(2021-05-04). Help India's COVID-19 outbreak with justice and healthcare not racism and profiteering. greenleft.org.au The Socialist Alliance coconvenors put the case for a health and justice-focussed response to the devestating outbreak of COVID-19 in India.
(2021-05-05). Venezuela Begins Clinical Trials of Russian EpiVacCorona Vaccine—Russian Ambassador First to be Vaccinated. orinocotribune.com 
Venezuela officially began clinical trials of Russian vaccine EpiVacCorona, as the Russian ambassador to Caracas, Sergey Melik-Bagdasarov, became the first volunteer to receive a dose of the COVID-19 immunization drug. | The start of clinical trials was reported by the Executive Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, who noted that the vaccine simulates small fragments of the virus; this strengthens the immune system of recipients to prevent COVID-19. | "Thus begins the process of applying the vaccine candidate EpiVacCorona to combat COVID-19 in the country," said Rodríguez, "a vaccine developed by Russia that is advan…
(2021-05-04). Law Pod UK new episode: Henry VIII Powers undermining parliamentary supremacy. ukhumanrightsblog.com 
Episode 143 features Isabel McArdle and Sarabjit Singh QC of 1 Crown Office Row. Isabel practises in indirect tax, healthcare law, personal injury and public law. Sarabjit ("Sab") specialises in tax, with a particular emphasis on all forms of indirect tax and the interface between tax and public law. They have both given seminars on …
(2021-05-04). Sixth Shipment of Sputnik V: Venezuela Already has 1.48 Million Doses. orinocotribune.com 
This Monday, May 3, the sixth shipment of Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Venezuela, unloaded from a plane of national airline Conviasa that landed at Maiquetía Simón Bolívar International Airport, in the state of La Guaira. This sixth shipment contained 50,000 doses, and brings the total of doses in the hands of Venezuela's government to 1.48 million doses, between China's Vero Cell and the Russian Sputnik V. | In addition, the Ministry of Health announced an expansion of the Venezuelan immunization plan that began on February 18 with Sputnik V. | Venezuelan Minister of Health, Carlos Alvarado, pe…
(2021-05-04). Britain Risks Cementing in Power a Corrupt and Incompetent Government in Undeserved Gratitude for the Vaccine. counterpunch.org 
"No more f**king lockdowns — let the bodies pile high in their thousands," Boris Johnson is reported as saying last October as the second wave of the Covid-19 epidemic got underway. Many will view his callous words, which he vehemently denies uttering, as an ill-chosen figure of speech, but they may fail to realise the grim truth that what he said was a largely accurate forecast of the consequence of his misjudgements.
(2021-05-04). Justice for Matthew Zadok Williams: mental health crises and police terror. liberationnews.org 
The story of Matthew Zadok Williams must be placed in the larger context of police brutality against those experiencing mental health crises.
(2021-05-04). Developing countries in the stranglehold of debt. Part 3. mronline.org 
The coronavirus pandemic and other aspects of the multidimensional crisis of global capitalism are enough to fully justify suspending debt repayment. Indeed priority must be given to protecting people against ecological, economic and public health disasters. | May 4, 2021…
(2021-05-04). Tim Cook, Apple, and Runaway Limitless Corporate Greed. counterpunch.org 
David Gelles, the New York Times reporter, likes to report about corporate plutocrats raking it in while stifling or endangering their workers. We've all seen those large advertisements by big companies praising the sacrifices of their brave workers during this Covid-19 pandemic. When workers ask for living wages, most of these bosses say "No" but take plenty of dough for themselves.
(2021-05-04). Birmingham in crisis: a city ravaged by austerity-driven unemployment. challenge-magazine.org 
Japhy Barrera, is a member of the YCL's Birmingham branch | During the COVID-19 pandemic, Birmingham has attained the highest rate of unemployment that the city has seen since the 1980s. 33,000 people have lost their jobs in Birmingham since last February, leaving a whopping 15% of the population without work, more than treble the national average (4.9%). A further 55,000 locals remain on the furlough scheme, an arrangement set to end in September of this year. These numbers are disproportionately worse than what we have seen elsewhere in the country and have exposed the targeted nature of Tory austerity. | Al…
(2021-05-04). Biden's Foreign Policy and Nuclear Weapons: a Dialogue. counterpunch.org 
Ricard Falk: The humane and competently handled responses that the Biden presidency has pursued with respect to the COVID challenge, mitigating economic burdens on the poor, empathy for abuses of persons of color, and moves toward proposing a massive infrastructure program are uplifting changes in policy and leadership of the country, especially welcomed after enduring
(2021-05-04). Time for U.S. foreign policy to abandon Cold War strategies. peoplesworld.org 
Passing the 100-day mark of President Joe Biden's administration, one word we hear often is "bold." From the passage of the American Rescue Plan (to fight the coronavirus), to important changes proposed in the American Jobs Plan (on infrastructure), and his American Families Plan (expand paid family and medical leave, pre-school education, free community college, …
(2021-05-04). Selected Articles: India, COVID and the Need for Scientific Integrity Not Sensationalism. globalresearch.ca 
By In his report, Tengra offers scientific evidence that strongly indicates asymptomatic transmission is not significant. He asserts that as these cases comprise most …
(2021-05-04). It's the Mask, Stupid: Beware The Covid-Pfizer Jumping Virus! dissidentvoice.org 
How did we ever get to this point … to the point where, as I put it in The Covidian Cult, "instead of the cult existing as an island within the dominant culture, the cult has become the dominant culture, and those of us who have not joined the cult have become the isolated islands …
(2021-05-04). Anti-Racist Movements in Brazil: Activist Series — Anatalina Lourenàßo & Almir Aguiar. dsausa.org RSVP Here Anti-Racist Movements in Brazi: Activist Series Around the world, Black-led movements are raising the stakes in our collective struggles. This discussion series with leading Black and Indigenous militants from across Brazil spotlights their experiences in organizing against state violence, workplace exploitation, and structural racism everywhere from education to healthcare. Today's movements facing neo-fascism,…
(2021-05-04). Devastating weeks ahead as India's virus catastrophe worsens. thecanary.co Coronavirus infections and deaths are mounting with alarming speed in India with a top expert warning that the coming weeks in the country of nearly 1.4 billion people will be "horrible". | Overwhelming: | India's official count of coronavirus cases surpassed 20 million on 4 May, nearly doubling in the past three months, while deaths officially passed 220,000. | Staggering as those numbers are, the true figures are believed to be far higher, the undercount an apparent reflection of the troubles in the healthcare system. The country has witnessed scenes of people dying outside overwhelmed hospitals and fun…
(2021-05-04). Covid-19 Vaccinations: A Shot in the Arm for Universal Healthcare? commondreams.org "The national vaccination program has all the features of a single-payer health care system including no copays, no premiums, no insurance company blocking payment, and universal, affordable healthcare for all." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-05-04). After $53 Billion in European Sales Last Year, Amazon Paid $0 in Corporate Taxes. commondreams.org "Tax avoidance stops us getting the funding we need for healthcare and public services. We need to stop it." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-05-04). Execs at Top Pentagon Contractors Raked in $276.5 Million Last Year, Analysis Finds. commondreams.org A new report from the Center for International Policy finds that 2020 executive compensation at the top five Pentagon contractors totaled $276.5 million—which could create thousands of jobs if it was instead invested in education, green energy, healthcare, or infrastructure. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-05-04). New pandemic advice from the New York Times: Practicing good hygiene may be worse than COVID-19. wsws.org The New York Times opinion piece, written by a freelance writer, Markham Heid, promotes a virulent form of the unscientific construct "the cure can't be worse than the disease."
(2021-05-04). Drug overdose deaths hit record high in West Virginia in 2020. wsws.org Fatal drug overdoses rose by 45 percent over the previous year, driven in part by the strain of the COVID-19 pandemic on West Virginia's limited public health resources.
(2021-05-04). How India Has Creatively Turned Social Media Into a COVID-19 Helpline to Battle the Pandemic. counterpunch.org Death, sickness, and helplessness have become the "new normal" that Indians are being forced to live with as they witness the collapse of an already inadequate health care system and the failure of its political system that was caught napping on the uptick of cases, which showed an upward trend as far back as February.
(2021-05-04). Pandemic Boosts an Old Idea—Bringing Acute Care to the Patient. jamanetwork.com This Medical News article describes how the need to free up inpatient beds during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to more hospitals providing acute care in patients' homes.
(2021-05-04). Amid COVID-19 pandemic, Germany, France spend billions on new fighter jets. wsws.org The massive military build-up now underway across the European Union exposes official claims there is no money for a scientific fight against the virus.
(2021-05-04). On the dust: the battle for Thurrock. challenge-magazine.org Over a year into the Covid-19 crisis, which saw the public clap for those still on the frontline, Thurrock council have seen fit to slash the terms and conditions of its local refuse workers. | At 4am, those 'on the dust' get themselves out of bed and head off into the dark streets to collect and dispose of household waste, with no pause or break during the devastating pandemic. Thurrock's refuse workers provide more than just the job description, forming a vital conduit for their communities as they move house-to-house, checking in on elderly and vulnerable residents, and often receiving a few sweets in retur…
(2021-05-04). The meaning of the May Day 2021 Online Rally. wsws.org The May Day rally both reflected and anticipated enormous changes in the world situation produced by the coronavirus pandemic.
(2021-05-04). Indian state elections deliver blow to Modi, amid COVID-19 catastrophe. wsws.org There is mounting popular anger against Modi and his far-right BJP government due to their ruinous mishandling of the pandemic, relentless attacks on social and democratic rights, and integration of India into the US war drive against China.
(2021-05-04). China's Hainan Free Trade Port: Preparing For RCEP — OpEd. eurasiareview.com Last April 21, I was humbled to join a closed panel on RCEP and the Hainan Free Trade Port (HFTP) development, part of a subset in the annual Boao Forum for Asia. My fellow speakers hailed from institutes in Malta, Singapore, and Shanghai and our discussants were from Haikou and Shenzhen with our session chair joining from Phnom Penh. The discussions explored experiences and lessons from other free trade ports that can be of value for Hainan and recommendations on how to make the ambitious undertaking work. | Resumption of trade can fuel the revival of economies battered by the Covid-19 pandemic. As such, some…
(2021-05-04). Ralph Nader: Tim Cook, Apple And Runaway Limitless Corporate Greed — OpEd. eurasiareview.com David Gelles, the New York Times reporter, likes to report about corporate plutocrats raking it in while stifling or endangering their workers. We've all seen those large advertisements by big companies praising the sacrifices of their brave workers during this Covid-19 pandemic. When workers ask for living wages, most of these bosses say "No" but take plenty of dough for themselves. | Gelles reports that Boeing, after its criminal negligence brought down two 737 MAX planes and killed 346 people, went into a corporate tailspin. The company laid off 30,000 workers and its sales and stocks plummeted as it report…
(2021-05-04). Question And Resist The Power — OpEd. eurasiareview.com The coronavirus pandemic has already caused the colossal loss of lives and livelihoods around the world. It continues to create havoc in different countries like Brazil and India. It has destroyed livelihoods, communities and families. This global health crisis has taken a terrible toll on individual lives by expanding unbelievable levels of anxiety, alienation, deaths, destitutions, loneliness and loss. The conservative commentators, writers, columnists and typewriters of ruling class voices locate the impact of these crises and its outcomes as individual problems or state and government failures. There is no…
(2021-05-04). Experts Discuss COVID-19—Variants and Vaccine Efficacy, Immunosuppressed Patients, and More. jamanetwork.com JAMA Live Highlights features comments from livestream interviews with experts in clinical care, public health, and health policy on critical issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Comments have been edited for clarity.
(2021-05-04). Night of Qadr observed in Imamzadeh Ghazi Saber. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 04 (MNA) — People of Tehran observed the Night of Decree, or Qadr Night, on Monday, 21th of Ramadan in the Imamzadeh Ghazi Saber, while following health protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic.
(2021-05-04). 21th night of holy month of Ramadan marked in Behesht-e Zahra. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 02 (MNA) — The religious ceremony of 21th night of the holy month of Ramadan was observed in Behesht-e Zahra while following health protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic.
(2021-05-04). Woman Claims Found Wet Cigarette in Food From Taco Bell She Fed Her 1 YO Daughter With. sputniknews.com To find an inedible object in your meal is frustrating, but a health code violation is particularly unacceptable amid the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, and requires particular attention from hospitality venues.
(2021-05-04). Watch: Lockdown Flouters Forced to Do Squats as Punishment by Police in India. sputniknews.com India has registered 357,229 new COVID-19 positive cases and at least 3,449 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to the Health Ministry. The total caseload has crossed 20 million, with over 222,408 people having lost their lives since the onset of the pandemic.
(2021-05-04). World's Richest Cricket League IPL Suspended After Players Test Positive for COVID. sputniknews.com Amid the pandemic, the 2021Indian Premier League (IPL), established by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), held its 14th season in the country. The tournament kicked off on 9 April. Last year, the tournament was shifted to Dubai.
(2021-05-04). High vaccination rate is key to future course of COVID-19 pandemic, Mayo Clinic computer modeling shows. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org The Mayo Clinic data scientists who developed highly accurate computer modeling to predict trends for COVID-19 cases nationwide have new research that shows how important a high rate of vaccination is to reducing case numbers and controlling the pandemic. Vaccination is making a striking difference in Minnesota and keeping the current level of positive cases …
(2021-05-04). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Avoid preventable vision loss. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Has your eyesight become blurry? Do you have glaucoma, but you haven't been in for an exam or treatment? Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many people may have delayed eye appointments. Dr. Cheryl Khanna, a Mayo Clinic ophthalmologist, says it's important to catch eye diseases early. "I think the main take-home message is that if you …
(2021-05-04). COVID-19: Who's at higher risk of serious symptoms? newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Over a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, it's important to remind people who is more at risk of serious coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms, which can vary widely. Some people have no symptoms at all, while others become so sick that they eventually need mechanical assistance to breathe. This article is written by Mayo Clinic …
(2021-05-04). Why delivery workers across the globe are rising up against exploitation. greenleft.org.au Even before the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, food delivery companies' profits were skyrocketing, as their "self-employed" workers are blocked from unionising, reports Taroa Zúñiga Silva.
(2021-05-04). May Day: For a living, united and victorious homeland. en.cubadebate.cu "Congratulations workers! What has been done to survive the pandemic under a tightened blockade, and nonetheless advancing, is monumental. A hard-working, creative people like ours deserves a great tribute," tweeted Party First Secretary and President of the Republic Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, May 1, who attended a simple commemoration of International Workers Day at Havana's José Martí Plaza de la Revolución, with reduced participation given the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2021-05-04). CDC Violated Law: Inflated COVID-19 Cases and Fatalities. "How Deaths are Reported" globalresearch.ca Dr. Henry Ealy and his team started looking at CDC data …
(2021-05-04). Top-level Turkish civilian-military delegation visits Libya. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Top-level Turkish civilian-military delegation visits LibyaRick Rozoff While the world has been in lockdown because of the Covid epidemic, a new military power has appeared on the world stage: Turkey. One which has shot down Syrian, Russian and Armenian military aircraft and faced no consequences. One which has obtained Russian S-400 anti-aircraft weapons but whose …
(2021-05-04). Top-Level Turkish Civilian-Military Delegation Visits Libya. libya360.wordpress.com Rick Rozoff Libya's Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush and Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu give a joint press conference in the capital Tripoli on May 3, 2021. (AFP) While the world has been in lockdown because of the Covid epidemic, a new military power has appeared on the world stage: Turkey. One which has shot down Syrian,…
(2021-05-04). Forgetting Citizenship: Australia Suspends Flights from India. counterpunch.org As India is being devastated by COVID-19 cases that have now passed a daily rate of 400,000, affluent and callous Australia has taken the decision to suspend all flights coming into the country till mid-month. The decision was reached by the Morrison government with the blessing of the State Premiers and the Labor opposition. Not
(2021-05-04). Highly Cited COVID Doctor Comes to Stunning Conclusion: Government 'Scrubbing Unprecedented Numbers' of Injection-related Deaths. globalresearch.ca One of the world's most prominent medical doctors with expertise in …
(2021-05-04). India, COVID and the Need for Scientific Integrity Not Sensationalism. globalresearch.ca Western media outlets are currently paying a great deal of attention …
(2021-05-04). More than 550 autoworkers out due to COVID-19 at Sterling Heights Assembly Plant. wsws.org While the UAW is being provided with regular, detailed updates from management on the spread of coronavirus, it is deliberately concealing this information as much as it can from workers.
(2021-05-04). India, COVID and the Need for Scientific Integrity not Sensationalism. dissidentvoice.org Western media outlets are currently paying a great deal of attention to India and the apparent impact of COVID-19. The narrative is that the coronavirus is ripping through the country — people are dying, cases are spiralling out of control and hospitals are unable to cope. There does indeed seem to be a major problem …
(2021-05-04). Experimental Adenovirus COVID Injections Continuing to Kill Younger, Middle-Aged People. globalresearch.ca The AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson experimental adenovirus COVID shots seem …
(2021-05-04). The Left Front Victory In Kerala: A New 'Yenan Of India' In The Making? — Analysis. eurasiareview.com Amid new waves of COVID-19 in India, four states (West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam) and one Union Territory (Puducherry) went to polls in the past few weeks. The results that came on Sunday were devastating to the Indian National Congress (INC) in all polls in the states, and a grim warning to the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in South India and West Bengal. Though Assam and Puducherry gave a sigh of relief for the BJP-led front, and West Bengal having provided more seats, its appeals to the electorates in Kerala and Tamil Nadu were squarely rejected by the people. These are the two states in south Indi…