Daily Archives: June 6, 2020

2020-06-06: News Headlines

Monica Moorehead (2020-06-06). Rebellion against police exposes the haves and have-nots. workers.org Monica Moorehead delivered this talk as a panelist on a June 4 Workers World Party webinar "It is right to rebel against police terror." This rebellion has not only swept the U.S. but is electrifying the entire world, from Palestine to France to Iran to Africa. Every global sector of . . . |

Peter Koenig (2020-06-06). The Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic: The Real Danger is "Agenda ID2020" globalresearch.ca WHO has most likely received orders from "above", from those people who also manage Trump and the "leaders" (sic) of the EU, European Union. The final decision to go ahead NOW with COVID-19 pandemic, was taken in January 2020 at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos – behind very much closed doors.

Richard Horton (2020-06-06). [Comment] Offline: COVID-19 and the ethics of memory. thelancet.com Lockdowns are lifting. Lives are returning. And livelihoods are being gradually reclaimed. Very tentatively, societies are beginning to put the pandemic behind them. There are understandable fears of flare-ups. In the UK, several scientists who advise government are warning that ending strict home curfews is premature. There are still about 2000 new cases of infection being diagnosed daily in the UK (the figure in Italy is around 500) and the test, trace, and isolate system remains incomplete. According to WHO, total confirmed cases of COVID-19 are now approaching 6 million globally, with almost 400‚Ä&…

The Lancet (2020-06-06). [Editorial] Salient lessons from Russia's COVID-19 outbreak. thelancet.com Alexander Myasnikov, Russia's COVID-19 information chief, said in mid-April that it would be "impossible" for Russians to get the virus, estimating the probability of extensive spread in Russia at "0 ∑0%". This hubris has been sorely exposed. As of June 2, Russia has 423‚Äà186 cases, the third most in the world, while relatively few deaths from COVID-19 (5031) have been recorded. The rapid spread of the epidemic in Russia has highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of the health system, and presents the traditionally strong Russian leadership with a new challenge.

WSWS (2020-06-06). The police murder of George Floyd sparks mass protests throughout the world. wsws.org Hundreds of thousands of people have joined demonstrations in Europe, North and South America, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand.

Daniele Pozzati (2020-06-06). German Official Leaks Report Denouncing Corona as 'A Global False Alarm'. globalresearch.ca Germany's federal government and mainstream media are engaged in damage control after a
| Wir machen unsere Leser auf die Zusammenfassung dieses wichtigen durchgesickerten Berichts aufmerksam, der …

WSWS (2020-06-06). Over 20,000 tons of diesel spilled in Russian arctic river. wsws.org The catastrophe on the Ambarnaya underlies the dangers bound up with the "new scramble for the Arctic" by the major powers and corporations.

WSWS (2020-06-05). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-06-05). Two U.S. Senators Determined to Stop Nord Stream 2 by Imposing Extra Sanctions. globalresearch.ca The Nord Stream 2 project involves the construction of two gas pipelines with a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea. The gas pipeline will run through the …

Gareth Porter (2020-06-05). FBI launches open attack on 'foreign' alternative media outlets challenging US foreign policy. thegrayzone.com Under FBI orders, Facebook and Google removed American Herald Tribune, an alternative site that publishes US and European writers critical…

RT (2020-06-06). UK ready to accept EU tariffs on British goods to untie post-Brexit trade deadlock — report. rt.com The UK's chief negotiator, David Frost, reportedly made a considerable new offer during a fresh round of trade talks with the European Union, the Daily Mail reported. Frost signaled that Britain is ready to accept some tariffs on a small number of its goods, but demanded that the EU stop forcing London into abiding by the bloc's environmental and labor standards. | An official statement

RT (2020-06-05). New round of EU-UK Brexit talks brings no progress as Barnier says deal must be finalized by end of October. rt.com The latest round of talks between Britain and the European Union failed to make progress this week, the EU's chief negotiator said on Friday. Michel Barnier told reporters that London and Brussels remain far apart on key issues including fisheries. | "We cannot go on like this forever," Michel Barnier said, adding that both sides must agree on a legal text before October 31 to prevent a no-deal scenario when the Brexit transition period ends at the end of the year. | Britain's chief Brexit negotiator, David Frost, admitted progress at the talks on a trade deal have been limited, despite "the positive tone."

Staff (2020-06-05). Our System Is Corroded: Carol Anderson on Rampant Police Violence and Assault on Voting Rights. democracynow.org On Thursday, disturbing new details were revealed in the case of Ahmaud Arbery, the 25-year-old Black man who was chased, ambushed and shot dead by a group of white men in Georgia in what many have called a modern-day lynching. In a nearly seven-hour hearing, a state judge concluded all three men — Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael and William "Roddie" Bryan — would stand trial for Arbery's murder, after special agent Richard Dial of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation testified Travis McMichael said "f—ing n—" after shooting and killing Arbery. We speak with professor Carol Anderson, au…

Fair Count (2020-06-06). Monday 6/8: Undercounted: Black Men Speak: Systemic Racism, Recent Events & 2020 Census (ep. 2). indybay.org Online via livestream: www.facebook.com/faircountgeorgia/

RT (2020-06-06). 'We all bleed the same color': Thousands of demonstrators turn out for BLM protests across Germany (PHOTOS/VIDEOS). rt.com Huge rallies across Germany mark yet another European country to see anti-racism protests inspired by Black Lives Matter demonstrations that began in the US. | Videos and photographs show hundreds of people assembled on the banks of the Rhine River in the city of Cologne as they hold signs reading "End police brutality" and "We all bleed the same color." | Danke Was fà§llt auf? Mit 33Jahren gehà∂re ich zu den à§lteren Teiln…

RT (2020-06-06). German officials call US troop withdrawal a 'wake-up call for Europeans' & chance to loosen ties. rt.com While some in the German establishment fumed over the US presumably keeping Berlin uninformed about plans to withdraw thousands of troops, others envisioned it as a chance to loosen ties with their turbulent NATO ally. | Washington didn't bother to inform Berlin of its intent to redeploy thousands of troops from Germany to other locations, with the news coming out of the blue for the government, German media reported on Saturday. Previously, Reuters and the Wall Street Journal reported that some of the 9,500 service members would be sent to Poland, some to other allied nations, and the rest would eventually re…

RT (2020-06-06). National Guard dance the 'Macarena' before enforcing Atlanta curfew. Twitter users argue it's a way of normalizing militarization. rt.com A video of National Guardsmen in Georgia rocking out to a ubiquitous dance song from the 90s has caused discomfort among observers, who have described the gimmick as a way of making military-enforced curfews more palatable. | A line of soldiers was spotted dancing the Macarena in downtown Atlanta just minutes before the city's 8pm curfew went into effect on Friday. The unorthodox military formation seemed to have charmed nearby protesters and local media, with some bystanders joining in with the dance routine. Footage shows the troops flawlessly executing the hand gestures, leg movements and thrusts that go al…

RT (2020-06-06). Russia's request for return of seized diplomatic properties to protect staff against Covid-19 ignored by US — Moscow. rt.com "When the New York State governor declared the state of emergency due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we asked to return said property so our personnel could use it to lower the risks stemming from to the spread of the coronavirus," Russia's deputy envoy to the UN, Gennady Kuzmin, said. | Kuzmin noted that Moscow had hoped that "humanitarian reasons… would trump political motives," but the US ignored the request. | The US seized control over three Russian diplomatic posts in New York, DC, and San Francisco in 2017, after ordering Moscow to vacate the buildings. Moscow slammed the move as hostile and illegal under…

RT (2020-06-06). 'Total disgrace!' Trump roasts MSNBC after former FBI attorney Lisa Page hired as legal analyst. rt.com Lisa Page, the FBI lawyer whose leaked anti-Trump text messages with another federal agent indicated deep-seated bias in the Russiagate probe, has been hired as an analyst at MSNBC, drawing jeers and praise alike. | t.co/3QdaYCaiZS— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)

RT (2020-06-05). Venezuelan FM says Guaido is holed up in French Embassy in Caracas, calls on Paris to 'hand over the fugitive'. rt.com Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has taken refuge at the French Embassy in the country's capital, Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said. Guaido previously sought to shoot down the rumors, insisting he is "with the people." | "We cannot enter the premises of any country's embassy whatsoever, in this case Spain or France," Arreaza said on Thursday, referring to both Guaido and fellow opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, who fled to a Spanish diplomatic compound soon after a failed attempt to spark an insurrection in April 2019. Arreaza said this means that any arrest of the two men "is not possible." | We hop…

RT (2020-06-05). Paris denies that Guaido is hiding in French Embassy in Caracas as Venezuela demands he be handed over. rt.com France has rejected allegations that Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has been holed up inside the nation's diplomatic mission in Caracas. Venezuelan authorities earlier labeled Guaido a "fugitive from justice." | "Juan Guaido is not at the French residence in Caracas. We have repeatedly confirmed this to the Venezuelan authorities," French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Agnes von der Muhll said. | Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza earlier claimed that Guaido, who was named 'interim president' by the opposition-controlled parliament last year, has been hiding inside the French Embassy, and deman…

RT (2020-06-05). Baltic states & Poland to open common borders next week — Lithuanian PM. rt.com Poland and the Baltic states will open their borders to each other next week, Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis said on Friday after a video conference with his Polish counterpart. | "We agreed that free movement between the Baltic states and Poland will be restored next week," Skvernelis said on his Facebook page following talks with Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki on easing coronavirus travel restrictions. | Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia opened their common borders on May 15, creating the first 'travel bubble' within the European Union in a bid to jump-start stalled economies. | The Baltic countries…

en.mehrnews (2020-06-06). Iran, Spain stress police diplomacy relations. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 06 (MNA) — NAJA International Police Chief Second Brigadier General Hadi Shirzad and the Spanish Ambassador to Iran Eduardo López Busquets met and held talks on the development of police diplomacy relations between the two countries.

en.mehrnews (2020-06-06). Pres. Rouhani felicitates Sweden on National Day. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 06 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has forwarded a message of felicitation to the King of Sweden on the occasion of the country's National Day on June 6.

sputniknews (2020-06-06). US Media Calls Russia's Mysterious Khabarovsk-Class Sub Potential 'Defining Submarine of 2020'. sputniknews.com In addition to being a major component of Russia's overall naval doctrine, submarines are of crucial importance to the country's nuclear triad, with their silent operations lurking under the Arctic Ocean, the Atlantic and Pacific guaranteeing a strategic response in the event of an enemy first strike.

yenisafak (2020-06-06). Italy hopes EU nations will open borders to Italians from June 15. yenisafak.com Italy hopes other EU countries will reopen their borders to Italian citizens on June 15, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Saturday, as coronavirus travel restrictions across Europe are gradually eased.Italy – which has the world's fourth-highest COVID-19 death toll after the United States, Britain and Brazil – opened its doors to other EU citizens on June 3, but most European countries are still largely off-limits for Italian nationals."June 15 is an important date for many of our citizens," Di Maio told a news conference during a visit to neighbouring Slovenia.Slovenian Foreign Minister Anze Logar told the…

yenisafak (2020-06-06). Merkel allies criticise Trump decision to cut US troops in Germany. yenisafak.com Senior lawmakers from German Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling conservative bloc on Saturday criticised President Donald Trump's decision to order the U.S. military to remove 9,500 troops from Germany.The move would reduce U.S. troops numbers in Germany to 25,000, from 34,500."The plans once again show that the Trump administration is neglecting an elementary leadership task: the involvement of alliance partners in decision-making processes," Johann Wadephul, foreign policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, told Reuters.All NATO partners benefited from the cohesion of the alliance, and only Russia an…

yenisafak (2020-06-06). Warsaw hopes some US troops based in Germany will be moved to Poland. yenisafak.com Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Saturday he hoped that some of the U.S. troops that are set to be removed from Germany will be reassigned to Poland.U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to cut the number of U.S. troops stationed in Germany, a senior U.S. official said on Friday. The move would reduce the U.S. troop presence in Germany by 9,500 troops from the 34,500 troops that are currently permanently assigned there."I deeply hope that as a result of the many talks that we had … part of the troops based today in Germany which are being removed by the United States … will inde…

yenisafak (2020-06-06). Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 407 to 183,678. yenisafak.com The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 407 to 183,678, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Friday.The reported death toll rose by 33 to 8,646, the tally showed.

yenisafak (2020-06-06). Ireland's phased plan to ease coronavirus lockdown. yenisafak.com Ireland has announced a revised schedule for gradually re-opening the economy over the coming months, speeding the easing of coronavirus restrictions.These are the measures planned in each of the remaining phases of the plan, which will be reviewed if there is a spike in the number of infections, hospital admissions or deaths.Phase 2: From June 8- Allow for people to travel within their own county, or up to 20 km from their homes, whichever is greater- A maximum of six people will be able to meet with each other indoors- All retail outlets can open (shopping centres to open June 15)- Public libraries a…

RT (2020-06-05). Covid-19 pandemic 'under control' in France — head of government advisory body. rt.com The spread of the coronavirus is currently "under control" in the country, the head of the French government's Covid-19 scientific advisory council, Jean-Francois Delfraissy, has said. | "There were tens of thousands new daily cases, roughly 80,000, in early March before the lockdown. Now we have an estimated 1,000 cases per day," Delfraissy told France Inter radio on Friday. | Earlier on Thursday, the Covid-19 Scientific Council, an ad hoc body headed by Delfraissy, released a paper outlining four possible scenarios of how the situation in the country could develop with social distancing measures gradually li…

RT (2020-06-05). Trump plans to cut US military presence in Germany — reports. rt.com US President Donald Trump is planning to reduce the number of American troops stationed in Germany, several media outlets reported, citing an unnamed official. | The exact size of the force that could be moved out is still unknown, but reports at Reuters and the Wall Street Journal say that preliminary plans involve up to 9,500 soldiers — more than one fourth of the 34,500-strong contingent — that could be redeployed by September. | Some media, like Germany's Deutsche Welle, promptly linked the withdrawal to Washington's dissatisfaction with Berlin over its continuous failure to contribute two percen…

RT (2020-06-05). New Madeleine McCann suspect also linked to DISAPPEARANCE OF ANOTHER little girl. rt.com The new prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, who is currently serving a jail term for an unrelated crime, has been linked to disappearance of a 5-year-old girl, who vanished without a trace in Germany back in 2015. | Prosecutors in the northern German town of Stendal said Friday that they have opened a preliminary probe to determine whether there was anything to link the disappearance of the British girl in Portugal back in 2007 to a similar unsolved case from 2015. | On Thursday, German prosecutors said they believe McCann to be dead and described the new suspect in the case as "a sexual predator who h…

RT (2020-06-05). Just 20% of coronavirus cases responsible for 80% of transmissions according to explosive new research. rt.com The latest research into so-called "superspreader events" could inform public policy across the world, to help fight the widely feared "second wave" of coronavirus infections, but without the need for strict lockdowns. | A "superspreader" is an infected person who transmits a virus to a large number of people. A growing body of evidence has found that superspreaders account for the vast majority of coronavirus transmissions. | In the latest

RT (2020-06-05). Arctic oil spill: Russian watchdog 'revealed violations' in Norilsk thermal power plant's operations in 2017. rt.com Russia's Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service (Rostechnadzor) revealed violations in the operation of tanks at the combined heat and power plant CHPP-3 in Norilsk, in Russia's Krasnoyarsk Region, in 2017, according to the SPARK database. During inspections in the fall of 2017, Rostechnadzor found irregularities in the operation of two tanks for fuel storage at the thermal power plant that belongs to the Norilsk-Taimyr Energy Company (NTEC), which is part of the Nornickel group. | The watchdog also said the company had failed to conduct repair work which had been planned earlier at…

RT (2020-06-05). Moscow slams Prague for 'fabricated provocation' as false 'ricin poisoning plot' leads to Russian diplomats' expulsion. rt.com The Czech government has expelled two Russian diplomats for allegedly tricking the country's special services with a fake poisoning plot. The Russian embassy branded the accusations as a "provocation." | The decision to expel the Russian diplomats in Prague was announced by Prime Minister Andrej Babis and Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek at a joint media conference on Friday. | The prime minister said the high-profile media scandal over an alleged Kremlin plot to kill the mayor of Prague and two municipal officials with ricin poison was actually a ruse. The tip-off about the planned assassination came from a Ru…

RT (2020-06-05). Oxygen treatment: Russian doctors experimenting with PRESSURE CHAMBERS to defeat Covid-19. rt.com As the world researches vaccines and cures, it is no secret that defeating Covid-19 is everyone's top priority. In Moscow, some scientists are using a completely different, experimental technique: hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). | The procedure works by placing a patient in a pressure chamber and having them breathe in oxygen-rich air. In the chamber, air pressure is much higher than the body is used to, meaning the lungs can breathe in much more pure oxygen, speeding up natural healing processes. | "The procedure aims to avoid transferring the patient to an artificial lung ventilation apparatus," said Serge…

RT (2020-06-05). 'Dishonorable and unworthy' move: Moscow vows 'adequate response' to diplomats' expulsion from Czech Republic over 'poison plot'. rt.com The expulsion of two Russian diplomats over the imaginary Prague poisoning plot is a very hostile move, Russia's Foreign Ministry has said, warning the scandal is set to affect relations between the two countries. | "The Czech side has acted dishonorably and unworthily, taking this unfriendly step. Without any reason, the Czech authorities caused serious damage to Russian-Czech relations," the ministry said in a statement. | The actions of Prague will receive not only an adequate response, but will be also taken into account during formation of Russian policies towards the Czech Republic. | After weeks of unfo…

RT (2020-06-05). 'It's Ruptly, I'm not tweeting it': Yahoo WH correspondent ridiculed for not sharing LIVESTREAM from protest because it's RUSSIAN. rt.com A Yahoo journalist refused to share a livestream from a Washington protest with his followers simply because it was from RT's Ruptly video agency. When ridiculed over it, he implied that the criticism was paid for with rubles. | Hunter Walker, Yahoo's White House correspondent, was looking for live coverage from the Washington protests on Thursday, so he asked his followers if there was a livestream. One was quickly suggested, but the journalist found it problematic. | t.co/yyq9PLHVVK— Kyuss Jones (@Kyuss_Jones) RT (2020-06-05). Spain rules out reopening borders to foreign tourists before July. rt.com Spain plans to further ease the coronavirus lockdown in its two biggest cities from Monday, but will not start reopening its borders to foreign tourists before July 1, according to the government. | Health Minister Salvador Illa said on Friday that some restrictions would be lifted in Madrid and Barcelona, which have so far lagged behind the rest of the country's easing program. | From Monday, bar and restaurant customers will be allowed to sit inside rather than on outdoor terraces, and children will be able to play outside at any time of day. | Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto said on Thursday that land borders…

RT (2020-06-05). Erdogan cancels Turkey's weekend lockdown after public backlash but warns of rise in coronavirus cases. rt.com Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday he had decided to cancel a weekend lockdown announced late on Thursday, following a public backlash. | The Interior Ministry said earlier that the stay-at-home order in 15 cities could help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, continuing the policy of weekend lockdowns. | Erdogan explained in a series of tweets on Friday that the government had to impose the weekend lockdown after daily new Covid-19 cases rose from around 700 to nearly 1,000. | "However, the reactions we received from our people pushed us to re-evaluate the decision," the president said,…

Russell Mokhiber (2020-06-05). ICE Wants to Deport Marc Petitpierre to Switzerland. counterpunch.org People in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia will remember Marc Petitpierre as the political activist who would ride his Segway all over town. Petitpierre lived in Berkeley Springs for fourteen years from 1991 to 2005, when a divorce forced a move to Martinsburg. In Martinsburg, Petitpierre held jobs at McDonald's, Sheetz, FedEx and elsewhere. But his

WSWS (2020-06-05). Protests erupt in France against police violence and Trump's coup d'état. wsws.org After the anti-constitutional threats by Trump to deploy the military against protests in the United States, 20,000 people demonstrated in Paris on Tuesday.

Sianny Rooney (2020-06-05). The Murder of George Floyd: Racism and the Dark History of Slavery Colonialism. How it Relates to France. globalresearch.ca Riots have sparked all over US' cities for more than a week now for the extrajudicial killing of a black man named George Floyd on May 25 in Minnesota, USA. Similar protests on police's violence after the death of George …

WSWS (2020-06-05). German protests in solidarity with George Floyd and against police violence. wsws.org The brutal video-recorded murder has shocked people in Germany and many have taken to the streets in protest.

_____ (2020-06-05). Push Back: US Police State Faces Revolt. popularresistance.org Dr. Gerald Horne on the George Floyd protests, the black freedom struggle, and Trump's expansion of the US police state at home and around the world. | Historian and author Gerald Horne discusses the US uprisings against police brutality and systemic racism sparked by George Floyd's killing; the devastating impact of the US government's decades-old war on the black freedom struggle; the ongoing "Russia-baiting" of the protests; and how, amidst the suffering and repression at home, the U.S. government, in bipartisan fashion, continues to attempt to impose its will on countries abroad, from China to Venezuela. | Gu…

en.mehrnews (2020-06-05). Russia backs Iran's peaceful satellite launch. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 05 (MNA) — Russia has defended Iran's right to launch a satellite, dismissing US claims that Tehran was defying the UN resolution endorsing the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers by sending it into space.

Paul Craig Roberts (2020-06-05). Gangster State Capitalism. thealtworld.com Hanne Herland of the European Herland Report has just had her book published in which she argues that the ruling elite has resurrected feudalism by financializing the economy and offshoring middle class jobs. The title is New Left Tyranny, but it is about gangster state capitalism. | Historically, capitalism freed labor from bondage by making labor the private proper…

_____ (2020-06-05). "The Germans are openly done with this president" truepublica.org.uk Business Insider reports that — "Intelligence and law-enforcement officials among America's allies in Europe and the Middle East told Insider they were aghast at the heavy-handed tactics and rhetoric used by US police generally, and by the president specifically, to suppress demonstrations against police abuses of African Americans. "It has been chilling watching the United …

Chrisoula Lampoudi (2020-06-05). Teachers in Greece gear up for another mobilization against controversial bill on education. peoplesdispatch.org The new bill for education proposed by the conservative New Democracy (ND)-led government in Greece has been opposed by teachers, students and parents across the country…