trump's Push to Reopen Schools. truthout.org Officials within the Trump administration sought to pressure the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to downplay the risks associated with coronavirus in children in order to bolster the narrative that it was safe for schools to resume in-person instruction across the United States, according to Trump officials also wanted the health agency to find data t…

yenisafak (2020-09-29). COVID-19 continues to claim more lives in Arab region. yenisafak.com Health authorities in four Arab countries confirmed additional fatalities due to the coronavirus outbreak on Tuesday. | In a statement, the Tunisian Health Ministry said 32 people died from COVID-19, while 1,291 others tested positive for the virus over the past 24 hours. | Tunisia's tally now rose to 17,405 confirmed cases, including 246 deaths. | In Oman, the Health Ministry confirmed 11 fatalities and 528 infections, taking the Gulf state's count to 98,585, including 935 deaths, and 88,528 recoveries. | In the United Arab Emirates, the country's nationwide death toll rose to 416 after three people lost their l…

yenisafak (2020-09-29). Coronavirus situation update in Eurasian countries. yenisafak.com Health authorities in Eurasian and Central Asian countries on Tuesday reported new coronavirus cases, related deaths and recoveries. | The world's death toll from the novel infection, meanwhile, crossed one million, a development the UN secretary general termed "mind-numbing" and "an agonizing milestone." | – Ukraine | The death toll in Ukraine reached 4,065 with 69 more fatalities reported over the past 24 hours. | Confirming another 3,627 cases, the tally of cases reached 204,932, with 90,250 recoveries. | Over 114,000 patients remain under treatment. | – Georgia | With 314 new cases and 270 more patients regai…