Daily Archives: April 21, 2020

2020-04-21: News Headlines

en.mehrnews (2020-04-21). Iran, Russia, Turkey to discuss Syria situation on April 22. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA) — The foreign ministers of Astana peace process guarantors (Russia, Iran, Turkey) will hold a round of negotiations on Syria via video conference on April 22, according to the Russian foreign ministry.

Whitney Webb (2020-04-21). As US Shale Oil Plunges, Trump Admin Takes Aim at Venezuela. globalresearch.ca President Trump recently praised a deal reached largely by Saudi Arabia and Russia, two of the top oil producers in the world who together dominate the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), saying that the agreed upon production cuts …

RT (2020-04-21). Another 'worst deal ever'? US withdrawal from crucial Open Skies treaty is done deal, Russian FM believes. rt.com Moscow thinks Washington is on the brink of pulling out from a crucial arms-control treaty it once helped develop. Reports about the move have circulated for weeks, with top US lawmakers warning of its dire ramifications. | The decision to depart from the Treaty on Open Skies "has already been taken in Washington," Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the media, citing experts "watching how the situation is developing." | "We believe that these assessments have a significant element of truth," the chief diplomat offered. | We draw nearly the same conclusions based on our contacts with the Americans an…

RT (2020-04-21). Moscow opens new coronavirus hospital built in just a month, as Russia braces for Covid-19 PEAK. rt.com Moscow's brand-new infectious diseases hospital has admitted its first patients, despite construction having begun in mid-March. It comes as Russia recorded over 5,600 Covid-19 cases in a day, with the peak still approaching. | The 800-bed facility's completion is a much-needed antidote to the country's ever-worsening coronavirus crisis. As of Tuesday afternoon, Russia has 52,763 confirmed cases of Covid-19, and more than half of infections are in Moscow and the Moscow Region. With 5,642 cases nationwide confirmed in the last 24 hours, the opening of the hospital could not have been more timely — and, acc…

M. K. Bhadrakumar (2020-04-21). Why the OPEC+ Deal is a Many-Splendored Thing. counterpunch.org A perfect deal is where all protagonists get something out of it. All oil-producing countries stand to gain if the oil price rebounds. In bare bones, the OPEC+ group led by Saudi Arabia and Russia finalized, in a nail-biting photo finish on April 12, an agreement to steeply cut oil production by a combined 9.7

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-04-21). Latvia Wanted to Bridge EU with Russia but Is Now in Economic Trouble. globalresearch.ca The transit industry was one of the most important in Latvia and was established during the Soviet era. In the first years of Latvia's independence in the 1990's, it was destroyed. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has significantly lowered Latvia's …

en.mehrnews (2020-04-21). Foreign demand for Iranian ventilators. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA) — The CEO of an Iranian knowledge-based company told Mehr news on Tuesday that there are some requests from foreign countries, including Russia, Italy, and Spain, for the purchase of Iranian ventilators, under the coronavirus pandemic.

en.mehrnews (2020-04-21). US strongly rejected proposal on humanitarian pause amid pandemic, says Lavrov. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Washington has strongly rejected a proposal on the exemption of humanitarian supplies from sanctions during the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr. T. P. Wilkinson (2020-04-21). The Economic War with Russia and China. The Economic and Geopolitical Impacts of the COV-19 Lockdown. globalresearch.ca The major reason for Cuba's travel restrictions- ≠‚Äê- ≠‚Äê always used as grounds for slandering the Cuban state- ≠‚Äê is the extreme difficulty Cuba has maintaining foreign exchange reserves essential for international trade- ≠‚Äê- ≠‚Äê esp. since the end of trade- ≠‚Äêin- ≠‚Äêkind with the COMECON. Every …

en.mehrnews (2020-04-21). Rouhani, Putin stress strengthening relations of Tehran-Moscow. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA) — The Presidents of Iran and Russia described the relations and cooperation between the two countries sincere and strategic, stressing the need to work for the development, strengthening and consolidation of all relations between Tehran and Moscow and accelerating the implementation of the agreements.

Shane Quinn (2020-04-21). 75 Years Ago: Red Army Encircles Berlin. Analysis of Germany's Failed 1942 Offensive. globalresearch.ca Three-quarters of a century ago, on 21 April 1945 the Soviet Army had encircled Berlin and was unleashing its final attack upon Nazi Germany. | With the Germans having killed more than 10 million Soviet troops since their June 1941 invasion, …

Vicki Elson and Timmon Wallis (2020-04-21). In a Pandemic, The Bomb Looks Different. zcomm.org If we can work so hard to cooperate globally to slow the pandemic and safeguard our future, then why on earth would we still possess nuclear weapons that can obliterate everything and everyone forever?>

Alec Luhn (2020-04-20). Russian Officials Dawdled as the Coronavirus Took Hold. thenation.com Russian Officials Dawdled as the Coronavirus Took Hold…

Eric Zuesse (2020-04-18). Where the Skripals Are Today. dissidentvoice.org On 4 March 2018, both Sergei Skripal and his daughter who was visiting from their shared home country of Russia, Yulia Skripal, were poisoned in Salisbury England, and — though both survived — neither of them has been allowed to communicate to the public except under the watch of their British court-appointed 'guardians'. They also …

Fight Back (2020-04-17). Book Review: Lenin's What is to be Done? fightbacknews.org Why review a book that the Russian revolutionary V.I. Lenin began in 1901 and finished in 1902? The short answer is the book is just that good and it has endured the test of time, and the 150th anniversary of Lenin's birth is a good occasion for it. | A more complete answer is as follows — we are in a period where monopoly capitalism has shown itself to be a failed system. Not only has it failed to deal with the challenges of a pandemic, capitalism is a people-destroying economic system that is making the pandemic worse. Add on the facts that we are in the onset of a large-scale economic crisis and millions…

Jason Ditz (2020-02-20). Turkey Kills Over 50 Syrian Troops, Russian Warplanes Intervene to Halt Offensive. theantimedia.com Russia called the situation a "worst case scenario."

Jason Ditz (2020-02-17). DOJ Investigating Former CIA Director's Role in Russiagate. theantimedia.com The Justice Department is investigating the role of John Brennan in the assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.

Strategic Culture (2020-02-08). US Deploys 'Mini-Nukes' in Deplorable Threat to World Peace. theantimedia.com These so-called "mini-nukes" represent—despite the diminutive-sounding name—an increased risk of nuclear war.

Tyler Durden (2020-02-08). Iraq and Russia Prepare to Boost Military Ties as US Threatens Sanctions. theantimedia.com Iraq and Russia are preparing for deepening military coordination.

Middle East Eye (2020-02-07). Russia Says Israel Used Civilian Plane as Human Shield During Syria Strikes. theantimedia.com Russia accused Israel of "making a total mockery of the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians."

Jon Rainwater (2019-11-07). Take Action — Some actual, SANE legislation. peaceaction.org Trump has plans to spend nearly $2 TRILLION over the next 30 years on unneeded and unnecessary nuclear weapons and delivery systems. This makes no sense. This is insane. That's nearly $100 million wasted every day for thirty years on weapons we are supposed to be getting rid of. To put that amount in perspective, …

yenisafak (2020-04-21). Russian Lukoil to make 18% cut as part of OPEC deal. yenisafak.com Russia's second-largest oil producer Lukoil will reduce its output by 18%, equivalent to more than 40,000 tons per day as part of the new OPEC production cut deal, Russian Interfax news agency said on Monday citing the company's CEO Vagit Alekperov."And I think that we and all other companies will fulfill this amount, which was brought to us by the energy ministry," Alekperov said.Lukoil expects an oil price of $30 per barrel after the start of the agreement.Saudi Arabia-led OPEC and Russia-led non-OPEC oil-producing countries, known as OPEC , agreed on April 12 to lower their collective oil production by 9.7 mil…

yenisafak (2020-04-21). Apple expands services business to markets in Africa and beyond. yenisafak.com Apple Inc on Tuesday said it would expand its App Store, Apple Music and other services to dozens of new markets in Africa, the Middle East and beyond in the biggest geographical expansion of its services in almost a decade.Apple said it would expand the App Store to 20 countries, eight of them in Africa, and will offer its streaming Apple Music service in 52 additional countries and regions. The expansion is the largest since Apple grew what was then called the iTunes Store to India, Russia and more than 50 other countries in 2012.Apple has focused on growing sales from its services segment, which totaled 17.8%…

yenisafak (2020-04-21). Turkey, Russia hold fifth joint patrol in Idlib, Syria. yenisafak.com Turkish and Russian military forces have carried out another joint patrol along a key highway in northwestern Syria, said Turkey's Defense Ministry on Tuesday."Fifth combined Turkish-Russian land patrol was conducted today by air and ground vehicles on M4 motorway in Syria's Idlib province, as part of the earlier TR-RF agreement," the ministry said on Twitter.The M4 highway, also known as the Aleppo-Al Hasakah road, is about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Turkey's southern border.Last month, Ankara and Moscow agreed on a protocol urging parties to "cease all military actions along the line of contact in the Idlib…

sputniknews (2020-04-21). Syria Demined More Than 5 Acres of Land Over Past Day – Russian Defence Ministry. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Syrian Armed Forces have cleared 2.1 hectares (5.1 acres) of the country's territory of explosive devices over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.

Tasnim News (2020-04-21). Iran, Russia, Turkey to Discuss Syria Situation. iranian.com The Iranian, Russian and Turkish foreign ministers plan to hold a meeting via video conference on Wednesday to discuss the latest developments in Syria. According to Russian foreign ministry, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Russian and Turkish counterparts Sergei Lavrov and Mevlut Cavusoglu will hold the online meeting on April 22, TASS reported. …

Thembisa Fakude (2020-04-19). Saudi Arabia's client-state relationship with the US should concern the whole world. iranian.com When Saudi Arabia approached members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its affiliates recently to cut oil production in an attempt to cushion the impact of the falling oil prices as a result of Covid-19, Russia rejected the proposal. The subsequent spat between Moscow and Riyadh saw the Saudis and the United …

Arms Control Association (2020-04-19). Risks and Realities of Extending the UN Arms Embargo on Iran. iranian.com More than a decade ago, the United States and its partners secured UN Security Council support for a series of resolutions imposing increasingly tough sanctions on Iran as part of an effort to pressure Tehran into multilateral talks to curb its nuclear program and block its pathways to nuclear weapons. The United States along with …

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-04-20). Though 'Children Need Peace Now More Than Ever,' US and Russia Block UN Efforts to Impose Global Ceasefire. commondreams.org While human rights groups and a number of U.S. allies have expressed support for the U.N.'s call for a global ceasefire during the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. and Russia are reportedly standing in the way of an international agreement. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/anti-war_movement_missing_in_action.jpg

2020-04-21: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media! (Copy the text of the postee below, then paste it on social media and the story images will also appear.)

As US Shale Oil Plunges, Trump Admin Takes Aim at Venezuela
Whitney Webb | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-21
President Trump recently praised a deal reached largely by Saudi Arabia and Russia, two of the top oil producers in the world who together dominate the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), saying that the agreed upon production cuts …
globalresearch.ca/us-shale-oil-plunges-trump-admin-takes-aim-venezuela/5710257

Why the OPEC+ Deal is a Many-Splendored Thing
M. K. Bhadrakumar | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-21
A perfect deal is where all protagonists get something out of it. All oil-producing countries stand to gain if the oil price rebounds. In bare bones, the OPEC+ group led by Saudi Arabia and Russia finalized, in a nail-biting photo finish on April 12, an agreement to steeply cut oil production by a combined 9.7…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/21/why-the-opec-deal-is-a-many-splendored-thing/

Latvia Wanted to Bridge EU with Russia but Is Now in Economic Trouble
Paul Antonopoulos | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-21
The transit industry was one of the most important in Latvia and was established during the Soviet era. In the first years of Latvia's independence in the 1990's, it was destroyed. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has significantly lowered Latvia's …
globalresearch.ca/latvia-wanted-bridge-eu-russia-now-economic-trouble/5710339

Foreign demand for Iranian ventilators
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-21
TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA)

US strongly rejected proposal on humanitarian pause amid pandemic, says Lavrov
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-21
TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA)

Iran, Russia, Turkey to discuss Syria situation on April 22
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-21
TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA)

Another 'worst deal ever'? US withdrawal from crucial Open Skies treaty is done deal, Russian FM believes
rt.com | 2020-04-21
Moscow thinks Washington is on the brink of pulling out from a crucial arms-control treaty it once helped develop. Reports about the move have circulated for weeks, with top US lawmakers warning of its dire ramifications. | The decision to depart from the Treaty on Open Skies "has already been taken in Washington," Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the media, citing experts "watching how the situation is developing." | "We believe that these assessments have a significant element of truth," the chief diplomat offered. | We draw nearly the same conclusions based on our contacts with the Americans an…
rt.com/news/486437-lavrov-us-open-skies/

Rouhani, Putin stress strengthening relations of Tehran-Moscow
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-21
TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA)

The Economic War with Russia and China. The Economic and Geopolitical Impacts of the COV-19 Lockdown
Dr. T. P. Wilkinson | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-21
The major reason for Cuba's travel restrictions- ≠‚Äê- ≠‚Äê always used as grounds for slandering the Cuban state- ≠‚Äê is the extreme difficulty Cuba has maintaining foreign exchange reserves essential for international trade- ≠‚Äê- ≠‚Äê esp. since the end of trade- ≠‚Äêin- ≠‚Äêkind with the COMECON. Every …
globalresearch.ca/the-economic-war-with-russia-and-china-the-economic-impacts-of-the-cov-19-lockdown/5710118

Moscow opens new coronavirus hospital built in just a month, as Russia braces for Covid-19 PEAK
rt.com | 2020-04-21
Moscow's brand-new infectious diseases hospital has admitted its first patients, despite construction having begun in mid-March. It comes as Russia recorded over 5,600 Covid-19 cases in a day, with the peak still approaching. | The 800-bed facility's completion is a much-needed antidote to the country's ever-worsening coronavirus crisis. As of Tuesday afternoon, Russia has 52,763 confirmed cases of Covid-19, and more than half of infections are in Moscow and the Moscow Region. With 5,642 cases nationwide confirmed in the last 24 hours, the opening of the hospital could not have been more timely

75 Years Ago: Red Army Encircles Berlin. Analysis of Germany's Failed 1942 Offensive
Shane Quinn | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-21
Three-quarters of a century ago, on 21 April 1945 the Soviet Army had encircled Berlin and was unleashing its final attack upon Nazi Germany. | With the Germans having killed more than 10 million Soviet troops since their June 1941 invasion, …
globalresearch.ca/75-years-ago-red-army-encircles-berlin-analysis-germany-failed-1942-offensive/5710245

In a Pandemic, The Bomb Looks Different
Vicki Elson and Timmon Wallis | zcomm.org | 2020-04-21
If we can work so hard to cooperate globally to slow the pandemic and safeguard our future, then why on earth would we still possess nuclear weapons that can obliterate everything and everyone forever?>…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/in-a-pandemic-the-bomb-looks-different/

Russian Officials Dawdled as the Coronavirus Took Hold
Alec Luhn | thenation.com | 2020-04-20
Russian Officials Dawdled as the Coronavirus Took Hold…
thenation.com/article/world/russian-officials-dawdled-as-coronavirus-took-hold/

France: Violent Confrontations Between Police and Parisians
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-20
Parisian police confronted groups Sunday for the second consecutive night, as part of violent clashes occurred in the Villeneuve-La-Garenne suburb, during social isolation due to COVID-19. | RELATED: | Russian and Venezuelan Presidents Hold Solidarity Phone Meeting | The conflicts started after a 30-year-old motocross driver crashed against a police car door. According to local news media, the motorcyclist was riding at high speed, without a helmet, when he passed by the unma…
telesurenglish.net/news/-france-violent-confrontations-between-police-and-parisians—20200420-0009.html

Where the Skripals Are Today
Eric Zuesse | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-04-18
On 4 March 2018, both Sergei Skripal and his daughter who was visiting from their shared home country of Russia, Yulia Skripal, were poisoned in Salisbury England, and

As US Shale Oil Plunges, Trump Admin Takes Aim at Venezuela
Whitney Webb | mintpressnews.com | 2020-04-17
WASHINGTON DC ( The Last American Vagabond)

Book Review: Lenin's What is to be Done?
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-04-17
Why review a book that the Russian revolutionary V.I. Lenin began in 1901 and finished in 1902? The short answer is the book is just that good and it has endured the test of time, and the 150th anniversary of Lenin's birth is a good occasion for it. | A more complete answer is as follows

Russian Lukoil to make 18% cut as part of OPEC deal
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-21
Russia's second-largest oil producer Lukoil will reduce its output by 18%, equivalent to more than 40,000 tons per day as part of the new OPEC production cut deal, Russian Interfax news agency said on Monday citing the company's CEO Vagit Alekperov."And I think that we and all other companies will fulfill this amount, which was brought to us by the energy ministry," Alekperov said.Lukoil expects an oil price of $30 per barrel after the start of the agreement.Saudi Arabia-led OPEC and Russia-led non-OPEC oil-producing countries, known as OPEC , agreed on April 12 to lower their collective oil production by 9.7 mil…
yenisafak.com/en/economy/russian-lukoil-to-make-18-cut-as-part-of-opec-deal-3517539

Turkey, Russia hold fifth joint patrol in Idlib, Syria
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-21
Turkish and Russian military forces have carried out another joint patrol along a key highway in northwestern Syria, said Turkey's Defense Ministry on Tuesday."Fifth combined Turkish-Russian land patrol was conducted today by air and ground vehicles on M4 motorway in Syria's Idlib province, as part of the earlier TR-RF agreement," the ministry said on Twitter.The M4 highway, also known as the Aleppo-Al Hasakah road, is about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Turkey's southern border.Last month, Ankara and Moscow agreed on a protocol urging parties to "cease all military actions along the line of contact in the Idlib…
yenisafak.com/en/world/turkey-russia-hold-fifth-joint-patrol-in-idlib-syria-3517535

Apple expands services business to markets in Africa and beyond
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-21
Apple Inc on Tuesday said it would expand its App Store, Apple Music and other services to dozens of new markets in Africa, the Middle East and beyond in the biggest geographical expansion of its services in almost a decade.Apple said it would expand the App Store to 20 countries, eight of them in Africa, and will offer its streaming Apple Music service in 52 additional countries and regions. The expansion is the largest since Apple grew what was then called the iTunes Store to India, Russia and more than 50 other countries in 2012.Apple has focused on growing sales from its services segment, which totaled 17.8%…
yenisafak.com/en/technology/apple-expands-services-business-to-markets-in-africa-and-beyond-3517543

Syria Demined More Than 5 Acres of Land Over Past Day – Russian Defence Ministry
sputniknews.com | 2020-04-21
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Syrian Armed Forces have cleared 2.1 hectares (5.1 acres) of the country's territory of explosive devices over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.
sputniknews.com/middleeast/202004211079040845-syria-demines-more-than-5-acres-of-land-over-past-day—russian-defense-ministry/

Iran, Russia, Turkey to Discuss Syria Situation
Tasnim News | iranian.com | 2020-04-21
The Iranian, Russian and Turkish foreign ministers plan to hold a meeting via video conference on Wednesday to discuss the latest developments in Syria. According to Russian foreign ministry, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Russian and Turkish counterparts Sergei Lavrov and Mevlut Cavusoglu will hold the online meeting on April 22, TASS reported. …
iranian.com/2020/04/20/iran-russia-turkey-to-discuss-syria-situation/

Saudi Arabia's client-state relationship with the US should concern the whole world
Thembisa Fakude | iranian.com | 2020-04-19
When Saudi Arabia approached members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its affiliates recently to cut oil production in an attempt to cushion the impact of the falling oil prices as a result of Covid-19, Russia rejected the proposal. The subsequent spat between Moscow and Riyadh saw the Saudis and the United …
iranian.com/2020/04/19/saudi-arabias-client-state-relationship-with-the-us-should-concern-the-whole-world/

Risks and Realities of Extending the UN Arms Embargo on Iran
Arms Control Association | iranian.com | 2020-04-19
More than a decade ago, the United States and its partners secured UN Security Council support for a series of resolutions imposing increasingly tough sanctions on Iran as part of an effort to pressure Tehran into multilateral talks to curb its nuclear program and block its pathways to nuclear weapons. The United States along with …
iranian.com/2020/04/18/risks-and-realities-of-extending-the-un-arms-embargo-on-iran/

Though 'Children Need Peace Now More Than Ever,' US and Russia Block UN Efforts to Impose Global Ceasefire
Julia Conley, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-04-20
While human rights groups and a number of U.S. allies have expressed support for the U.N.'s call for a global ceasefire during the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. and Russia are reportedly standing in the way of an international agreement. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/anti-war_movement_missing_in_action.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2020/04/20/though-children-need-peace-now-more-ever-us-and-russia-block-un-efforts-impose?cd-origin=rss