Daily Archives: April 1, 2021

2021-04-01: News Headlines

teleSUR (2021-04-01). COVID-19 Surge Forces Chile To Close Its Borders in April. telesurenglish.net Chile's Health Minister Enrique Paris announced new COVID-19 restrictions due to the resurgence of the pandemic. | RELATED: | On Thursday, he reported 7,830 new COVID-19 cases, the highest number of new infections since the outbreak of the pandemic. Measures to curb the spread of the virus include a border closure during April. Permits to enter and depart will only be issued for humanitarian emergencies. | The curfew will now…

teleSUR (2021-04-01). Canadian Solidarity Network Sends 2 Million Syringes to Cuba. telesurenglish.net This initiative is part of the Network's campaign on January 8 to raise funds in Canada to send a donation of much-needed medical supplies to Cuba. | RELATED: | In announcing this new action in solidarity with the Cuban people, the Network recognized the relevant achievements made by Cuba in the area of health and its contributions to other nations, even at a time when Cuba is facing a double pandemic: COVID-19 an…

Mark Gruenberg (2021-04-01). Part II, PW special: Agency probe reveals OSHA hamstrung vs. virus. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—It may be no great surprise, especially to unions in the front lines of defending workers against the ravages of the coronavirus, but a comprehensive report by the Labor Department's own Inspector General reveals the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was hamstrung in the fight against the plague. And while Carolyn Hantz, the Deputy Inspector …

Megan Redshaw (2021-04-01). 'Breaking Through' — States Report Growing Number of COVID Cases Among Fully Vaccinated. globalresearch.ca The Washington State Department of Health (DOH)

WSWS (2021-04-01). The trial of Derek Chauvin and the epidemic of police murder in America. wsws.org The testimony over the last three days has confirmed what millions of workers around the world already know: George Floyd's death on May 25, 2020 was a brutal police murder in cold blood.

Ashley Curtin (2021-04-01). LA lays out detailed paths to achieve 100 percent clean energy by 2045. nationofchange.org LA100 helped LA set ambitious goals to transform it's electricity supply and electrify the buildings and transportation sectors to "combat climate change while capturing health and economic benefits."

Sonja Scherndl (2021-04-01). Let's End the Insanity of Colossal Military Spending During a Global Health Emergency. globalresearch.ca If nations had a referendum, asking the public if they want …

Helen Yaffe (2021-04-01). Cuba Libre to be COVID-Libre: Five Vaccines and Counting… zcomm.org In 2020 Cuba confirmed a total of 12,225 coronavirus cases and 146 deaths in a population of 11.2 million, among the lowest rates in the Western Hemisphere…

Editor2 (2021-04-01). Palestine Receives 100 Thousand COVID-19 Vaccines from China. orinocotribune.com The Palestinian Authority has received 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine donated by China to accelerate its inoculation drive, which has been lagging due to Israeli inhibitions. | China handed over the batch of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines to Palestine on Monday. | Palestinian Health Minister Mai al-Kaila described the shipment as the single largest donation of COVID-19 vaccines her country has received so far, and thanked China for its move "to provide coronavirus vaccines as a global public good and its selfless assistance to Palestine." | Speaking at a joint press conference with China's Ambassador to Palestine…

RT (2021-04-01). WHO criticizes Europe for 'unacceptably slow' rollout of Covid-19 vaccines and 'prolonging the pandemic'. rt.com The World Health Organization (WHO) has labeled Europe's rollout of Covid-19 vaccines as "unacceptably slow," warning delays are "prolonging the pandemic" and described a surge in new infections in the region as "worrying." | The WHO statement from its top leadership in Europe on Thursday came after most countries reported increased coronavirus cases and deaths over the past seven days. Last week, Europe recorded 1.6 million new Covid-19 infections and close to 24,000 deaths. It is the world's second-worst affected region with nearly 1 million deaths and 45 million infections since the pandemic began. | "Vacci…

_____ (2021-04-01). UK's Vaccine Rollout Is A Reminder That We Need Universal Healthcare. popularresistance.org London – Dr. John Lister watched in horror as the United Kingdom's Covid-19 mortality rate climbed above 1 per 1,000, one of the highest death rates in the world since the start of the pandemic. So, when the 71-year-old Briton was informed he would receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in late January, he could hardly contain himself. | "It was a great moment of excitement when I got the notification," Lister tells In These Times. | Lister, a health policy expert and associate professor at Coventry University, was one of 15 million people in the United Kingdom to receive a Covid-19 vaccine before February 15, th…

Prabir Purkayastha (2021-04-01). Why the U.S. and Its Allies Are Stupid to Turn COVID-19 Vaccination Into a Geopolitical Power Play. counterpunch.org The recent joint statement by the leaders of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, comprising the U.S., India, Japan and Australia, has not foregrounded the military axis of their meeting but stressed more on the vaccine thrust against the COVID-19 pandemic. With several countries confronting the threat of a second or third wave of the virus, vaccines

Staff (2021-04-01). Headlines for April 1, 2021. democracynow.org Witness in Derek Chauvin Murder Trial Breaks Down After Viewing Footage of George Floyd's Killing, Four Killed as Gunman Opens Fire on Office Complex in Orange County, California, Biden Defends Infrastructure Plan as Progressives Push for $10 Trillion to Fight Climate Crisis, Wisconsin Supreme Court Voids Governor's Mask Mandate as COVID-19 Cases Rise Across U.S., Brazil's Cemeteries Hold Nighttime Funerals as COVID-19 Deaths Reach New Highs, Yemen Receives First COVID-19 Vaccine Shipments as Doctors Report Surge in Cases, Global Deforestation Increased by 12% in 2020 with Amazon Most Severely Affected, U.S. Cour…

RT (2021-04-01). Delays in deliveries of Indian-made AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine could be 'catastrophic', African Union's health boss warns. rt.com India's decision to postpone major exports of locally made AstraZeneca jab could have a "catastrophic" impact on Africa, a top health official has warned, expressing hope the delays won't turn into a permanent ban. | Speaking during a press conference in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa on Thursday, the chief of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, John Nkengasong, raised concerns over the delays. | Insufficient deliveries of AstraZeneca's jab, produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII), are expected to disrupt the African Union's (AU) vaccination plans, the official said. While the AU has…

RT (2021-04-01). Pfizer says new trial data shows Covid vaccine 'highly effective' against South African strain. rt.com Pfizer and BioNTech stated on Thursday that their jointly developed Covid-19 vaccine is highly effective in combating the South African variant of the virus, according to the company's latest phase-three trial data. | Pfizer released a statement declaring that new data from South Africa indicated "vaccine efficacy of 100%" despite the prevalence of the fast-spreading B.1.351 variant. | The findings from the phase-three trial come as countries worry about the effectiveness of existing vaccines against new, more transmissible variants of coronavirus, with concerns about how to fully control the disease as it con…

RT (2021-04-01). Facebook disinformation 'biggest challenge' to tackling Covid-19 — Papua New Guinea minister. rt.com Papua New Guinea's health minister, Jelta Wong, criticized Facebook on Thursday, claiming the spread of disinformation on the site poses the "biggest challenge" to tackling rising cases of Covid-19 in the country. | Speaking at an online event on Thursday, Wong declared that "Facebook is our biggest conspiracy theorist platform", and called for the company to "take responsibility for this and stop it." | Specifically, the health minister cited how "dangerous" posts, such as 'anti-vax' conspiracy theories, were hurting the nation's vaccine rollout and discouraging individuals from getting tested for the virus,…

RT (2021-04-01). 'Clock ticking': WHO chief urges 'enlightened world leaders' to step up and donate crucial Covid vaccine doses to poorer nations. rt.com The COVAX program to ensure that Covid-19 vaccines are distributed fairly among poorer nations is facing a serious shortfall, the World Health Organization chief has said, after he urged countries to hand over millions more doses. | "The clock is still ticking on vaccine equity," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news briefing on Thursday, as he revealed the pressure on COVAX to meet its immunization targets. | A "serious challenge" remains for vaccine equity and availability, he said, despite some 35 billion doses having been delivered to more than 78 countries through the WHO-backed COVA…

Aniruddha Ghosal (2021-04-01). Impoverished scavengers fight our trash problem, but they're denied vaccines. peoplesworld.org NEW DELHI (AP)—The scavengers wait patiently for a dump truck to tip the trash on the summit of the landfill outside New Delhi. Armed with plastic bags, they plunge their bare hands into the garbage and start sorting it. Every day, more than 2,300 tons of garbage is dumped at the landfill at Bhalswa that …

RT (2021-04-01). China's CanSinoBIO says its vaccine may be less effective over time, but 'booster shot' improves its efficacy to over 90%. rt.com A single-shot Covid-19 vaccine by CanSino Biologics has shown a decrease in efficacy over time, the manufacturer has said. Getting a "booster shot" six months after the first jab, however, propels its efficacy to over 90%. | The Chinese vaccine manufacturer CanSinoBIO provided an update on its vaccine during an online presentation late on Wednesday. Its chief scientific officer, Zhu Tao, said receiving a second jab of the vaccine six months after being inoculated with the single-shot solution had shown promising results during tests. | "A booster shot six months later led to a seven-times to 10-times increase…

Anonymous007 (2021-04-01). Even Terrorists Don't Want AstraZeneca Vaccine. southfront.org Click to see full-size image | On March 30th, al-Shabaab terrorists issued a statement rejecting the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for Somalia. | They cited its 'ineffective and adverse' side effects. | A statement released by the group warned Somalis against administering the AstraZeneca vaccine saying it is "deadly and unsafe." | The statement linked the recent move by dozens of countries including European nations like Germany, Italy and France to reject the vaccine becau…

RT (2021-04-01). Only those with Covid vaccine passport will be able to return to their 'daily lives', South Korean PM says. rt.com Seoul has announced it will issue digital certificates verifying a person's Covid-19 vaccination status, becoming the latest nation to adopt the controversial measure as a means to reopen cross-border travel. | South Korea will roll out a smartphone application this month that will be able to show whether someone has been administered the jab, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on Thursday. The system will use blockchain technology to guard against potential identity theft. | "The introduction of a vaccine passport or 'Green Pass' will only allow those who have been vaccinated to experience the recovery to the…

teleSUR (2021-04-01). Panama Detects Nine Cases of Brazilian COVID-19 Strains. telesurenglish.net Panama's Gorgas Memorial Institute Director Juan Pascale confirmed nine patients with the SARS-CoV-2 strains originated in Brazil. | RELATED: | The P.1. and P.2. strains have been detected in community transmission cases in San Francisco, Don Bosco, Parque Lefevre, and San Miguelito. | The Health Ministry warned that the P.1. variant is the most contagious and reduces vaccines' effectiveness by 30 percent. | At least two patients with these strain…

Doctors for COVID Ethics (2021-04-01). Doctors and Scientists Accuse Medical Regulator of Downplaying COVID-19 Vaccine Dangers. globalresearch.ca A group of scientists and doctors has today issued an open …

Helen Yaffe (2021-04-01). Cuba Libre to be COVID-Libre: Five Vaccines and Counting… orinocotribune.com By Helen Yaffe — Mar 30, 2021 | On 23 March 2021, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told a group of Conservative Party backbenchers: 'The reason we have the vaccine success is because of capitalism, because of greed, my friends.' Johnson was articulating the dogma that the pursuit of private profit through capitalist free markets leads to efficient outcomes. In reality, however, Britain's accomplishments in developing the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine and in the national vaccination rollout have more to do with state investments than the market mechanism. Government money subsidised the vaccine development a…

teleSUR (2021-04-01). Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Is 100% Effective in Kids Aged 12-15. telesurenglish.net The companies Pfizer and BioNTech announced their COVID-19 vaccine has demonstrated 100 percent efficacy and robust antibody responses in a Phase 3 trial in adolescents 12 to 15 years of age. | RELATED: | The trial enrolled 2,260 adolescents 12 to 15 years of age in the United States. In the trial, 18 cases of COVID-19 were observed in the placebo group versus none in the vaccinated group. | The vaccine, BNT162b2, elicited SARS-…

Vasko Kohlmayer (2021-04-01). The Great Vaccine Scam: Even Establishment Experts and Scientists Admit the Jabs Are Ineffective. globalresearch.ca "New Covid vaccines needed globally within a year, say scientists," reads …

Andreína Chávez Alava (2021-04-01). Venezuela and Russia Ramp up Economic Ties with 10-Year Plan. venezuelanalysis.com The two nations signed treaties to boost the Venezuelan transportation system, oil industry security and access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Doctors for COVID Ethics (2021-04-01). Urgent Open Letter from Doctors and Scientists to the European Medicines Agency regarding COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Concerns. globalresearch.ca Emer Cooke, Executive Director, European Medicines Agency, Amsterdam, The Netherlands…

teleSUR (2021-04-01). AstraZeneca Delays Could Be "Catastrophic" for Africa. telesurenglish.net Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Director John Nkengasong warned on Thursday that India's decision to delay the AstraZeneca vaccine delivery would be "catastrophic" for vaccination campaigns in the continent. | RELATED: | "If the delay continues, I hope it's a delay and not a ban; that would be catastrophic for meeting our vaccination schedule," the official said during a press conference from Eth…

WSWS (2021-04-01). Obscene global vaccine profiteering by pharmaceutical companies. wsws.org It was only after the governments of the European Union, UK and US and agencies offered funding, including the main cost of running the "Phase 3" trials, assuming most of the risk in the process, that the industry started work on vaccine development.

Brasil Wire (2021-04-01). Fallout: US Suppression of Russian Vaccine in Brazil Becomes Diplomatic Incident. globalresearch.ca On Sunday March 14 2021,

Fight Back (2021-04-01). MN groups stand in solidarity with Palestinians around the world on Land Day 2021. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – On March 30, over 50 activists gathered to show solidarity with Palestinians in their struggle against Israeli apartheid and occupation. They waved Palestinian flags and dropped banners on the footbridge over Interstate 94 between the Walker Sculpture Garden and Loring Park – across all eight lanes of traffic – demanding an end of U.S. aid to Israel, an end of Israeli occupation, the right of return for Palestinians, and an end to vaccine apartheid. The response from people passing by was overwhelmingly positive with a lot of honks from cars. | The action coincided with Land Day, which commemora…

Adam Parsons, Sonja Scherndl (2021-04-01). It's Time to End the Insanity of Colossal Military Spending and Reallocate Funds to Basic Economic and Social Needs. commondreams.org Imagine what could be achieved if just a portion of the money spent on military expenditures were pooled into a global fund, and redirected towards ending hunger and massively investing in public health systems. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Johanna Fernandez, reposted by Jamal Journal (2021-04-01). Prof. Johanna Fernandez's account of Mumia Abu-Jamal's Health Emergency (from Verso Blog). indybay.org This article was originally published at the Verso Books blog on March 28, and is being reprinted here in full, no edits, with the permission of author Johanna Fernandez, from the Campaign to Bring Mumia Home. For the latest updates on Mumia's health, please visit the Jamal Journal: www.JamalJournal.com.

Anonymous007 (2021-04-01). Neglecting Chaos Until It Backfires Is A Poor Strategy In Mozambique. southfront.org Click to see full-size image | Mozambique's Cabo Delgado has been plagued by ISIS for years. | In recent months, and ramping up in recent weeks especially, attacks by the terrorist groups in the areas near Total's massive gas project became regular. | Uncontained ISIS now is taking on the Mozambican army and seizes entire towns. It threatens the French giant's project that is worth $20 billion; and all the projects in the region are collectively worth nearly $60 billion. | Prior to the large-scale attacks, there was littl…

Suadad al-Salhy (2021-04-01). In south Iraq, political murders are dismissed as 'personal' to quash investigations. middleeasteye.net In south Iraq, political murders are dismissed as 'personal' to quash investigations | Like many in recent years, Jaseb Hattab al-Hiliji's killing was labelled as a 'tribal dispute' – a term often used to avoid repercussions | Thu, 04/01/2021 – 07: 58 | Family of late civil society activist Amjad al-Dahamat, who was killed after taking part in anti-government protest in Amara, continue to mou…

RT (2021-04-01). Optimistic health minister says France may reach Covid peak in '7 to 10 days,' as PM warns third wave is 'hitting us hard'. rt.com France's health minister has registered his optimism that the country will reach the peak of the epidemic within 10 days and that things will look a lot better in May, but the PM's assessment remains grim. | Speaking on Thursday to France Inter radio, Minister of Health Olivier Véran said he was confident that the measures announced by President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday would have "a strong impact on the epidemic dynamic," adding that there was no reason to think anything to the contrary. | It takes between seven and ten days for measures to be effective… we could have reached the epidemic peak i…

RT (2021-04-01). German care association calls for urgent Covid-19 lockdown as country risks running out of ICU beds. rt.com The German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DIVI) has called on the government to urgently implement a two-week Covid-19 lockdown, as the country's health systems risk hitting capacity. | Speaking to the Rheinische Post, the scientific head of the DIVI, Christian Karagiannidis, warned that if the current rate of admission to intensive care units continues, Germany "will reach the regular capacity limit in less than four weeks." | We are not overexaggerating. Our warnings are driven by the figures. | Alongside the DIVI's demand for at least a two-week lockdown, Karagianni…

teleSUR (2021-03-31). Cramped Facility in Texas Shows the Reality of Migrant Children. telesurenglish.net Migrant children are sleeping shoulder to shoulder under metal blankets at an overcrowded facility in Donna, Texas. | RELATED: | Joe Biden's administration allowed the reporters to enter on Tuesday, and the images show more than 4,100 people cramped in a space built for 250 migrants. Furthermore, there are over 3,200 unaccompanied children. | Following the Center for Disease and Control (CDC) guidelines for the COVID-19 pandemi…

teleSUR (2021-03-31). China Rejects in a Joint Statement a WHO Report. telesurenglish.net China on Wednesday rejected a joint statement by the United States and 13 other countries that expressed "concerns" over the World Health Organization's (WHO) report on the origins of Covid-19. | RELATED: | Hua Chunying, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said politicizing the issue of tracing the origin was immoral and unpopular and will only hinder global cooperation in studying the origins of the coronavirus. "These countries should…

Sandipan Talukdar (2021-03-31). Disease outbreaks increase with deforestation, new study finds. peoplesdispatch.org The study says that monoculture plantations are also likely to increase infectious disease outbreaks. Changes in land use are a significant factor in the emergence of infectious diseases caused by zoonotic viruses…

Melissa Marselle (2021-03-31). Biodiversity: How our health and happiness depend on a thriving planet. nationofchange.org We depend on biodiversity in the natural world for the water we drink, the food we eat and the clean air we breathe.

Robert J. Burrowes (2021-03-31). Defeating the Global Elite's Coup d'État: The Great Reset. globalresearch.ca Worldwide, international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), governments …

Olivia Rosane (2021-03-31). 64% of world's farmland at risk from pesticide pollution, study finds. nationofchange.org "This is important because the wider scientific literature has found that pesticide pollution can have adverse impacts on human health and the environment."

_____ (2021-03-31). Chauvin's Lawyers Are Falsely Implying That Drugs Killed George Floyd. popularresistance.org Drugs have long been used to justify racist police-perpetrated violence, and the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin for the alleged murder of George Floyd on a Minneapolis street corner last May is, thus far, no different. | In his opening statement in a Minneapolis courtroom on Monday, Chauvin's defense attorney Eric J. Nelson spoke at length about Floyd's health problems and drug use in a clear attempt to cast doubt on the prosecution's central argument: Floyd was killed because Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes as Floyd pleaded for mercy and gasped, "I can't breathe." | The prosecu…

WSWS (2021-03-31). Australian flood victims condemn lack of government assistance, exhorbitant insurance premiums. wsws.org "If you are going to allow building on flood plains, then the government needs to subsidise, or put in place, measures that prevent flooding. Put in infrastructure. But like everything else, it comes down to money."

Tatiana Cozzarelli (2021-03-31). Dispatches from the Amazon Warehouse in Bessemer. zcomm.org The unionization efforts at Bessemer are bigger than just Amazon. In this dispatch from the ground, Uber drivers, healthcare workers, and young Birmingham residents stand in solidarity…

F. Douglas Stephenson (2021-03-31). Biden's Bandaid, or Top 8 Reasons why we need Medicare for All. zcomm.org The USA is a country where health insurance for medical and mental health care is a function of socio-economic status…

orinocotribune (2021-03-31). Russian Deputy PM Borisov in Venezuela: Strategic Alliance Strengthens. orinocotribune.com This Tuesday, March 30, the Vice President of the Russian Federation, Yuri Borisov, paid a high-level visit to Venezuela to strengthen the ties of friendship between the two nations. Russia's high-ranking official highlighted cooperation and solidarity as vital. | In addition, new agreements were signed to accelerate the bilateral agenda for mutual benefit. "We have taken the opportunity to sign new alliances in energy, mining, and health sectors for the development of both economies," said Borisov. | In the same way, they explained that in the face of the new challenges of the pandemic, cooperation and solidarit…

orinocotribune (2021-03-31). EpicVacCorona Vaccine to be Incorporated into Venezuela's Vaccination Plan (after Medical Trials). orinocotribune.com Venezuelan vice president Delcy Rodríguez reported on Monday, March 29, that the EpiVacCorona has arrived in the country. It is the second vaccine developed in Russia that has reported 100% effectiveness against COVID-19. | "The EpiVacCorona vaccine has arrived in Venezuela and will be authorized for trials. We are currently in the process of ensuring its supply to Venezuela," said Vice President Rodríguez. She added that after the protocols for its authorization and testing, it will be incorporated into the national immunization plan, once local medical trials have concluded. | She commented that a new batch of…

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