(2021-04-05). Venezuela calls for debt restructuring in response to Covid pandemic. peoplesworld.org 
Venezuela is calling for a comprehensive restructuring of international debt in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Addressing the UN heads of state meeting on international debt, President Nicolas Maduro said that more than 130 million people had been plunged into poverty during the pandemic. A "profound revision of debt conditions" was needed to prevent …
(2021-04-05). Venezuela Hardens Restrictions on its Colombia, Brazil Borders. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday announced that his country will reinforce restrictions at border crossings with Colombia and Brazil due to the increase in COVID-19 infections in those neighboring nations. | RELATED: | "We will redouble the epidemiological controls in 2,200 kilometers of common borders," Maduro said and highlighted that Colombia faces a crisis due to President Ivan Duque's mishandling of the pandemic…
(2021-04-05). Venezuela Appeals to UN for Landmine Clearance as Colombian Border Clashes Ease. venezuelanalysis.com Caracas has also created a special military zone and brigade to deal with the situation in Apure state, where 17 people have died.
(2021-04-05). Epidemiologist warns that the fourth COVID-19 surge is under way in United States. wsws.org Dr. Michael Osterholm provided sobering remarks regarding the state of the pandemic and the present surge of more dangerous variants.
(2021-04-05). COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania rise as schools and businesses reopen. wsws.org COVID-19 infections in Pennsylvania are rising again as studies estimate that one-third of infections are now more contagious variants of the virus. Despite these warning signs, the state government has moved to reopen schools and ease restrictions on businesses.
(2021-04-05). Kissinger Warns Washington to Accept New Global System or Face a Pre-WWI Geopolitical Situation. globalresearch.ca With the White House continually provoking tensions against Russia and China, …
(2021-04-05). The political centre crumbles as Orban, Morawiecki and Salvini launch their reactionary international. peoplesworld.org 
Christians come in many different colours, from communist and socialist red to conservative blue and fascist brown. All can interpret passages in the Bible to justify their political policies, although it sounds especially discordant when self-proclaimed followers of the "prince of peace" preach stridently in favour of weapons of genocidal mass murder. Viktor Orban, Mateusz …
(2021-04-05). Political center crumbles as Orban, Morawiecki, and Salvini launch reactionary international. peoplesworld.org Christians come in many different colors, from communist and socialist red to conservative blue and fascist brown. All can interpret passages in the Bible to justify their political policies, although it sounds especially discordant when self-proclaimed followers of the "prince of peace" preach stridently in favor of weapons of genocidal mass murder. Viktor Orban, Mateusz …
(2021-04-05). Venezuela's Army Remains on High Alert Near Border with Colombia. orinocotribune.com The Strategic Operational Command of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces announced that it remains on high alert on the border between Venezuela and Colombia. | Due to the clashes registered in recent days between the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) and Colombian criminal groups, the Venezuelan Strategic Operational Command on Saturday reported that it maintains control of the towns of La Victoria and El Ripial, the primary theaters of the conflict. | "The armed groups who, with their intention of spreading terror among the people, flee with cowardice from Venezuelan justice, will not go far," read a…
(2021-04-05). Coatesville, PA: City government forced to abandon attempt to shut down rally vs. cash bail. liberationnews.org 
In a blatantly illegal attempt to suppress Constitutionally protected political speech, the City Manager of Coatesville, PA tried to stop a peaceful rally to end cash bail to be held on April 10 in Ash Park. But organizers stood their ground and the city government backed down on Friday evening.
(2021-04-05). Alex Saab: 'I was Tortured and Pressured' to Sign Voluntary Extradition. orinocotribune.com 
In a recent interview with the Colombian news outlet El Espectador, Colombian-Venezuelan businessman and Venezuelan special envoy àÅlex Saab confessed to having been a victim of torture from the first day of his "kidnapping" in Cape Verde. He asserted that he was pressured "to sign voluntary extradition statements and give false testimony." Saab has been in detention in Cape Verde—first in prison and now under house arrest—since his arbitrary and irregular arrest in June 2020 in that country. | "I was kidnapped by Cape Verde in collusion with the United States," said the Venezuelan diplomat duri…
(2021-04-05). Humans Were Apex Predators For Two Million Years. eurasiareview.com 
Researchers at Tel Aviv University were able to reconstruct the nutrition of stone age humans. In a paper published in the Yearbook of the American Physical Anthropology Association, Dr. Miki Ben-Dor and Prof. Ran Barkai of the Jacob M. Alkov Department of Archaeology at Tel Aviv University, together with Raphael Sirtoli of Portugal, show that humans were an apex predator for about two million years. Only the extinction of larger animals (megafauna) in various parts of the world, and the decline of animal food sources toward the end of the stone age, led humans to gradually increase the vegetable element in th…
(2021-04-05). Israeli Apartheid Week at the University of Toronto begins today — join these events for Palestine! samidoun.net 
Please join these important events for Israeli Apartheid Week at the University of Toronto, beginning today, 5 April, with the keynote speech by Dr. Rabab Ibrahim Abdulhadi. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network is proud to join as an endorser of IAW 2021 First launched in Toronto in 2005, Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) has become one of the most important global events in the Palestine solidarity calendar. IAW is an international series of events that aims to raise awareness of Israel's apartheid regime over the Palestinian people and build support for the growing Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions move…
(2021-04-05). Can America finally kick the Habit? — "The Greatest Purveyor of Violence in the World" juancole.com 
( Tomdispatch.com ) — Fifty-four years ago, standing at the pulpit of Riverside Church in New York City, Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his now-famous "Beyond Vietnam" sermon. For the first time in public, he expressed in vehement terms his opposition to the American war in Vietnam. He saw clearly that a foreign policy defined …
(2021-04-05). Russia and Myanmar — Balancing on a knife's ed. mronline.org 
"The person attempting to travel two roads at once will get nowhere". It's a well-known Chinese maxim, especially in Myanmar (Burma), China's backdoor to the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean, and the Indian Navy's forward defence line. | April 5, 2021 | Newswire…
(2021-04-05). US Media As Protagonist For Framing Image Of Different Countries — OpEd. eurasiareview.com 
The United States along with its allies wrought a new global system entrenched in newfangled institutions and international rules after the World War II. This radical global system had a clear focus to regulate the demeanor of different states. The United Nations (UN) emerged as an imperative mainstay to this global system, as it aspired to avert future wars between its member states. | Over time, this system kept on transforming by introduction of set of principles in five strategic expanses of the state behavior including trade order, financial order, maritime order, human rights order, and non-proliferation…
(2021-04-05). Whose Peace in Afghanistan? counterpunch.org At this moment, with developments quickening as the May 1 deadline for the departure of U.S. forces rapidly approaches, we're getting a lesson in realist-style geopolitical arm-twisting. The thing about Afghanistan is that it's raw, metallic power on the ground that counts. No fancy ideals or dirigiste policies can substitute. Afghans feel as if they
(2021-04-05). Peace Prospects Dim as Ukraine Tries to Drag U.S., NATO into Its Confrontation with Russia. globalresearch.ca Numerous statements by Ukrainian and Russian officials reported this Easter Sunday …
(2021-04-05). Bolivia: Former Water Resources Minister Flees the Country. telesurenglish.net On Sunday, former Water Resources Minister Maria Pinckert left Bolivia, three days after the Prosecutor's Office issued an arrest warrant against her over irregularities in her management. | RELATED: | Pinckert, whose whereabouts are unknown, announced that she requested asylum because she considers herself a victim of political persecution. | "I will return when the judicial system becomes impartial," she wrote in a…
(2021-04-05). Russia warns of military measures to counter West's missile threats. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Russia warns of military measures to counter West's missile threatsRick Rozoff On April 5 Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, announced that plans by the U.S. and its allies in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region to station land-based intermediate-range missiles posed a potential first-strike threat to Russia. One that would compel Russia to …
(2021-04-05). Another Weapon in the Cultural War Against Cuba. orinocotribune.com By Raúl Antonio Capote — Apr 4, 2021 | CIA efforts to create publishing houses andliterary magazines to attract Cuban writers was intended to separate them from the country's institutions and steer them toward an anti-government stance. | Most of the CIA's covert operations in Latin America during the 1960s were directed against the Cuban Revolution and Fidel Castro. "No more Cubas", was the agency's slogan at the time. | The Agency created a division in New York City, called Foreign Publications Inc. (Foreign Publications Incorporated), to subsidize various anti-Cuban publications, many coming from Miami. T…
(2021-04-05). Truppenaufmarsch auf dem Balkan und psychologische Kriegsfàºhrung der US-NATO als Warnsignal fàºr milità§rische Operation gegen Russland. globalresearch.ca Vor circa einem Jahrzehnt hatte ich das Vergnàºgen, in Seattle mit …
(2021-04-05). Troop Build-up in the Balkans: US-NATO "Psychological Warfare" as a Warning Signal for Military Operation Against Russia. globalresearch.ca About a decade ago, I had the pleasure of living with …
(2021-04-05). Warrior Met Coal to mobilize scabs against 1,100 striking mine workers in Alabama. wsws.org The mobilization of scabs, police, and modern-day Pinkertons should serve as a warning to the miners at Warrior Met that the company is aiming to crush the strike.
(2021-04-05). Turkey arrests retired admirals over open letter criticising government. middleeasteye.net 
Turkey arrests retired admirals over open letter criticising government | Retired Turkish admirals said a discussion over the 1936 Montreux convention could pose a threat to Turkey's waterways | Mon, 04/05/2021 – 07: 55 | The 1936 Montreux convention gives Turkey control over the straits within its borders, guarantees access for civilian vessels and limits naval warships' access (AFP) | Tu…
(2021-04-05). EXCLUSIVE: Jordan's army chief heard warning Hamzah against talking to tribal leaders. middleeasteye.net 
EXCLUSIVE: Jordan's army chief heard warning Hamzah against talking to tribal leaders | A surreptitious recording of a conversation between Yousef Huneiti and the former crown prince on Saturday reveals no accusations of plotting a coup were made | Mon, 04/05/2021 – 16: 20 | Jordanian Prince Hamzah bin Hussein, pictured here on 17 April 2012, says he has been under de facto house arrest since Saturday…
(2021-04-05). Kremlin Replies On Situation In Eastern Ukraine. southfront.org 
Illustrative Image | On April 5, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reported that uncontrolled shootings begin in the Donbass region. He stressed out that decisions to open fire are made on the spot by the field commanders of the Ukrainian forces. | It seems that the Kremlin changed its tacit policy towards the military escalation in Eastern Ukraine, and Moscow officials made a number of loud claims: " The Kremlin considers that it is important to ensure the safety of all citizens of the self-proclaimed republics of Donbass" –…
(2021-04-05). Kiev Continues On The War Path, Emboldened By False Promises. (Map Update). southfront.org 
The Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics are again facing renewed Ukrainian aggression. | The regime of silence, which the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky was so proud of, existed exactly until the local elections ended in the country. Since then, tensions on the demarcation line have grown, and the rhetoric of Ukrainian officials has become increasingly harsh. | Ultimately, the National Security Council of Ukraine allowed the military to fire at peaceful settlements in the LPR and DPR, and the shelling became more frequent and intense. The Ukrainian Armed Forces continuously use heavy artillery, and…
(2021-04-05). Coup Threat In Turkey. Dozen Admirals Detained Over Critics Of Istanbul Canal Project. southfront.org 
Illustrative Image | Submitted by Thomas ST exclusively for SouthFront. | 103 retired admirals issued a statement condemning the "Islamization" of the Turkish Armed Forces and the recent public debate on Turkey's withdrawal from the Montreux Treaty for the Straits. On April 5, Turkey detained 10 retired admirals after a letter signed that they had signed warned against a possible threat to a treaty governing the use of Turkey's key waterways. | It is the first time since the coup attempt in July 2016 that Turkish…
(2021-04-05). Military Situation In Yemen On April 5, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | The Liaison and Coordination Officers' Operations Room (loyal to Ansar Allah) reported 194 ceasefire violations in al-Hudaydah during the past 24 hours | On April 4, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 3 airstrikes on the Kitaf area | On April 4, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 5 airstrikes on the Rahbah area | On April 4, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 2 airstrikes on the Madghal area | On April 4, the Saudi-led force attacked Ansar Allah positions in Ra…
(2021-04-05). War Between Russia And Ukraine Is Inevitable: Opinion. southfront.org 
Igor Strelkov | The situation in Eastern Ukraine is critical. Russia and Ukraine are on the brink of an open armed conflict. In this context, many military experts suggest their opinions and forecasts on the military developments in the region. The position of famous warlord Igor Strelkov is definitely one that deserves special attention. | He became popular during the so-called Crimean Spring in 2014. Strelkov took part in the process of the Crimean unification with Russia, after which in Eastern Ukraine, he…
(2021-04-05). Military Situation In Syria On April 5, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On April 4, Russia reported that Idlib militants violated the ceasefire regime in Greater Idlib 29 times: 14 — in Idlib province, 10 — in Latakia province, 3 — in Hama province, 2 Aleppo province | On April 4, a Turkish drone targeted a mechanised digger near the town of Malekiyah. No casualties were reported | On April 4, artillery of Turkish-backed forces shelled SDF positions near Ain Issa | On April 4, a Russian Orlan-10 reconnaissance drone crashed…
(2021-04-05). China Adopts Kremlin's 'Information War' Tactics — Analysis. eurasiareview.com 
By Jamie Dettmer | China is taking a page out of the Kremlin's playbook and is seeking to highlight America's faults and weaponize the culture wars and identity politics currently buffeting the West, according to disinformation analysts. | Much like the Kremlin and state-owned Russian media, Chinese propagandists are focusing on the problems of racial injustice and income inequality in the U.S. and Western Europe — a move to distract attention from Beijing's own rights abuses, including the internment of more than a million ethnic Muslim Uyghurs, analysts say. | "Civil unrest in the United States followi…
(2021-04-05). Venezuelan Minister for Defense: Venezuelans Displaced by Colombian Narco-Paramilitary Violence Pressured by Colombian Authorities to Remain in Arauquita. orinocotribune.com The Mayor of Páez municipality in Apure state (Venezuela), José María Romero, complained that a group of Venezuelans are being held in Arauquita, Colombia, and prevented from returning to La Victoria (Venezuela) in order to attempt to discredit reports about the tranquility and peace re-established in Venezuela. | "It is worrying to see how after almost 15 days, there is pressure from Colombia preventing people from returning," said the mayor in a video shared by Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López. "We have information that it was forbidden to leave the shelters until Tuesday." | "Mayor José María…
(2021-04-05). Venezuela Touches New Peak with 1,786 COVID-19 Cases and 15 Deaths this Sunday. orinocotribune.com 
On Sunday, April 4, Venezuela marked the 385th day of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The country registered 1,786 new cases in the last 24 hours, of which 1,779 were cases of community transmission and 7 were imported, in addition to 15 deaths. This was communicated by Venezuelan Executive Vice President Delcy Rodríguez during the televised COVID-19 briefing by President Nicolás Maduro. "This is the day with the highest number of cases reported in Venezuela," said the president in his customary Sunday address. | With this update, Venezuela accumulated a total of 166,123 infections and 1,662 deaths resu…
(2021-04-05). [Research Paper] Safety of video-based telemedicine compared to in-person triage in emergency ophthalmology during COVID-19. thelancet.com we demonstrate comparable patient safety of videoconsultations at one-month follow-up to in person review. The service is acceptable to patients and reduces the risk of COVID-19 transmission. We propose that videoconsultations are effective and desirable as a tool for triage in ophthalmology.
(2021-04-05). [Research Paper] Validity of echocardiographic tricuspid regurgitation gradient to screen for new definition of pulmonary hypertension. thelancet.com In patients with suspected PH referred to a tertiary care centre, the PPV of TRG to meet the new PH-definition depended strongly on the TRG cut-off used. Our data do not support lowering the TRG cut-off. Combining TRG with other echocardiographic parameters might improve the validity of echocardiographic screening for PH.
(2021-04-05). Ethiopia Accused of Using Rape as a Weapon of War in Tigray as New Evidence Emerges of Massacres. democracynow.org 
We get an update on how the Ethiopian government has announced Eritrean forces are withdrawing from the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia, where harrowing witness accounts have emerged of Eritrean soldiers killing Tigrayan men and boys and rape being used as weapon of war by Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers. Eritrea entered the Tigray region to support Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's military offensive in November targeting the Tigray People's Liberation Front. The true death toll from the conflict remains unknown, but researchers recently identified almost 2,000 people killed in 150 massacres by warring fa…
(2021-04-05). Afghan President Details Plan Heading Into Key Peace Talks. news.antiwar.com With a new round of Afghan peace talks coming together in Turkey, President Ashraf Ghani had been reported to be planning to offer a peace plan of his own. Ghani's is a three-part plan, beginning with a ceasefire and moving toward an enduring settlement and early elections. The most eye-opening part of Ghani's proposal, however, is the middle stage. | Ghani has been an outspoken opponent of the interim governmen…
(2021-04-05). India Joins French-led Military Drills in the Bay of Bengal, Escalating Tensions With China. news.antiwar.com India is joining its fellow Quad nations — the US, Japan, and Australia — in The drills, known as the La Perouse exercises, start Monday and will last for three days. The first La Perouse exercises The Quad nations participated in…
(2021-04-05). Biden Mum on Yemen Action as War Rages. news.antiwar.com On February 4th, President Biden said he was ending US support for Saudi Arabia's "offensive" operations in Yemen. Two months later, Saudi airstrikes continue to pound Yemen, the blockade is still being enforced, and the Biden administration refuses to disclose details about what support it is still providing to the Saudi-led coalition. |
(2021-04-05). Israel Finds US Interest in Saving Iran Nuclear Deal 'Very Troubling'. news.antiwar.com An outspoken opponent of diplomacy with Iran, and against the P5+1 nuclear deal with Iran, Israel has made its first comments in awhile on the matter, expressing concern at US indications that they are going to engage in diplomacy with Iran and try to save the nuclear deal. | Even though this is largely what was expected of the Biden Administration, The statements f…
(2021-04-05). Russia Warns of Military Measures To Counter West's Missile Threats. news.antiwar.com On April 5 Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, announced that plans by the U.S. and its allies in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region to station land-based intermediate-range missiles posed a potential first-strike threat to Russia. One that would compel Russia to respond with what she identified as military and technical measures. She …
(2021-04-05). US Expects 'Difficult' Iran Talks in Vienna. news.antiwar.com With the US and Iran set to hold indirect talks in Vienna on Tuesday, State Department spokesman Ned Price said Washington "These are early days. We don't anticipate an early or immediate breakthrough, as these discussions we fully expect will be difficult,"
(2021-04-05). Sri Lanka Mourns Fearless Defender Of Tamil Tights. eurasiareview.com 
By Quintus Colombage | Outspoken Bishop Rayappu Joseph was an untiring advocate of Tamil rights and justice during Sri Lanka's civil war and post-war years. | Thousands were killed and disappeared during the 26-year war that ended in 2009 when the army defeated Tamil rebels. Both sides were accused of serious human rights violations. Many Catholic priests were killed or went missing. | Bishop Joseph, who died on April 1 at the age of 80, raised his voice nationally and internationally for victims. | "The bishop was a vocal critic of the government, military and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), whic…
(2021-04-05). Wednesday 4/7: The Danger of Money in Politics: SR1 For the People Act to Enforce Voter & Election Equity. indybay.org Online event…
(2021-04-05). May First joins call for Free Software Foundation Board resignation. indybay.org May First Movement Technology has joined free software organizations and activists in calling for the resignation of Richard Stallman and the rest of the Board of the Free Software Foundation.
(2021-04-05). MLK Opposed "Poverty, Racism & Militarism" in Speech One Year Before His Assassination 53 Years Ago. democracynow.org 
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated 53 years ago, on April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, at the age of 39. While Dr. King is primarily remembered as a civil rights leader, he also championed the cause of the poor, organized the Poor People's Campaign to address issues of economic justice, and was a fierce critic of U.S. foreign policy and the Vietnam War. We air an excerpt of his "Beyond Vietnam" speech, delivered at New York's Riverside Church on April 4, 1967, a year to the day before he was assassinated, in which Dr. King called the United States "the greatest purveyor of violen…
(2021-04-05). Ron Paul: Why Is Biden Administration Pushing Ukraine To Attack Russia? — OpEd. eurasiareview.com 
On March 24th, Ukraine's President Vladimir Zelensky signed what was essentially a declaration of war on Russia. In the document, titled Presidential Decree No. 117/2021, the US-backed Ukrainian leader declared that it is the official policy of Ukraine to take back Crimea from Russia. | The declaration that Ukraine would take back Crimea from Russia also followed, and was perhaps instigated by, President Biden's inflammatory and foolish statement that "Crimea is Ukraine." | US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was a chief architect of the US-backed coup against Ukraine in 2014, continued egging on the Ukr…
(2021-04-05). Ukraine announces joint military exercises with NATO amid rising tensions with Russia. wsws.org While the military situation in eastern Ukraine rapidly escalates, the Zelensky government and NATO have made clear they are preparing for full-scale war with Russia.