(2020-07-02). Lee Camp: How the Media Used the Bounty Scandal to Stop the 'Threat' of Peace in Afghanistan. mintpressnews.com This is not a column defending Donald Trump. | Across my career, I have said more positive words about the scolex family of intestinal tapeworms than I have said about Donald Trump. (Scolex have been shown to read more.) | No, this is a column about context. When The New York Times reports anonymous sources from the intelligence community say Russia paid Taliban fighters to kill American soldiers, context is very important. | Some of that context is that
(2020-07-02). US Media Used To Stop The 'Threat' Of Peace. popularresistance.org This is not a column defending Donald Trump. | Across my career I have said more positive words about the scolex family of intestinal tapeworms than I have said about Donald Trump. (Scolex have been shown to read more.) | No, this is a column about context. When The New York Times reports anonymous sources from the intelligence community say Russia paid Taliban fighters to kill American soldiers, context is very important. | Some of that context is that Mike Pompeo said, "I was the CIA director — We lied, we cheated, we stole. We had entire training courses." So we know for certain that U.S. intelligence ag…
(2020-07-02). History Provides Clues Into Israel's West Bank Annexation. popularresistance.org Palestine has been annexed, occupied, stolen, and Palestinians have been dispossessed, exiled, caged, detained, subjected to an apartheid regime, and killed by the state of Israel for over seven decades. Every few years the world wakes up to protest some aspect of Israeli apartheid, occupation, or a massacre, and then it returns safely to its deep slumber. | Every so often, Israel manages to awaken the angst of the European Union and other international organizations with some announcement or another, a murderous attack on Palestinians, a declaration of annexation or "sovereignty," and then, as if under the influ…
(2020-07-02). Historic Constitutional Changes in Russia. globalresearch.ca In January during an address to Russian lawmakers, Vladimir Putin proposed long overdue changes to the country's out-of-date Constitution. | They include what Sputnik International called "a heavy focus on social and organizational/governance issues" — notably guaranteeing a living wage and …
(2020-07-02). Russia Did It Again — Chasing the Bounty Hunters. globalresearch.ca Russia did it again. This time Moscow is accused of "paying to kill Americans". How criminal! | Such things only Americans would do — Washington, the Pentagon, CIA…. Because killing and have killed is in their mindset and bloodstream. That's what …
(2020-07-02). "Russia is Paying the Taliban": Afghan Bounty Scandal Comes at Suspiciously Important Time for US Military Industrial Complex. globalresearch.ca The latest scandal, like others before it, is based on scant testimony by anonymous officials and has had the effect of pushing liberal opinion on US foreign policy into a far more hawkish direction. | *** | Based on anonymous intelligence …
(2020-07-02). Tearing Down the Idols of Colonialism: Why Tunisia, Africa Must Demand French Apology. dissidentvoice.org The visit by newly-elected Tunisian President Kais Saied to France on June 22 was intended to discuss bilateral relations, trade, etc. But it was also a missed opportunity, where Tunisia could have formally demanded an apology from France for the decades of French colonialism, which has shattered the social and political fabric of this North …
(2020-07-02). We Won't Have a Truly Global Economy Until People Start Taxing It That Way. counterpunch.org 
Major talks between the United States and the European Union to establish a shared tax framework for multinational companies broke down on the issue of seeking to secure an agreement on digital taxation. Big tech, which is heavily a U.S. creation, has long been in the sights of European economies, as their profits and revenues have
(2020-07-02). BBC cutting around 450 jobs across England. thecanary.co 
The BBC has announced plans to cut around 450 jobs across England.The broadcaster said that BBC England must save £25m by the end of March 2022.BBC England is the home of the corporation's local radio stations and regional TV news, and according to the BBC will "undergo a significant reinvention".It comes after the BBC last month said it was axing more than 150 roles in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.Outgoing BBC director-general Lord Tony Hall (Dominic Lipinski/PA)Last month outgoing director-general Lord Tony Hall launched a programme of voluntary redundancy across the BBC.The BBC already had an &po…
(2020-07-02). Beavers born in Essex 'for first time since Middle Ages'. thecanary.co 
Beavers have been born in Essex for the first time since the Middle Ages, conservationists have said.The mammals had been hunted to extinction for their meat, fur and scent glands in the UK by the beginning of the 16th Century but have since been reintroduced. | A pair of Eurasian beavers were brought to the Spains Hall Estate in Finchingfield last year as part of a project to help reduce flood risk.They were the first to be brought to Essex in 400 years, and now they have had two babies — known as kits.Darren Tansley, river catchment coordinator at Essex Wildlife Trust, said: "We always hoped that having be…
(2020-07-02). Biden Compared Indicted War Criminal to "George Washington" counterpunch.org In 2010, current Democratic Party presidential hopeful Joe Biden Jr. referred to Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leader Hashim Thaci as the "George Washington of Kosovo." On June 24th, it was reported that Thaci had to cancel a trip to Washington because of his indictment by the Hague for war crimes and crimes against humanity. These
(2020-07-02). The Fourth Estate Has Murdered America. The NYT "Made Up The Story"? globalresearch.ca The "news service" of multi-billionaire Bloomberg echoes the New York Times lie that Russia paid the Taliban to kill US occupying troops: | "Lawmakers from both U.S. political parties demanded President Donald Trump hold Russia accountable over allegations it offered cash …
(2020-07-02). Anti-Russia War Fever Spreads On Capitol Hill. popularresistance.org Groups of congressional Republicans and Democrats have visited the White House over the past two days for briefings on allegations that the Russian military intelligence agency GRU offered bounties to Taliban fighters who killed American soldiers in Afghanistan. | They have emerged bristling with demands for retaliation, with one Republican senator declaring, "I want to hear their plan for Taliban and GRU agents in body bags"—in other words, for military action by the United States against Russia, possessor of the world's second largest stockpile of nuclear weapons. | The "Russian bounties" campaign is a fa…
(2020-07-02). Cuban Spies Disguised as Doctors. dissidentvoice.org The European Union now excludes travelers from the COVID-ridden U.S., but welcomes those from the virtually COVID-free Cuba. Cuba, the country that sends doctors and infectious disease specialists around the world to fight the pandemic, the country the U.S. has held in contempt for 60 years, villified with every epithet and sanctioned and embargoed and …
(2020-07-02). Germany-US Relations in Crisis: Former German Chancellor Says U.S.-EU Alliance Could Now End. globalresearch.ca A German equivalent to UK's Financial Times and America's Wall Street Journal is the Dusseldorf Handelsblatt or "Commerce Sheet," which headlined on June 30th, They reported: | Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schrà∂der has …
(2020-07-02). Workers in Germany express their solidarity with striking Fiat Chrysler workers. wsws.org The strikes at two Detroit Fiat Chrysler plants in Jefferson North and Sterling Heights against intolerable health and safety conditions for production workers have met with a powerful response from workers in Germany.
(2020-07-02). Over 78% Russian voters support amendments to the constitution. peoplesdispatch.org The amendments to the current constitution, which was adopted in 1993, will among other things allow incumbent president Vladimir Putin to contest again for…
(2020-07-02). Dangerous Game: How the Wreckage of Russiagate Ignited a New Cold War. globalresearch.ca It's been nearly four years since the myth of Trump-Russia collusion made its debut in American politics, generating an endless stream of stories in the corporate press and hundreds of allegations of conspiracy from pundits and officials. But despite netting …
(2020-07-02). Bolivia: Añez Wants To Jail The Favored Candidate In The Coming Elections. popularresistance.org Bolivia's de facto president, Jeanine Añez, is losing more and more of her mask obscuring democracy that, with the complicity of the United States and the European Union, she had to put on to justify the violent overthrow of Evo Morales in November of last year. | Now, in a fragrant demonstration that in Bolivia there are no constitutional guarantees and that persecution is the rule of order, a coup is being prepared against the presidential candidate of the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), Luis Arce Catacora. | In a confirmation of the validity of the lawfare method (judicial war) against popular leaders, the le…
(2020-07-02). PM's father Stanley Johnson's visit to Greece angers MPs. thecanary.co Boris Johnson's father Stanley has been criticised by MPs after flying to Greece despite government advice urging against non-essential international travel. | The 79-year-old arrived in Athens on Wednesday 1 July to visit his mountain villa. He shared a video of his plane landing in the capital on social media platform Instagram. | He also posted a picture of himself wearing a face mask, which appeared to be taken in an airport. Johnson flew to Athens via Bulgaria, the Daily Mail said, because the Greek government has banned direct flights from the UK until mid-July.
(2020-07-02). Germany tells Turkey travel warning will be regularly reviewed. yenisafak.com Germany will keep reviewing travel advice for Turkey, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told his Turkish counterpart on Thursday, saying any decisions were coordinated with the EU and based on reliable data on infections and the health situation.Turkey is disappointed that the EU has excluded it, along with the United States and others, from a list of countries recommended for non-essential travel and has called on it to correct its "mistake".Speaking to reporters after talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Berlin, Maas said reviews of the situation took place every two weeks."Further steps will follo…
(2020-07-02). Germany planning 42.5 bln eur in tax relief to 2024. yenisafak.com Germany is planning tax cuts totalling 42.5 billion euros over the period to 2024, with 7 billion euros of cuts planned in 2021 alone, Handelsblatt newspaper reported on Thursday, adding that the cabinet would agree the measures at the end of July.According to the newspaper, these latest measures to stimulate the recovery of Europe's largest economy will include an increase in individuals' tax-free income allowance as well as increases to the income thresholds at which higher income tax rates kick in.Families will also receive extra money for each child they have, the paper reported.
(2020-07-02). Turkey demands apology from France. yenisafak.com Turkey's foreign minister on Thursday demanded an apology from France for misleading NATO and EU about recent tensions in the Mediterranean."France did not tell the truth to both NATO and EU. The claim that our ships locked is not true. We proved that and gave the documents to NATO. And NATO saw the reality," said Mevlut Cavusoglu in a joint news conference with his German counterpart Heiko Maas."Our expectation from France is to apologize to us for not providing the true information," he added. France last week claimed that Turkey harassed one of its vessels taking part in a NATO mission in the Mediterranean. Tu…
(2020-07-02). Hungary not to open borders at EU's request, says PM. yenisafak.com "For now, we cannot support the EU's request because that would be against the health interests of the Hungarian people," Victor Orban said.Hungary, which joined the EU in 2004, opened its borders to Serbian citizens early June.This week the 27-member bloc added 14 states to the list of non-EU countries whose citizens can resume travel to the EU from July 1.The countries are Serbia, Montenegro, Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. China is also on the register, but only on the condition of reciprocal action by the Chinese authorities…
(2020-07-02). Turkey's chemical exports up 10.2% in June. yenisafak.com Turkey's chemical sector exports rose by 10.2% year-on-year in June, a local association said Thursday.The Istanbul Chemical and Chemical Products Exporters' Association (IKMIB) said the exports reached $1.42 billion in June.This figure totaled to $8.64 billion in the first half of the year.In June, the sector's main export destinations were Iraq, the Netherlands and Germany.Turkey's overall exports were $13.5 billion in June, up 15.8% on a yearly basis, the Turkish trade minister announced earlier on Thursday.
(2020-07-02). Italy should compensate India in marine shooting dispute: arbitration court. yenisafak.com The court said it was up to India and Italy to decide the amount of compensation warranted in the so-called Enrica Lexie case, which has soured relations between the two countries in recent years.The marines, part of a military team on anti-pirate duty protecting the Italian oil tanker Enrica Lexie in 2012, say they mistook Indian fishermen for pirates and fired warning shots which accidentally killed the two fishermen.
(2020-07-02). India marks $5.2B for indigenous military projects. yenisafak.com India on Thursday earmarked 389 billion Indian rupees ($5.2 billion) for the design and development of indigenous military equipment, according to a statement by the Ministry of Defense. Following a meeting of the country's defense acquisition council, the Ministry of Defense announced that the approved proposals included acquisitions worth 311.3 billion rupees ($4.1 billion) from domestic defense industry firms.The country also green lighted the purchase of additional fighter jets from Russia, including the procurement of 21 Mikoyan MIG-29 along with upgrading of 59 existing aircraft, costing 74.18 billion rupee…
(2020-07-02). Erdogan arrives in Doha for official visit. yenisafak.com urkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived Thursday afternoon in the Qatari capital, Doha on a day-long official visit.Qatari Defense Minister Khalid bin Muhammad Al-Attiyah and other officials received the Turkish president at the airport.Erdogan is scheduled to meet with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to discuss "mutual relations between the two friendly and brotherly countries."Erdogan is flanked by Finance Minister Berat Albayrak and National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar.He is also accompanied by Turkey's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin and intel…
(2020-07-02). Three tons of manure used for explosives seized in Turkey. yenisafak.com Turkish security forces in an operation against the PKK/KCK terrorist organization in eastern Van province seized 3 tons of manure used for making explosives, the governor's office announced Thursday in a written statement.The provincial gendarmerie command continues efforts to unveil activities of the terrorist organization in the region, said the statement.The operation was conducted based on a tip about a large amount of artificial fertilizer buried in the ground in the rural area of Baskale district to be used in the preparation of handmade explosives in attacks against the military facilities, public institu…
(2020-07-02). Turkish resort city ready for safe tourism season. yenisafak.com Turkey's Mediterranean resort city of Antalya is fully set up to ensure safe tourism and a virus-free environment, according to Ukraine's envoy to Turkey."We see that visits from Ukraine started well. There are serious preparations for safe tourism in Antalya, we had the chance to see them ourselves by visiting like a tourist," Ambassador Andrii Sybiha said during a meeting with Ersin Yazici, Antalya's governor.Sybiha said Antalya is a very beautiful city and is not only the capital of Turkish tourism but also agriculture.Telling how flights from Ukraine to Antalya started on Wednesday, he called on more Ukrainia…
(2020-07-02). FM Zarif hopes for developing ties with Belarus. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 02 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif expressed his hope for developing bilateral ties between Iran and Belarus.
(2020-07-02). Iran agrees to compensate downed plane victims' families. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 03 (MNA) —Sweden's foreign minister says Tehran has agreed to compensate the families of the foreign victims of the shot down plane.
(2020-07-02). Go die! -Corona crisis shows that social Darwinist ideas are taken up by left wing politic. indybay.org Rebecca Maskos and Stephan Weigand, two leftists from Germany, wrote a text to tackle the German left's socialdarwinist and ableist stances in the face of the Corona crisis. The text focuses only on current excesses of socialdarwinism of the German left, but maybe some of it may apply to other countries as well. | We think that it's really bothering how people who otherwise are the first ones to fight every "-ism" can't understand how much ableism towards disabled and ld people they spread in their criticism of the government's epidemiological interventions to flatten the curve. (This criticism was pretty widespr…
(2020-07-01). In Russia, a New Generation of Activists are Taking on Climate Crisis. commondreams.org For young climate activists like Alexey, the lesson is clear: Vladimir Putin, the authoritarian president who has been in power for all of their lives, has never been all too concerned about their safe and sustainable future. (Photo: Fridays for the Future Russia / Facebook) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/climateemergency.jpg …
(2020-07-01). 'Priority in Syria political unity, territorial integrity'. yenisafak.com Protecting the political unity and territorial integrity of Syria is a priority, the Turkish president said Wednesday."Maintaining the political unity and territorial integrity of Syria, the establishment of calm on the ground and a lasting solution to the conflict are our priority," Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a Turkey-Russia-Iran summit under the Astana process via video conference."We'll continue to do our best to provide peace, security and stability in our neighbor Syria," he said.The trilateral meeting is ongoing with the attendance of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Puti…
(2020-07-01). Global protests against Israel's 'Annexation Plan'. peoplesdispatch.org 
Protests, both on the ground and on the virtual platforms, were organized on Wednesday July 1 across the world to denounce the proposed Israeli annexation of parts of the occupied Palestinian land in the West Bank. Several organizations are also demanding international sanctions against Israel if it goes ahead with the move. | Civil society movements, including the Palestinian Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS), organized protests in countries such as the US, the UK, Canada, Germany and Spain, among several others. | Israel had announced that it would start the process of annexation of the parts of the occupied…
(2020-07-01). Black Lives Matter is 'anti-christian' & 'anti-civilizational' — outspoken senior Russian Orthodox Bishop. rt.com 
A prominent Russian cleric believes the 'Black Lives Matter' movement isn't a battle for human rights, but rather a "struggle for who is most important in humanity." He says its true nature is "becoming increasingly apparent." | Bishop Savva of Zelenograd, the deputy administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate says the campaign is "anti-Christian and anti-civilizational." | Also on rt.com | | The churchman was reacting to news that the statue of Emperor…
(2020-07-01). Ireland's Greens agree to join austerity coalition government. wsws.org Almost five months after Ireland's February 8 general election, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have formed a coalition government after the Green Party voted to come on board.
(2020-07-01). Tearing Down the Idols of Colonialism: Why Tunisia Must Demand a French Apology. mintpressnews.com 
A debate is brewing in Tunisia on whether to demand an apology from France for the exploitation and trauma wrought by French colonialism, a move that could preclude a demand for compensation.
(2020-07-01). Some Italian Thinkers are now resisting Lies about the Soviet Union and WW II. dissidentvoice.org 
Lying about world history is one of the main weapons of the Western imperialists, through which they are managing to maintain their control of the world. European and North American countries are inventing and spreading a twisted narrative about almost all essential historic events, be they colonialism, crusades, or genocides committed by the Western expansionism …
(2020-07-01). A Canada Day Surprise: How a "Synthetic Nationalism" Was Created to Break the US-Russia Alliance. dissidentvoice.org 
As a Canadian author associated with a Canadian geopolitical magazine and a book series rooted in the thesis that Canada is still under the dominance of the British Empire to this very day, the July 1st holiday known as "Canada Day" is a bit of a strange thing to celebrate. As I have recently written …
(2020-07-01). Pentagon chief says 'no corroborating evidence' so far to back Russia bounty story. rt.com 
The US secretary of defense said that while the Pentagon takes all threats against US troops "very seriously," there is so far no proof for the ever-shifting story that Russia paid bounties for the killing of US soldiers. | In a statement on Tuesday, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the top military brass treats the security of military personnel, including in Afghanistan, as a high priority. | "I want to assure all of our service members that the Department takes very seriously any and all potential threats against US military personnel," he said. | Esper noted that while he and others in the US military…
(2020-07-01). France warns Israeli annexation of West Bank won't be 'without consequences'. rt.com 
France has warned that any Israel annexation of the West Bank "could not be left without consequences" and said that it is "examining different options" at a national level and with its European partners. | "Annexation of Palestinian territories, whatever the perimeters, would seriously throw into question the parameters to resolve the conflict," Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday. | Israel plans to annex as much as 30 percent of occupied Palestinian territory, which has been met with disapproval from much of the international community, including the UK and EU.
(2020-07-01). France stands back from NATO's Libya op after maritime face-off with Turkish Navy — media. rt.com 
Paris has "temporarily" suspended its role in Operation Sea Guardian off the coast of Libya. The French Defense Ministry sent a letter to NATO headquarters announcing the decision and calling upon allies to "solemnly reaffirm their attachment" to the arms embargo on the war-ravaged country. The Turkish envoy to France confirmed the news, saying the French Navy is calling off its frigate Courbet which engaged in a mid-sea standoff with Turkish warships escorting a civilian freighter on its way to Libya several weeks ago. The incident exacerbated already tense relations between the two NATO countries. French Pre…
(2020-07-01). Turkey accuses 'biased' France of allowing Libya embargo violations in support of Haftar. rt.com 
Ankara has taken aim at France for allegedly ignoring violations of an international arms embargo placed on Libya, claiming that illegal activity was being carried out to benefit commander Khalifa Haftar. According to Reuters, Turkey's ambassador to Paris, Ismail Hakki Musa, said on Wednesday that the United Arab Emirates and Egypt were bypassing the UN blockade — and that "biased" France was doing nothing to stop it. | The accusation comes a day after Turkey slammed France's "dishonest approach" to the crisis in Libya. For its part, Paris has condemned Ankara for turning a blind eye to illegal arms shipm…
(2020-07-01). UK turns to Germany in bid to finally get its Covid-19 contact tracing app off the ground, ambassador says. rt.com 
Germany's ambassador to the UK says British health services have reached out to their German counterparts to find a solution to the UK's embarrassing predicament over its yet-to-be-launched coronavirus contact tracing app. | Diplomat Andreas Michaelis made the remark while speaking to BBC Radio 4's 'Today' show about the success of Germany's domestic contact tracing app, which relies on Apple and Google tech to trace people who may have contracted coronavirus because of their proximity to a confirmed case. "It works," Michaelis said. | This is in stark contrast to the UK's own app which, far from working, has…
(2020-07-01). Vote on amendments isn't about Putin, it's the first ever 'truly Russian constitution' – leading historian. rt.com 
Previous Russian constitutions were either inspired or influenced by foreign legislators, but the amendments that the country is voting on are truly "Russia-centered," veteran Russia-focused historian Martin McCauley told RT. | It's no wonder then that the Western media ignores more than 200 proposed changes to the Russian Constitution and only focuses on the one that may allow Vladimir Putin run for president again, if he wishes to do so. | "'Putin wants to be Tsar for life' — that makes headlines, everyone understands that and if you go into the details of constitutional law people get bored," McCauley…
(2020-07-01). New York Times calls for punishing Putin over anonymous bounty claims but advised Trump to let ISIS kill Russian troops in Syria. rt.com 
The same New York Times reporting anonymous claims of Russian bounties on US troops in Afghanistan opined in 2017 that President Trump should let ISIS "bleed" Russian forces in Syria rather than help defeat the terrorists. | Thomas Friedman, who has won three Pulitzer prizes as a journalist and columnist for the Times, argued in an
(2020-07-01). Over 77 percent of Russians back constitutional amendments, 21 opposed — preliminary results. rt.com 
After processing 85 percent of the ballots, the Russian election commission has announced that 77,8 percent of the voters approved the changes to the constitution, while 21,3 percent opposed. Nationwide turnout was at 65 percent. | Millions of Russians went to the polls on Wednesday to cast their vote for or against the 206 proposed amendments, already approved by the legislature. This was preceded by five days of early voting starting June 25 and even online voting in Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod — all due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which delayed the vote from its originally scheduled date of April 22. | Al…
(2020-07-01). Constitutional amendments vote in Russia: RT special coverage. rt.com 
Russians are heading to the polls on the last day of voting on amendments to the country's constitution. Citizens have plenty of time to express their will, as July 1 has been declared a holiday. | Among other things, the proposed amendments would transfer more power to Russia's two houses of parliament, as well as potentially allow Vladimir Putin to run for the presidency two more times. | Initially scheduled for April 22, the vote was postponed until July 1 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The government allowed voters to go to their polling stations up to a week before the final date, in order to reduce crowds…