(2020-07-04). [Correspondence] Time for WHO to declare climate breakdown a PHEIC? thelancet.com At the opening plenary of the World Health Assembly in May, 2019, Richard Horton urged member states and the Secretariat of WHO to recognise climate change as a planetary emergency. A few days later, during a side event on air pollution, climate change, oceans, and health sponsored by the Government of Sweden, the Minister of Health for the Seychelles Jean Paul Adam argued that climate change has to be recognised as a public health emergency at the international level. Johan Giesecke1 once stressed that as public health emergencies of international concern (PHEICs) evolve into more complex forms, it becomes neces…
(2020-07-04). Massive Cringe as Apparatchiks Stuff the Ballot for Putin's Constitutional Amendments That Would Have Passed Anyway. anti-empire.com 
So the Russians Putin also gets the option of running for two more 6 year terms come 2024. | It also happens to be the case that this is
(2020-07-04). Economically, US is a declining power, China is a rising power. peoplesdispatch.org In this episode of Signs of Our Time, Marxist intellectual Aijaz Ahmad and Vijay Prashad of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research talk about the state of US-China relations and rising tensions in East Asia. Prof. Ahmad analyses the decline in US economic and strategic power and talks about the implications of the China-Russia partnership…
(2020-07-04). Europe unites against Israel's West Bank annex plan. yenisafak.com Encouraged by US President Donald Trump's so-called "Deal of the Century," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month announced his government would formally annex the Jordan Valley and all settlement blocs in the West Bank. | The annexation was scheduled to be declared by Netanyahu on Wednesday.But uncertainty surrounds Netanyahu's position in light of widespread international criticism of the plan along with differences with the US on its application. | Annexation "will certainly happen in July," but it has to be done in partnership with the US, Ofir Akunis, Israel's regional cooperation minister, to…
(2020-07-04). Erdogan says Turkey sent virus aid to 138 countries. yenisafak.com Turkey to date has sent medical aid to 138 countries to help them combat the coronavirus pandemic, said Turkey's president on Saturday."We have sent medical equipment and supplies to 138 countries, regardless of religion, language, race, or region," Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the inauguration ceremony for a new state hospital in Istanbul.Telling how Turkey's exemplary efforts against the virus laid the groundwork for new opportunities in medical tourism, he added, "We're determined to make Turkey the health center of three continents," meaning Asia, Europe, and Africa, with Turkey at their hub."Thanks to the meas…
(2020-07-04). Why is Greece courting Haftar's militia in Libya? yenisafak.com Greece has been left in a tight corner after betting on East Libya-based warlord Khalifa Haftar, a Turkey-based scholar has said.After Haftar's 2019 military campaign to recapture the capital Tripoli failed, many of his allies gave up on him. More recently, he lost key cities following an operation by the Tripoli-based legitimate government of Libya.However, Greece officially maintains talks with eastern Libya.Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias on Wednesday paid a two-day visit to Tobruk, during which he met with Aguila Saleh, head of the pro-Haftar House of Representatives.According to a statement by the Tobr…
(2020-07-04). Russia says China would be needed in expanded G7 summit. yenisafak.com Russia is not in talks with Washington about its potential role at an expanded Group of Seven summit later this year, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Saturday, insisting that China should also be included in the event.His comments to TASS news agency countered those of John Sullivan, U.S. ambassador to Russia, who told RBC TV on Friday that Washington was "engaged with the Russian Foreign Ministry and with the other G7 governments about whether there is an appropriate role for Russia at the G7."U.S. President Donald Trump has raised the prospect of Russia's return to the group, which includes the w…
(2020-07-04). Coronavirus deaths surge beyond 10,000 in Russia. yenisafak.com Coronavirus-related deaths in Russia crossed the 10,000 mark on Saturday.With 168 fatalities registered over the last 24 hours, the overall count went up to 10,027, the country's emergency task force said in a daily report.The daily growth in coronavirus cases remains below 7,000 for the ninth consecutive day, since 6,632 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the overall count to 674,515.Recoveries surged by 8,986 to reach 446,879, raising the share of recovered people to 66,2%.Earlier this week, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said the country will continue increasing polymerase chain reaction…
(2020-07-04). Turkey sends 2nd batch of medical aid to Serbia. yenisafak.com A Turkish military plane carrying the second batch of medical supplies for Serbia left the capital Ankara on Saturday amid the coronavirus pandemic.An A-400M military plane departed from the Etimesgut Military Airport to carry the equipment including ventilators, masks, overalls, and safety goggles.The first set of supplies was sent on June 12.There are over 15,500 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 298 deaths in Serbia, according to data compiled by the US' Johns Hopkins University.Since first appearing in China last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 188 countries and regions. The US, Brazil and R…
(2020-07-04). Qatar hails strategic relations with Turkey. yenisafak.com Qatari Foreign Minister Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani has hailed his country's strategic relations with Turkey."Strategic relations between Qatar and Turkey are growing day by day, particularly in the fields of economic, investment, commercial, energy and defense cooperation to serve the common interests of our nations," bin Abdulrahman said on Twitter on Friday.On Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Qatar for talks with emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.Erdogan was accompanied by Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak and National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, along with Communications…
(2020-07-04). Decisive, dissuasive will win in Libya: Analysis. yenisafak.com Following back-to-back successes of the Government of National Accord, Libya's UN-recognized legitimate administration, all sides seem to have reordered their positions. The safety of the capital Tripoli is no longer debated and the threats to the existence of GNA were eliminated. Gaining these achievements largely thanks to the support from Turkey, the GNA is working toward new achievements while also preparing for the restructuring of the country with the same support.The putschist Khalifa Haftar's forces have switched to a defensive stance, and their main purpose has been shifted to maintaining the territory t…
(2020-07-04). Turkey's presence in Libya to do whatever int'l law requires: DefMin. yenisafak.com Turkey's presence in Libya is to do whatever the international law and justice require, the Turkish defense minister said on Saturday."Turkey is together with the Libyan brothers. No one should doubt it, we will not give up on it," Hulusi Akar said.Akar and Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Guler, who are on an official visit to Libya, met Turkish security forces in the country. They later visited Tripoli's Mitiga Hospital, which was frequently targeted by the attacks of warlord Khalifa Haftar's militias, and met the Turkish health care staff at the hospital."Our task here [in Libya] is providing military trainin…
(2020-07-04). Turkish space team to send mini satellite into space. yenisafak.com A team of Turkish engineering students will send a miniaturized satellite into space at the end of the year."We started working on the PocketQube in 2016, a newly developed standard in space technologies, and developed Turkey's first PocketQube satellite Grizu-263A," Aytac Dursun, head of Grizu-263 Space Team, told Anadolu Agency."The satellite will be sent into space in December with SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from the Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex in the US," he said.Established in 2016 by Bulent Ecevit University students in the Black Sea province of Zonguldak, Grizu-263 aims to work on space and satellite…
(2020-07-04). Turkey issues arrest warrants over fireworks factory blasts in NW. yenisafak.com Turkey has issued arrest warrants over explosions at a fireworks factory on Friday that killed four people, according to judicial sources.Prosecutors in the northwestern Sakarya province issued warrants for the factory manager in charge and two foremen, said the sources on Saturday, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.The investigation of the incident continues, the prosecutors reportedly said.The blasts took place at a factory in the province's Hendek district.A total of 114 people were taken to the hospital and nearly 100 were discharged, Turkey's health minister said Friday.T…
(2020-07-04). Why Russians Don't Want to Be Europeans. strategic-culture.org Pravda lied to us about the USSR, but it told the truth about the West. | — Contemporary Russian joke | In a
(2020-07-04). The Malign Russians and Chinese Are Coming. strategic-culture.org A feeble Russiagate 2.0 attempt coincides with hypocritical attacks on the new Hong Kong national security law | Pepe ESCOBAR | In Russia, 78% have just Among these, we find the paramount Atlanticist obsession: the possibility that Vladimir Putin will be able to run for two more presidential terms. | Predictably, anguished cries of "Dictator! Dictator!" have been lobbed like deadly shells all across the Beltway. | They might even silence the echoes of the latest CIA press release to the New York Times, ba…
(2020-07-03). Copenhagen's Little Mermaid labelled 'racist fish'. yenisafak.com Denmark woke up on Friday to the words "racist fish" scrawled across the base of the "Little Mermaid", the bronze statue honouring Hans Christian Andersen's famous fairy tale that perches on a rock in the sea off a pier in Copenhagen.Police said it had not yet identified the perpetrators. The 107-year-old sculpture, which is visited by one million tourists each year, has been vandalised before, including by anti-whaling campaigners and pro-democracy activists, twice suffering decapitation."We consider it vandalism and have started an investigation," a spokesman for the Copenhagen police said.Protesters of the Bla…
(2020-07-03). After Decades of Resistance Washington Redskins Agree to Change 'Racist' Name. sputniknews.com Many brands have recently reconsidered their name and actions in light of anti-racist protests rocking the US and some European countries. Last week, the US country music trio Dixie Chicks changed its name to remove the reference to Confederate states, which, in the mid 19th century, fought to preserve the enslavement of Blacks in the US.
(2020-07-03). 'RACIST FISH': Little Mermaid statue in Denmark vandalized again. rt.com 
Copenhagen's 'Little Mermaid' statue has yet again been vandalized, now with the words "racist fish" sprayed on its base. The fairy tale character's cancellation comes in spite of Disney casting a black actress for the movie role. | Denmark's capital saw the dubious description written on the landmark on Friday. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for defacing the statue of the Hans Christian Andersen character. | "We consider it vandalism and have started an investigation," a Copenhagen police spokesperson said. | For dozens of years, local protesters have been taking out their political issues on the…
(2020-07-03). UK Denies Venezuela Access To Its Gold For Food And Medicine. popularresistance.org The United Kingdom's High Court Thursday decided that opposition lawmaker Juan Guaido can access 31 tons of Venezuelan gold held in the Bank of England, which prevents President Nicolas Maduro's administration from using those resources to fight the pandemic. | The ruling about this monetary reserve valued at over US $ 1 billion occurs after months of disputes between Venezuela and the Bank of England, which denied the constitutionally constituted government access to its own resources | On May 14, the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV) sued the Bank of England to obtain and sell the Venezuelan gold bars. | The Sout…
(2020-07-03). Tearing Down the Idols of Colonialism: Why Tunisia, Africa Must Demand French Apology. counterpunch.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
(2020-07-03). UK Court Denies Venezuela $1bn in Gold Needed to Fight Virus. globalresearch.ca The United Kingdom's High Court has blocked the Venezuelan government's effort to recover 31 tons of the nation's gold held by the Bank of England (BoE). | In a ruling handed down on Thursday, the court said it "unequivocally recognised opposition …
(2020-07-03). Countries Ranked on "Democracy" in 2020. dissidentvoice.org 
NATO and its supporters and member-nations are hiding the fact that the predominant belief in many of these nations is that they're dictatorships that merely pontificate 'democracy' to other nations. NATO, which is America's propagandistically 'pro-democracy' military alliance against Russia and against China, polled the people in 53 countries — some of which are in …
(2020-07-03). Germany joins tiny host of European nations by making 'upskirting' punishable crime. rt.com 
German MPs have followed their UK and French colleagues, backing legislation that carries a fine or even a prison term for taking unsolicited photos under somebody's clothing. | The Bundestag voted in favor of a law on "improving privacy protection" this Friday, thus outlawing the practice. | From now on, anyone trying to film under somebody's clothing in order to see their underwear or private parts will face a fine or a maximum prison term of up to two years. Under existing laws, upskirting was deemed a minor offence punishable only by a small fine. | Minister Christine Lambrecht, who championed the legislat…
(2020-07-03). France to probe ex-PM & minister over handling of Covid-19 — prosecutors. rt.com 
France's former prime minister Edouard Philippe and its health officials will be the targets of a probe into the government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, prosecutors say. | Health minister Olivier Véran and his predecessor Agnès Buzyn will be investigated, along with Philippe, the attorney general said. | The probe comes after nine complaints were found to be admissible by the Court of Justice of the Republic "on the sole count of abstention from fighting a disaster." | | Edouard Philippe arrives for a meeting at the Elysee Palace. © Reuters / Christian Hartmann | Philippe resi…
(2020-07-03). French PM Castex wants 'to unite nation to fight crisis' as Macron launches new phase of presidency. rt.com 
France's new Prime Minister Jean Castex has warned that the coronavirus pandemic was not over yet and an economic crisis "is already here." On Friday, he took the helm of President Emmanuel Macron's government. | Castex praised outgoing prime minister Edouard Philippe outside the official premier's residence and said he would continue the structural reforms undertaken by the former government. | Macron named Castex earlier on Friday to launch a "new phase" of his presidency. "We will have to unite the nation to fight this crisis that is setting in," the new prime minister said.
(2020-07-03). Star Wars? Russia's new S-500 has SPACE DEFENSE abilities, can destroy hypersonic weapons & satellites in low-Earth orbit. rt.com 
Russia's upcoming S-500 anti-missile system will be unrivaled by any other similar technology in the world, a top military official has said. It is also the first in a new class of space-defense weaponry. | The main task of the S-500 is neutralizing mid-range ballistic missiles, but it can also bring down the warheads of intercontinental missiles, as well as warplanes, drones and more, Sergey Surovkin, the commander of Russia's Aerospace Forces,
(2020-07-03). Moscow welcomes Fatah & Hamas unity pledge amid Israel's West Bank annexation plans. rt.com 
Russia welcomed on Friday a pledge of unity between Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas against Israel's West Bank annexation plans. "One of the key issues that need to be resolved for our common efforts to succeed is to restore the Palestinian unity," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. | "We are satisfied with yesterday's press conference of Fatah and Hamas representatives, as they announced the decision to jointly defend interests of the Palestinian state based on the Palestine Liberation Organization platform," he noted. | Russia hopes that all Arab representatives will actively back this trend,…
(2020-07-03). First Russian coronavirus vaccine volunteers report no adverse side-effects. Hopes now high for mass immunization in fall. rt.com 
There may finally be an end in sight. Two weeks after Russia's home-grown Covid-19 vaccine was administered to a group of volunteers, there have been no negative side-effects, raising hopes that mass immunization may be possible. | Read more | | "Volunteers from the first group…feel good and have no complaints about their health," said a Ministry of Defense press release. "Over the past two weeks, there have been no ser…
(2020-07-03). Iraqi military sets up border posts to prevent Turkish advance as Ankara targets Kurdish rebels. rt.com 
Iraqi troops are enforcing positions along the border with Turkey to prevent Turkish forces from advancing deeper into Iraqi territory, officials said on Friday. Ankara has been conducting airstrikes for two weeks, targeting Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq. | Security officials said Turkey has established at least a dozen posts inside Iraqi territory as part of a military campaign to rout members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. The air-and-land campaign Operation Claw-Tiger began on June 17, when Turkey airlifted troops into northern Iraq. | Since then, at least six Iraqi civilians have been killed as…
(2020-07-03). Germany agrees plan to phase out coal as energy source by 2038. thecanary.co 
German politicians have finalised the country's long-awaited phase-out of coal as an energy source, backing a plan that environmental groups say is not ambitious enough.Bills approved by both houses of parliament on 3 July envision shutting down the last coal-fired power plant by 2038 and spending some 40 billion euros to help affected regions cope with the transition.The plan is part of Germany's "energy transition", an effort to wean Europe's biggest economy off planet-warming fossil fuels and generate all of the country's considerable energy needs from renewable sources.Achieving that goal is made harder than…
(2020-07-03). Wales and Scotland hit out at UK government's 'shambolic' actions on quarantine. thecanary.co 
The UK government's handling of the easing of quarantine restrictions for international arrivals has been "shambolic", according to the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales.Following weeks of speculation, transport secretary Grant Shapps announced on 3 July that people returning to or visiting England from around 60 countries and overseas territories deemed to have low rates of coronavirus, such as Spain and France, will not need to self-isolate.His department was unable to convince the devolved administrations to sign off on the plan before it was made public.Grant Shapps said the announcement was good…
(2020-07-03). Britain's Disorder and Decline. counterpunch.org 
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is no longer united, as most recently illustrated by the vastly dissimilar tactics to control the Covid-19 pandemic taken by England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. This follows the differences of opinion in each region concerning the disastrous Brexit decision to quit the European Union, as
(2020-07-03). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to
(2020-07-03). Bounty-Hunter Hoax to Kill U.S.-Russia Relations. strategic-culture.org Relations between the United States and Russia have already been badly wounded during recent years, largely as a result of baseless allegations such as Moscow interfering in American elections, colluding with President Donald Trump, or regarding other international developments, from the downing of a Malaysian airliner over Ukraine, to purported war crimes in Syria, to the alleged poisoning of British double-agent Sergei Skripal in England. | But the latest U.S. media effort claiming Russian military intelligence involvement in sponsoring Taliban assassins or "bounty hunters" to target American troops in Afghanis…
(2020-07-03). Video: Syria Prepares for Military Confrontation with Turkey in Northeast. globalresearch.ca The Syrian Army and the National Defense Forces have put their forces on high alert in response to the new round of aggressive actions by the Turkish Army and its proxies in northeastern Syria. | Several convoys of government forces, including …
(2020-07-03). What Do Russian Analysts Make of the Charge Moscow Offered Taliban Bounties on US Troops? commondreams.org U.S. Soldiers navigate a stream during a security patrol in Chabar, Afghanistan, Dec. 3, 2009. The Soldiers are from Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. (Photo: DoD/Tech. Sgt. Francisco V. Govea II, U.S. Air Force) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/5_trillion_wars_0.jpeg …
(2020-07-03). "No One Has Died from the Coronavirus" globalresearch.ca A high-profile European pathologist is reporting that he and his colleagues across Europe have not found any evidence of any deaths from the novel coronavirus on that continent. | Dr. Stoian Alexov called the World Health Organization (WHO) a "criminal medical …
(2020-07-03). In the U.S., the Second Wave Is Already Here. zcomm.org While Europe and Asia track down three-digit infection spikes at worst, the U.S. is dealing with over 40,000 a day…
(2020-07-03). Communist youth in Austria resist fascist mobilizations. peoplesdispatch.org On July 1, Wednesday, the Communist Youth of Austria (KJO) brought out a statement calling for resistance against the rising fascist and racist manifestations in Vienna and other Austrian cities. The statement by the Vienna committee of the KJO was made in the backdrop of an attack by right-wing Turkish nationalists against a Kurdish gathering in Vienna on June 24, and the clashes that followed it. Last week's events have also led to some diplomatic hostility between Austria and Turkey. | According to reports, a group called Grey Wolves comprising right-wing sections within the Turkish diaspora in Vienna was resp…
(2020-07-03). Italy: Covid-19 Pandemic Kills Poorest People The Most. telesurenglish.net The Italian National Statistics Bureau (ISTAT) revealed Friday, via a report, that the poorest of the country have more probabilities of dying of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the richest. | RELATED: | According to ISTAT, disadvantaged socio-economic conditions expose people to a higher likelihood of living in small or overcrowded housing, limiting the possibility of social distancing. | Low-income groups were mor…
(2020-07-03). White Nationalists on the Attack. counterpunch.org On Monday, June 22nd, Pvt. Ethan P. Melzer, 22, was charged with planning an ambush of members of his unit during an upcoming deployment with the help of an "occult-based neo-Nazi" group known as the "Order of the Nine Angles" and a related group known as the "RapeWaffen Division." Melzer was stationed in Vicenza, Italy, and
(2020-07-03). A Russian Bounty Is Bad. What's Shocking and Outrageous Is the War. thenation.com A Russian Bounty Is Bad. What's Shocking and Outrageous Is the War.
(2020-07-03). The New York Times fabricates Russian murder plot. wsws.org The Washington frenzy against Russia has been triggered by a lying propaganda campaign initiated by the New York Times.
(2020-07-03). Trial of Murdered Journalist Jamal Khashoggi Begins in Turkey. telesurenglish.net A Turkish court Friday opened the trial of 20 Saudis indicted over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. | RELATED: | The indictment accuses the former deputy head of Saudi Arabia's general intelligence, Ahmed al Asiri, and former royal court adviser Saud al Qahtani of instigating "premeditated murder with monstrous intent," prosecutors had said in March. | Eighteen other defendants are also accused of…
(2020-07-03). Floods inundate Western Ukraine amid renewed spike in COVID-19 cases. wsws.org Heavy rains and illegal logging are to blame for floods that have killed three in the country, which is rocked by a new surge in coronavirus cases.
(2020-07-03). US files to seize Iranian shipments en route to Venezuela. peoplesdispatch.org Federal prosecutors in the United States have appealed for seizure of the four Iranian ships that are supplying petrol to Venezuela. A civil-forfeiture appeal was filed before a federal court in the US capital of Washington D.C. on Wednesday, July 2. The appeal to seize the ships is against an Iranian expatriate businessman in the United Kingdom, with alleged ties with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for having arranged the shipment. | The IRGC, the official paramilitary forces in Iran, has been named as a "terror" organization by the US, and prosecutors allege that the proceeds of the shipments will…
(2020-07-03). World Rebukes US Over Iran. popularresistance.org Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday sought to reassert America's waning influence on the world stage, challenging the U.N. Security Council to extend a U.N. arms embargo that is due to expire in October. Instead, America's top diplomat received a scolding from friends and foes alike in the 15-nation council, which roundly criticized Washington for withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal two years ago without a clear plan to limit Tehran's nuclear activities. | On a day when the European Union pointedly excluded the United States from a "safe list" of countries permitted to travel to the 27-member bloc, the c…
(2020-07-03). Trump Used Looted Venezuelan Public Money To Build Border Wall. popularresistance.org Since the United States initiated a coup attempt against Venezuela's elected leftist government in January 2019, up to $24 billion worth of Venezuelan public assets have been seized by foreign countries, primarily by Washington and member states of the European Union. | President Donald Trump's administration has used at least $601 million of that looted Venezuelan money to fund construction of its border wall with Mexico, according to government documents first reviewed by Univision. | During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump insisted countless times that he would "make Mexico pay" to build a gargantuan wall…
(2020-07-03). EU grants conditional clearance to COVID-19 antiviral remdesivir. yenisafak.com The EU executive said the drug, produced by Gilead Sciences Inc, was the first medicine authorised in the European Union for treating COVID-19 following a "rolling review" begun by the European Medicines Agency at the end of April.The agency reviews data as they become available on a rolling basis, while development is still ongoing.The Commission said on Wednesday it was in negotiations with Gilead to obtain doses of remdesivir for the 27 European Union countries.However, that may prove difficult after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced it had secured all of Gilead's projected production…