(2020-07-19). Germany's Merkel warns of summit failure on EU recovery fund. yenisafak.com European Union leaders toiled in search of a coronavirus stimulus deal for a third day on Sunday but German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the mounting acrimony over the level of spending might not easily be overcome.Germany and France, the EU's powerbrokers, are seeking a deal on a 1.8 trillion euro ($2.06 trillion) economic recovery package to rescue the bloc's economies that are facing their worst recession since World War Two.Sticking points are the size of the new recovery fund and what proportion should be in grants and loans, with some "frugal" richer states led by the Netherlands pushing to limit it,…
(2020-07-19). Turkish steel exporters hail US ruling against Trump. yenisafak.com A US court ruling striking down US President Donald Trump's high tariffs on steel imports from Turkey is being welcomed by Turkish exporters and experts alike.In 2018 and 2019 the Trump administration raised tariffs up to 50% on steel imports from Turkey, causing major losses for Turkish steel exporters.The US Court of International Trade last week ruled that the move was unlawful.Turkish exporters hailed the ruling, adding that they would file a claim for compensation.Ismail Gulle, head of the Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM), said the court's decision was belated but right.Trump's decision to double tariffs la…
(2020-07-19). Turkey has suspended flights to Iran amid coronavirus outbreak. yenisafak.com Turkey has suspended flights to Iran amid a coronavirus outbreak in the Islamic Republic, a spokesman for Iran's Civil Aviation Organization, Reza Jafarzadeh, said on Sunday, according to the official IRNA news agency.The suspension of flights had begun on Saturday, he said.
(2020-07-19). Iran-Turkey flight canceled due COVID-19 restrictions. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 19 (MNA) —According to reports the Iranian Mahan and Qeshm airlines announced the cancellation of the flights to Turkey.
(2020-07-18). [Comment] The evolving clinical use of dexmedetomidine. thelancet.com In patients having cardiac and non-cardiac surgery, new-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation and postoperative delirium have been associated with several adverse long-term outcomes, including increased cardiovascular, renal, and cerebral complications, worsened postoperative cognitive function, increased mortality, longer length of stay in hospital, and increased medical costs.1—3 Identifying effective therapies and modifiable factors that might reduce the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation and postoperative delirium is paramount.
(2020-07-18). Russian & Azerbaijani defense ministers talk on the phone amid Baku's tensions with Armenia. rt.com 
Russia's defense minister Sergey Shoigu and his Azeri counterpart Zakir Hasanov have discussed the situation in the Southern Caucasus during a phone call, Russia's Ministry of Defense has said. | The talks come after almost a week of border clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which have left more than a dozen dead on both sides, according to various estimates. Moscow had earlier offered to become a mediator in peace talks between the two former Soviet republics. | Relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia have remained tense since the early 1990s, when Nagorno-Karabakh, a large Armenian-populated enclave in…
(2020-07-18). PHOTOS of burnt Nantes cathedral show fire started in SEVERAL places, as arson probe launched. rt.com 
Images showing the charred interior of the 15th-century cathedral in Nantes, France, appear to point at three separate outbreaks of flames having damaged the Gothic gem on Saturday. Arson is being investigated. | The diocese of Nantes released images on Facebook in the wake of the blaze. It completely destroyed the grand organ at the Cathedral of St. Pierre and St. Paul, blew out the stained glassed windows at the front of the building, and consumed a valuable 19th-century painting that had been sent from Rome. | | © Facebook / Diocese of Nantes | Locals quickly spotted that, judging by the photos, ther…
(2020-07-18). France, Germany & Italy threaten 'sanctions' against countries that interfere in Libya. rt.com 
Paris, Berlin and Rome have urged foreign powers to respect the UN Security Council arms embargo on Libya or face repercussions, in a joint statement issued by the EU leaders. | "We are ready to consider the possible use of sanctions should breaches to the embargo at sea, on land or in the air continue," France's President Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte warned. | Oil-rich Libya has been in turmoil since 2011, when a NATO bombing campaign ousted long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi, and the country is now being run by two rivaling governments. | In rece…
(2020-07-18). Rep. John Lewis, iconic civil rights leader, dead at 80. rt.com 
Longtime congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis has passed away at the age of 80 after a months-long battle with cancer, his family announced. | The Georgia Democrat, who served in Congress for more than three decades, was diagnosed in December with stage-four pancreatic cancer. "He dedicated his entire life to non-violent activism and was an outspoken advocate in the struggle for equal justice in America. He will be deeply missed," Lewis' family said in a statement announcing his death. | Lewis, a colleague of Martin Luther King Jr, was one of several keynote speakers at the 1963 March on Washington f…
(2020-07-18). Leader of radical black-only militia NFAC 'believes in violence' & wants a real-life Wakanda for every black person in America. rt.com 
NFAC, the masked, armed black militia that recently marched through a park in Georgia, deems violence and killing an acceptable response to oppression. Their end goal is to break away from the US as their own black-only nation. | The NFAC (Not F*cking Around Coalition) grabbed plenty of attention on social media with a high-profile public debut on July 4. The sight of an all-black militia, clutching rifles and handguns, marching in the heartland of the Ku Klux Klan at Stone Mountain caused plenty of ripples. | But very little is known about them, despite a frenzy of speculation. It's not even clear when they w…
(2020-07-18). Four German soldiers probed for links to Turkey's shadowy ultranationalist Grey Wolves group — media. rt.com 
The German army's counterintelligence service, MAD, is investigating four suspected followers of the Grey Wolves, a far-right, pan-Turkist youth organization the members of which were allegedly trained for urban guerilla warfare both at home and abroad. That's according to Germany's ARD broadcaster, citing a confidential government The document also reportedly discussed the supposed ties between the Grey Wolves' German branch…
(2020-07-18). Thousands join fresh rally in Russia's Khabarovsk over arrested governor Furgal (PHOTOS, VIDEO). rt.com 
An unsanctioned large-scale rally has taken place in Khabarovsk, the largest city in Russia's Far East. Crowds again took to the streets of downtown to protest the detention of Governor Sergey Furgal on contract-murder charges. | Furgal, a highly popular local politician and member of Russia's Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of orchestrating the murder of business rivals back in the 2000s. Shortly after he was detained and transferred to Moscow to face official charges, several massive rallies rocked Khabarovsk, a city of more than 600,000 people. | This Saturday, p…
(2020-07-18). Pirates attack tanker off the coast of Benin, 'kidnapping 13 Russian & Ukrainian sailors'. rt.com 
The chemical tanker Curacao Trader was attacked by pirates on Friday, some 210 miles (around 338km) off the coast of Benin, in West Africa's Gulf of Guinea, the vessel's Greek operator The armed perpetrators boarded the ship and kidnapped "13 out of its 19 Ukranian and Russian crew members." The vessel has been left drifting since the attack, due to the lack of manpower, but another ship has been sent to assist it. | The Gulf of Guinea,…
(2020-07-18). 'Putin Hacked Our Coronavirus Vaccine' Is the Dumbest Story Yet. strategic-culture.org 
Caitlin JOHNSTONE | Today mainstream media is reporting what is arguably the single dumbest Russiavape story of all time, against some very stiff competition. | "Russian hackers are targeting health care organizations in the West in an attempt to steal coronavirus vaccine research, the U.S. and Britain said," "Hackers backed by the Russian state are trying to steal COVID-19 vaccine and treatment research from academic and pharmaceutical institutions around the world, Britain's National Cyber…
(2020-07-18). Russia Bounty Story Falls Flat. commondreams.org The U.S. occupation of Afghanistan has killed over 100,000 civilians. Here, refugee children in Kabul. (Photo: Reese Erlich) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/refugees_1.png …
(2020-07-18). Armenia-Azerbaijan border clashes threaten broader war in Caucasus. wsws.org The fighting threatens to escalate into a direct clash between the two Caucasian republics' main allies, Russia and Turkey.
(2020-07-18). COVID-19 spread accelerates across Europe as EU summit opens. wsws.org The back-to-work policy implemented by governments and trade unions across Europe since lock-downs ended in May is leading to a collapse of social distancing.
(2020-07-18). Unsubmissive France leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon calls for massive French military build-up. wsws.org Mélenchon's criticism of the Macron administration is from the right: that it is not sufficiently aggressive in its pursuit of French imperialist interests.
(2020-07-18). US escalates economic warfare against Russia and China. wsws.org After securing a decision by the UK government to ban the Chinese firm Huawei from its 5G rollout, the US is pressuring the Merkel government in Germany to take the same decision.
(2020-07-18). Raab's attack on Corbyn fails to mention the real source behind alleged Russian interference in UK election. thecanary.co On 16 July, UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab The timing of Raab's recent intervention is interesting. It comes only days before the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) is expected to publish its long delayed report on Russian i…
(2020-07-18). The "Russian Vaccine Hack" Is a 3-for-1 Deal on Propaganda. globalresearch.ca The Guardian, and all the other predictable voices, are currently reporting that Russian At this stage they offer no substantiation, but it does serve as good …
(2020-07-18). US pushes fabricated claims of Russian hacking of virus research. wsws.org The United States is most nakedly pursuing a nationalistic course, aimed at enriching American oligarchs and deploying the vaccine not as a means to save lives, but as a weapon against countries in the crosshairs of US imperialism.
(2020-07-18). Slovenian Left faces opposition to pro-worker bill. peoplesdispatch.org The parties in the Slovenian parliament supporting the re-opening of the economy postponed the Slovenian Left party Levica's bill to ensure a mandatory holiday on Sunday for workers in private shops across the country. On July 16, the pro-market parties in the National Assembly decided to postpone the final vote on Levica's pro-worker bill which was expected to have been approved on Thursday with bipartisan support. | Meanwhile, an amendment was put forth by the Modern Centrist Party (SMC) and received support from the right-wing incumbent Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) and opposition party SAB to hire students…
(2020-07-18). Heritage Foundation Accepting Donations for Rebuilding Great Organ at Nantes Cathedral. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Heritage Foundation is now collecting donations for the reconstruction of the 400-year-old organ in the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul in Nantes that was damaged by a violent blaze on Saturday.
(2020-07-18). US Researchers Reportedly Spied on Russian Defence Officials Using Marketing Data From Cell Phones. sputniknews.com This is not the first time that American researchers have used data from cell phones that was obtained in questionable ways to spy on the Russian defence industry. In May, the analytics company Orbital Insights said that with the use of purchased cell network data it had detected a slowdown in the country's defence industry.
(2020-07-18). Protest held against Armenia's border attacks in Hungary. yenisafak.com The protest was organized by Azerbaijani associations based in Hungary.Carrying Azerbaijani, Turkish and Hungarian flags, the protesters chanted slogans.Ramiz Emirli, the head of the Azerbaijani-Hungarian Brotherhood Association, told Anadolu Agency that they organized the protests to announce in Europe that Armenia attacked Azerbaijan and martyred its soldiers.Armenian attacks since last Sunday have martyred a dozen Azerbaijani soldiers. However, they have since withdrawn after suffering losses following retaliation from the Azerbaijani military.Azerbaijan has blamed Armenia for the "provocative" actions, with T…
(2020-07-18). Azerbaijanis on border stay put despite Armenia attacks. yenisafak.com Despite living with the sights, sounds, and danger of attacks from the Armenian army, Azerbaijanis living in villages along the border with Armenia are not going anywhere.For nearly a week now Armenian forces' attacks on Azerbaijan have aimed at seizing strategic heights along the border and targeted not only soldiers but also civilians.Many houses in the region have become unusable after attacks by artillery and mortar on the border villages of Azerbaijan's Tovuz province, but local civilians have not fled.The Azizovs are one of the families living within earshot of gunfire.They lost their uncle Aziz Azizov, 76,…
(2020-07-18). Germany's military missing over 60000 rounds of ammunition. yenisafak.com More than 100 weapons and tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition have disappeared from the inventory of the German armed forces and police, the daily WELT newspaper reported Saturday.At least 60,000 rounds of ammunition have been unaccounted for in the German military and police force over the past 10 years.This figure does not include around 48,000 rounds that went missing from the army's elite Special Forces Command (KSK) unit, which lately made headlines after far-right extremism was exposed among its soldiers.The German Defense Ministry has reportedly launched an investigation into the incident.The exact r…
(2020-07-18). Libya's oil firm calls for foreign mercenaries to leave. yenisafak.com Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) on Saturday called for the immediate withdrawal of foreign mercenaries from oil facilities in the country.In a statement, the NOC condemned the deployment of Russia's Wagner Group and Syrian and Janjaweed mercenaries in Libyan oil installations, most recently at Es Sidra port."NOC demands their immediate withdrawal from all facilities," it said, calling the UN to "send observers to supervise the demilitarization in the areas of NOC operations across the country.""There are currently large numbers of foreign mercenaries in NOC facilities who do not share this wish," the state…
(2020-07-18). UK pauses daily coronavirus death toll update over data concerns. yenisafak.com Britain said on Saturday it was pausing its daily update of the death toll from the coronavirus after the government ordered a review into the calculation of the data over concerns the toll might have been exaggerated.Academics have said the way that Public Health England (PHE), the government agency responsible for managing infectious disease outbreaks, calculates the figures in England means they may be distorted compared to other parts of the United Kingdom."Currently the daily deaths measure counts all people who have tested positive for coronavirus and since died, with no cut-off between time of testing and…
(2020-07-18). Assange's Father Speaks Out. popularresistance.org Well we fight against the United Kingdom, Sweden, the United States, and to a certain extent Australia. They have marshaled all of their forces and broken every law in human rights and due process in order to send Julian to the United States and destroy him. | Before our eyes, we have watched the gradual murder of Julian through psychological torture, through ceaseless breaking of procedures and due process. So that is what we fight against. | During the latest hearing, the judge Barrett asked Julian to prove that he was unwell, that he didn't come onto the video. So again, we see a process that we witness over a…
(2020-07-18). How NATO-Member Turkey Reverted Back to Being an Islamic Dictatorship. strategic-culture.org The gradual process of Turkey's becoming an Islamic
(2020-07-17). The Downing of Malaysian Airlines MH17: The Quest for Truth and Justice. Review of the Evidence. globalresearch.ca The MH17 Inquiry has been conducted in an insidious fashion. Important pieces of evidence including eye witness reports, audio & video material transmitted through Ukraine Intelligence (SBU) have been manipulated or excluded from the Dutch inquiry, which largely endorses Washington's accusations directed against Moscow.
(2020-07-17). Headlines for July 17, 2020. democracynow.org United States Hits Daily Record of 75,600 Coronavirus Cases as Death Rate Rises, Colorado & Arkansas Mandate Masks as Georgia's Governor Sues to Overturn Atlanta Mask Ordinance, Detroit Protesters Block School Buses in Bid to Halt In-Person Summer Classes, "Science Should Not Stand in the Way" of School Reopenings, Says Trump's Spokesperson, India and Brazil Pass Grim Coronavirus Milestones, Colombia's Hospitals Near Capacity as Paramilitaries Enforce Coronavirus Lockdowns with Violence, Thousands Still Planning to Attend Scaled-Back Republican National Convention in Florida, Trump Administration Wins Reprieve in…
(2020-07-17). "Putin Hacked Our Coronavirus Vaccine" Is The Dumbest Story Yet. thealtworld.com 
Today mainstream media is reporting what is arguably the single dumbest Russiavape story of all time, against some very stiff competition. | "Russian hackers are targeting health care organizations in the West in an attempt to steal coronavirus vaccine research, the U.S. and Britain said," "Hackers backed by the Russian state are trying to steal COVID-19 vaccine and treatment research from academic and pharmaceutical institutions around the world, Britain's National Cyber Security…
(2020-07-17). Russian and German scientists develop 'sodium sandwich' that could replace lithium batteries. rt.com 
Scientists in Russia and Germany have developed a new way to 'stack' sodium to create cheaper and more efficient batteries that could eventually be an alternative to the mass-produced and environmentally unfriendly lithium type. | Lithium batteries are essential to the world today. From mobile phones to laptops, almost all electronics leverage lithium and currently it is widely understood that there is no remotely effective alternative. The problem when something is so ubiquitous, of course, is that eventually it is likely to run out — and become more expensive in the process. | However, scientists from R…
(2020-07-17). Real Russiagate bombshell: FBI knew Steele dossier was fiction, Strzok notes show NYTimes reporting 'misleading and inaccurate'. rt.com 
New documents show the FBI was aware that the infamous dossier used as a pretext to spy on President Donald Trump's campaign was unreliable, and that the New York Times published false information about the 'Russiagate' probe. | The two documents were published on Friday by the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), as part of an ongoing probe of the FBI's investigation of Trump. One is a 59-page, heavily redacted
(2020-07-17). Forget Russian hackers: Real danger is the US hoarding UK vaccines, says head of Imperial College study. rt.com 
As researchers at Imperial College London begin round 2 of Covid-19 vaccine trials, the project's head has revealed the UK government urged him to make the jab at home, lest the US attempt to hoard a shot manufactured there. | Professor Robin Shattock, director of Imperial's coronavirus vaccine project, revealed his researchers had a "deliberate policy" of making their experimental jab in the UK, "something [they] were encouraged to do by the UK government, to make sure there is capacity in the UK for manufacturing." | In a Friday interview with Sky News, he hinted officials were concerned a vaccine made in th…
(2020-07-17). Investigation into last Russian tsar and his family's execution is still making discoveries 102 years on. rt.com 
It may have happened a century ago, but Russia's Investigative Committee is still uncovering new details about the execution of the country's last imperial family, the Romanovs. | Marina Molodtsova, a senior investigator, explained to newspaper Izvestia that it is now possible to identify some of the participants involved in the killing. When the investigation is complete, their names will be revealed. | On the night of July 16, 1918, Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra and five children, along with some members of their entourage, were shot and bayonetted to death by communist revolutionaries. While there are man…
(2020-07-17). Real Russiagate bombshell: FBI knew Steele dossier was fiction; Strzok notes show NYTimes reporting 'misleading and inaccurate'. rt.com New documents show the FBI was aware that the infamous dossier used as a pretext to spy on President Donald Trump's campaign was unreliable, and that the New York Times published false information about the 'Russiagate' probe. | The two documents were published Friday by the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), as part of an ongoing probe of the FBI's investigation of Trump. One is a 59-page, heavily redacted
(2020-07-17). Germany's Presidency of the EU Will Determine if the Bloc Joins the New Multipolar World Order. globalresearch.ca Relations between the U.S. and European powers like Germany and France are reaching a historic low. This is especially true after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew a large portion of the American military stationed in Germany to other European countries …
(2020-07-17). Foreign Correspondent: Russia Bounty Story Falls Flat. progressive.org Opportunist Democrats and foreign policy insiders drive 'hysteria.'
(2020-07-17). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.
(2020-07-17). Scientists Capture Closest Pictures Of The Sun Ever. telesurenglish.net The European Space Agency and NASA's Solar Orbiter have transmitted the closest pictures yet taken of the Sun, as part of an international collaboration to study our nearest star, launched on February 9, 2020. | RELATED: | The shots revealed a fiery hellscape of smaller solar flares, thought to be caused by interactions in the Sun's magnetic fields. It is believed that these 'campfires' could be part of the reason…
(2020-07-17). France: Macron Steps Back, Postpones Pension Reform Until 2021. telesurenglish.net During a meeting with employers and workers in Paris, France's Prime Minister Jean Castex Friday proposed delaying pension reform negotiations until 2021. | RELATED: | Arguing the existence of an economic crisis and a health emergency, he proposed also to postpone the reform of unemployment insurance until next year. | The new public pension system law, which was approved on Nov. 1, 2019, was expected to take effect in September…
(2020-07-17). Turkey will be the death of NATO — its recent clash with fellow member France off the coast of Libya is an early symptom. thealtworld.com When two countries who are supposed to be military allies fall out and almost get themselves into …
(2020-07-17). Weekend Read: Confederate symbols have no place in public spaces. Stone Mountain is no exception. splcenter.org Georgia's Stone Mountain is marred by a massive carving that sanitizes the dangerous and hateful legacy of the Confederacy.
(2020-07-17). Withdrawing Troops From Afghanistan and Germany Is Still a Good Idea. commondreams.org The immediate matters at hand are Trump's plans to withdraw the 8,600 American troops remaining in Afghanistan and 9,500 of our 34,500 troops in Germany. (Photo: U.S. Army/flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/afghanistanwar_1.jpeg …
(2020-07-17). Class Disparities and Child Abuse in Ireland 2020. counterpunch.org The newly formed government of the Twenty-Six County state in Ireland has been in existence less than a month but is already mired in several controversies; the usual circuses thrown up by capitalist society with governments lurching from each to the next without any alteration to the status quo. One of them is worth looking
(2020-07-17). The Architecture of Domestic Repression in the United States. globalresearch.ca Millions of Americans have awakened to the shocking realization that they are living in a veritable police state as they witness unarmed peaceful protesters for racial justice being confronted by a …