Daily Archives: June 14, 2020

2020-06-14: News Headlines

yenisafak (2020-06-14). 'EU may recognize Palestinian state if Israel annexes W.Bank'. yenisafak.com The European Union's recognition of Palestine as a state would become "inevitable" if Israel moves forward with its controversial plan to annex the West Bank, Luxembourg's foreign minister has said. | Speaking to German weekly Der Spiegel, Jean Asselborn called for a tougher EU stance against the Israeli government's plan to annex significant parts of the West Bank. | "To simply write reproachful letters would be a humiliation for the EU and would significantly weaken its credibility," Asselborn stressed, suggesting stronger measures like economic sanctions or the recognition of Palestine as a state if Israel doe…

Subodh Varma (2020-06-14). Big 5 of COVID: Guess what is common to these top affected countries. peoplesdispatch.org The US, Brazil, Russia, India and the United Kingdom have larger than life leaders, but the pandemic has exposed their flaws, at great cost…

yenisafak (2020-06-14). Turkey: Agricultural, animal production hub beyond region. yenisafak.com Turkey is an agricultural and animal production hub in the region and even for countries beyond, with its high production capacity and food security standards, according to university agriculturalist Orhan Ozcatalbas.The country has the largest agricultural revenue in Europe and is second on a global scale, the professor at Akdeniz University's Agricultural Policy and Extension Department told Anadolu Agency.He said the pandemic increased the importance of food and supply security and the world started to discuss agricultural production's efficiency and capacity.Food security and safety topics will remain on the…

yenisafak (2020-06-14). Putin says Russia will be able to counter hypersonic weapons. yenisafak.com President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday Russia was developing the means to counter other countries' hypersonic weapons, local news agencies reported."It's very likely that we will have means to combat hypersonic weapons by the time the world's leading countries have such weapons," the RIA news agency cited Putin as saying.

yenisafak (2020-06-14). Top Russian officials' visit to Turkey postponed. yenisafak.com A planned Sunday visit to Turkey by Russia's foreign and defense ministers has been postponed, Turkey's Foreign Ministry said.In a phone call, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov decided to hold contacts and negotiations between their deputy ministers in the days to come, said a ministry statement.Ministerial talks will also take place at a later date, it said.Russia's foreign and defense ministers were expected in Turkey for dialogue on regional issues.Moscow and Ankara frequently consult on the situation in Syria and Libya, and the two issues, particularly the lat…

en.mehrnews (2020-06-14). Austria felicitates Ghalibaf on election as Iran's Parl. speaker. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 14 (MNA) — President of the Austrian National Council Wolfgang Sobotka has sent a message to his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf over his election as Parliament Speaker.

Khubaka, Michael Harris (2020-06-14). U.S. President Trump sparks renewed interest in Juneteenth Celebrations Globally. indybay.org "In 1535, the first enslaved Pan African were recorded in California. Spanish conquistadors brought enslaved Pan Africans for conquest and who were later breed with indigenous population (Afro-Latino) throughout "New Spain" and much, much later evolved into today's Republic of Mexico. Authentic Alta California History remains cloaked in slavery and secrecy that remains off limits for any principled dialogue as the California State Legislature prepares for a 2020 Juneteenth State Budget due next week.

Ali Abunimah (2020-06-13). European Court upholds right to boycott Israel. zcomm.org "Israel, an apartheid country, cannot forever prevent the truimph of justice and freedom for the Palestinian people."

Manuel Raposo (2020-06-13). A view of the USA from Portugal: 'Not a riot — rebellion! workers.org The author is a Portuguese left communist and editor of jornalmudardevida.net. This article was translated by WW Managing Editor John Catalinotto. Hundreds of demonstrators in Brazil gathered outside the office of Rio de Janeiro's governor on May 31, protesting the deaths of Black and favela youth at the hands of . . . |

RT (2020-06-13). Atlanta police chief resigns over Rayshard Brooks shooting as new CCTV footage shows that 'unarmed black man' aimed taser at cops. rt.com Atlanta police chief Erika Shields has stepped down after newly released surveillance footage showing the details of the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks failed to quell public outrage over 'unjustified' use of lethal force. | "I do not believe this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer," Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said at a Saturday afternoon press conference, accepting Shields' resignation. | Meanwhile, newly-release surveillance footage of the incident appears to back claims by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation that Brooks grabbed a taser…

RT (2020-06-13). LGBT 'ideology' is even 'more destructive' than Bolshevism, says Polish president. rt.com Poland's President Andrzej Duda has equated LGBT "ideology" to communism, warning that in a bid to indoctrinate the youth this "neo-Bolshevism" is even more harmful and destructive. | The conservative politician, who is seeking re-election, catered to his audience at a Saturday rally where he said that his parents' generation did not fight communism only to bow now to a new "ideology" that is "even more destructive to the human being." | That was Bolshevism. It was the ideologizing of children. Today, there are also attempts to push an ideology on us and our children, but different. It's totally new, but it is…

Mahmut Geldi (2020-06-13). Lebanese Protesters Set Central Bank on Fire. anti-empire.com Demonstrators in Lebanon attempted to occupy the central bank in the capital Thursday after the country's currency sank to a record low against the US dollar. | As a result of the nation's economic crisis, the dollar rose to 6,000 Lebanese pounds from 4,000 in the last two days, prompting protesters to take to the streets in Beirut and many other cities. | twitter.com/BasedPoland/status/1271523775440392195 | They blocked roads to traffic with garbage containers and burning tires. | Forcing their way into the central bank on Hamra Street, they had to withdraw when security forces intervened. | Security for…

Robert Glynne-Jones, Mark Harrison, Drostan Cheetham (2020-06-13). [Correspondence] NICE guideline for rectal cancer: already out of date. thelancet.com As members of a colorectal multidisciplinary team, some of whom have contributed to previous National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance1 and European Society of Medical Oncology guidelines in rectal cancer,2 we disagree with the current recommendations in the update to NICE guidance that was published in 2020: "offer preoperative radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy to people with rectal cancer that is cT1-T2, cN1-N2, M0, or cT3-T4, any cN, M0."3…

R Todd Stravitz, William M Lee (2020-06-13). [Correspondence] Acute liver failure — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We appreciate the additional insights provided by Sandro Vento and Francesca Cainelli regarding the incidence and diagnosis of acute liver failure in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). Beyond the differences in known causal factors (viruses, drugs) between high-income countries and LMICs, the predominance of the indeterminate group in these regions is of concern to all. In our study,1 only 5% of patients remained indeterminate after thorough serological testing and review of history and available liver histology.

_____ (2020-06-13). Will there be another stock market crash in 2020? truepublica.org.uk The coronavirus restrictions have led to an unprecedented drop in economic activity. Because the UK's economy relies heavily on the services sector, it has suffered more than many European countries. However, the contraction is certainly global. Furthermore, the second Covid-19 wave has started too. For example, the US is seeing a rise in coronavirus hospitalisations, in …

yenisafak (2020-06-13). Turkish Coast Guard rescues 93 asylum seekers. yenisafak.com The Turkish Coast Guard on Saturday rescued 93 asylum seekers who were pushed back by Greek forces into Turkish territorial waters, according to security sources.The asylum seekers of various nationalities initially set off for the Greek island of Lesbos (Midilli) from Ayvacik in Canakkale, northwestern Turkey.Their two rubber rafts were pushed back to Turkish territorial waters by the Greek Coast Guard, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.Turkey has been a key transit point for asylum seekers aiming to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fle…

yenisafak (2020-06-13). Turkey rescues 381 asylum seekers in a week. yenisafak.com Turkey rescued 381 asylum seekers over the past week, the Turkish Coast Guard Command said on Saturday.Between June 5 and 11, a total of 381 asylum seekers were held or rescued in 14 incidents, the coast guard said on Twitter.Three smugglers were also arrested, it added, sharing four photos from the rescue operations where the Turkish teams in full protective gear were seen taking asylum seekers' temperature.Turkey has been one of the main routes for asylum seekers wanting to reach Europe, especially since Syria's civil war started in 2011.Turkey hosts nearly four million Syrians, more than any other country in t…

yenisafak (2020-06-13). Fire on French nuclear submarine at Toulon extinguished. yenisafak.com A fire on a nuclear submarine docked at the French Mediterranean port of Toulon was extinguished early on Saturday morning, the Defence Ministry said.Some 100 firefighters had been called in to tackle the blaze on the Perle, which lasted 14 hours and ended at around 00: 50 a.m. (2250 GMT). the ministry said. It confirmed an earlier statement that no nuclear material was aboard when the fire broke out on Friday.Nobody was hurt and no nuclear materials or weapons were on board the vessel, which was in dry dock for repairs, authorities said on Friday.Toulon is France's biggest naval base and is home to most of its fl…

yenisafak (2020-06-13). Italy's PM says virus crisis should be opportunity to reform country. yenisafak.com Italy cannot afford to return to normality after the coronavirus emergency but should turn the crisis into an opportunity to reform the country, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Saturday."This is the time to work on a clear project to come out of the crisis," Conte said in the opening speech of a nine-day policy consultation in Rome."We must take advantage (of the situation) to turn the crisis into an opportunity, and remove all the obstacles that have slowed (Italy) down," he added.Conte said his coalition government was preparing a plan of reforms to simplify bureaucracy, push digital investments and green…

yenisafak (2020-06-13). Turkey arrests five FETàñ terror suspects. yenisafak.com At least five suspects were arrested for suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETàñ), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup, Turkish authorities said on Saturday.In a statement, the provincial security directorate in Turkey's western Denizli province said police carried out anti-terror operations to arrest the suspects, all of whom were wanted by Turkish authorities and had arrest warrants against them.They were found at FETàñ cell houses, and some were holed up in secret compartments built specially for hiding, the statement added.Two suspects were remanded in custody, one was…

Andrey Areshev (2020-06-13). Russia and Europe: Two Different Histories. strategic-culture.org A considerable amount of baggage has become attached to the word "European" over the half-millennium that Europe has dominated the world. There's the geographical meaning — from the Atlantic to the Urals — but, because Europe is a peninsula on the western end of Asia, the frontier is subject to debate. Diplomats sometimes use the word to mean members of the European Union. But the most important meaning is the value-laden one — to be "European" is to be modern, civilised, rational, to hold "values", to be successful. To be powerful. Not to be "European" is to be none of these things, perhaps eve…

Andrey Areshev (2020-06-13). Russia Aiming to Realize Greater Eurasia Dream. strategic-culture.org The Russian role will be to balance the hegemonic powers, as a guarantor of a new union of non-aligned nations | Pepe ESCOBAR | Professor Sergey Karaganov is informally known in influential foreign policy circles as the "Russian Kissinger" — with the extra bonus of not having to carry a "war criminal" tag from Vietnam and Cambodia to Chile and beyond. | Karaganov is the dean of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs at the National Research University Higher School of Economics. He's also the honorary chairman of Russia's Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy. | In December…

_____ (2020-06-13). UK backtracks — soft Brexit border controls with EU. truepublica.org.uk The United Kingdom will delay the introduction of border checks on imports from the European Union by as much as six months in a bid to avoid piling on the pain for British business and choking off vital food supplies. The UK government on Friday backtracked on plans to impose full border checks on EU imports on January …

Andre Vltchek (2020-06-12). It is all About Race: Awful Hypocrisy to Say it is Not! dissidentvoice.org While I am following closely various discussions on Western mass media and social media, simultaneously engaging in several direct exchanges, one overwhelming leitmotif that I see is clearly emerging: "What is happening in the United States (and the UK, France and other parts of Western Empire) is not really about the race. Let us protest …

M.K. Bhadrakumar (2020-06-12). Turkey's big bet has put Libya in center of a global power struggle. mronline.org The series of debilitating military setbacks that Libya's renegade general Khalifa Haftar suffered in recent months have spurred diplomatic activities over the conflict in the country. But the war is far from over.

Staff (2020-06-12). Georgia's Elections Were A Voter Suppression Horror Show. therealnews.com Georgia's primary election could be a warning for what's to come when Americans head to the polls in November.

Bill Hackwell (2020-06-12). Distortions and Attempts to Undermine the Cuban Medical Brigades Will Not Succeed. dissidentvoice.org Cuban medical brigade returning from Italy (Photo: Ismael Fransisco Gonzalez) Every evening for the past two and a half months the people of Cuba have come out on their streets and porches to applaud and cheer for the 3,000 members of the Henry Reeve medical brigades who are fighting the Covid-19 pandemic on the front …

Communist Party of Turkey (2020-06-12). Communist Party of Turkey: Justice for George Floyd! Solidarity with the uprising! liberationnews.org On behalf of the Communist Party of Turkey, we express our heartfelt support for the working people of the United States who took to the streets for protesting the brutal murder of George Floyd by racist policemen.

RT (2020-06-12). Sweden and Poland only EU nations who STILL haven't reached Covid-19 peak — EU health watchdog. rt.com There are now just two European countries still headed for the height of their coronavirus outbreaks. Sweden — widely criticized for having chosen a different pandemic strategy — and Poland both expect a greater rise in numbers. | A paper published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) compares the number of coronavirus cases reported during a 14-day

RT (2020-06-12). Finland renames 'Negro Island' amid global anti-racism protests. rt.com Despite lacking a history of colonialism or slavery, Finland has nonetheless decided to do its bit in the anti-racism drive gripping the Western world, by changing the "racist" name of a small island. | The landmass in the Pyhaselka Lake in eastern Finland bore the name Neekerisaari — which translates as "Negro Island." It has been

RT (2020-06-12). 'We're Russia, we're together': WATCH aerobatic team paint the skies on Russia Day. rt.com In celebration of Russia Day, a group of daredevils took to the skies over the Moscow Region, sending a patriotic message to all Russians to stay strong and united in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. | The Perviy Polet (First Flight) squadron is the only aerobatic team in the country that uses propeller planes, including the iconic Yakovlev Yak-52 Soviet trainer aircraft. | Footage of the stunt, filmed by multiple cameras on the ground and on the wings of the planes, shows the team taking off from the airfield. Five machines fly in formation, writing "We're Russia! We're together!" with a trail of smok…

RT (2020-06-12). NATO declares Ukraine 'enhanced opportunities partner'. rt.com NATO declared Kiev one of the major contributors to the Alliance cause outside of the military bloc itself, adding Ukraine to the list of "Enhanced Opportunities Partners" — nations that were granted access to the NATO Partnership Interoperability Initiative (PII). | Launched in 2014, the program is aimed at "deepening connections built up between NATO and its partner forces." | Under the PII, nations that "made significant contributions to NATO-led operations and missions" get access to political consultation with NATO members, interoperability programmes and exercises and information sharing. Ukraine ma…

RT (2020-06-12). Bolton sparks rage with sudden claim to have evidence of Trump's 'transgressions' in promo press release for new book. rt.com Ex-national security advisor John Bolton has released a juicy teaser for his new book, claiming to have evidence of Donald Trump's foreign policy "transgressions" prompting many to ask why he kept the information from Congress. | In a press release advertising his new book on Friday, Bolton, who was fired by Trump in September 2019, accuses his former boss of more "Ukraine-like transgressions" which allegedly spanned "the full range of his foreign policy." | Trump was impeached by the US House of Representatives last year for "abuse of power" and "obstruction of Congress." Democrats accused him of withholding…

_____ (2020-06-12). Court of Human Rights Deals Major Blow To Israel's War On Palestine Solidarity. popularresistance.org The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled unanimously that the French highest court's 2015 criminal conviction of activists with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement advocating nonviolent boycotts of Israeli goods violated article 10 (freedom of expression) of the European Convention on Human Rights. | Reacting to the breaking news, Rita Ahmad from the Palestinian-led BDS movement said: | This momentous court ruling is a decisive victory for freedom of expression, for human rights defenders, and for the BDS movement for Palestinian freedom, justice and equality. It confirms a 2016 European U…

Philip Giraldi (2020-06-12). Russians "Stirring Up Trouble": An Obama Retread Sees Moscow's Hand in US Protests. globalresearch.ca If one ventures into the vast wasteland of American television it is possible to miss the truly ridiculous content that is promoted as news by the major networks. One particular feature of media-speak in the United States is the tendency …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-06-12). Europe's top human rights court overturns French conviction of BDS activists. peoplesdispatch.org A French court had convicted 11 BDS activists for 'incitement to economic discrimination' after they organized a boycott protest against Israel outside a supermarket in France during the Israeli invasion of Gaza in 2009-10…

Eddie Chambers (2020-06-12). Statues, Statues, They All Fall Down. progressive.org European monuments to historic slavers and colonizers are the latest victims of rising protests for justice.

WSWS (2020-06-12). Brazilian delivery workers strike in defense of their lives. wsws.org Delivery workers have been carrying out strikes and protests in Brazil since April, connected to delivery workers' strikes around the world in countries like Spain, Ecuador and Argentina.

yenisafak (2020-06-12). EU warns COVID-19 health crisis not over yet, urges vigilance. yenisafak.com The public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 epidemic in Europe is not over yet, the European Union's top health official warned on Friday, urging governments to remain vigilant and plough ahead with testing and tracing the population."This is not behind us yet. We need to be vigilant," EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides told EU health ministers in a videoconference, amid fears of a new surge in infections as EU states gradually reopen business and borders and after mass protests in recent days across the continent [ nL8N2DO589].

yenisafak (2020-06-12). Families' sit-in against PKK terror continues in SE Turkey. yenisafak.com A sit-in in southeastern Turkey by families pleading for the return of their children kidnapped by the YPG/PKK terror group has entered its 284th day.The protest started on Sept. 3, 2019, in Diyarbakir province outside the office of the opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), a party accused by the government of having links to the YPG/PKK.Solmaz Ovunc, whose son was abducted five years ago, said she has been staging a sit-in for 284 days and that she will continue the sit-in until the return of her son."HDP took my son and handed him over to the PKK. The PKK did not come and take my son from the neighborhood…

Finian Cunningham (2020-06-12). It's Reckoning, Not Wrecking. thealtworld.com People are asking: where does this end? The list of monuments and emblems slated for removal in the US and Europe is a daunting, ever-expanding one. | Some are labelled as Statues to Christopher Columbus and Confederate leaders in the US have been toppled this week, so too have landmark effigies in Britain, Belgium, and other European countries. | The anger on both…

Gary Younge (2020-06-12). What Black America Means to Europe. zcomm.org Many have attempted to claim that `things are better here' for black people than in the US. This ignores both Europe's colonial past and its own racist present…

Scott Ritter (2020-06-12). NATO's Call on 'Like-minded Nations' to Stand Up to the Rise of China Is Just a Desperate Bid for Global Relevance. globalresearch.ca As the influence of the US and Europe wanes in the face of a new geopolitical reality, their Cold War progeny, NATO, seeks to redefine itself as a global player. The problem is NATO is not capable of even stepping …

Fight Back (2020-06-12). Stock market tanks as reality sinks in. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – On Thursday, June 11, reality finally caught up with Wall Street. For weeks there was a huge gap between the economy, where millions upon millions of people had lost their jobs and livelihood, and the soaring stock market which had turned positive for the year. But today reality seems to have sunk in, sending the headline Dow Jones Industrial Average down more than 1800 points, or almost 7%. The broad S&P 500 index fell almost 6%, and the technology-heavy NASDAQ fell more than 5%. Stock market from Asia to Europe also fell. | The day before, on June 10, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell gave a ve…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-06-12). Austrian communists criticize government bailout to private airline. peoplesdispatch.org On June 9, Tuesday, Austrian leftist groups, including the Party of Labour of Austria (PdA) and the Communist Youth of Austria (KJO), criticized the government's bailout to the private sector Austrian Airlines (AUA), a subsidiary of the Germany-based Lufthansa Group. The conservative Austrian People's Party (àñVP)-Green-led government in the country has issued EUR 150 million (USD 170 million) as direct state aid, and EUR 300 million (USD 340 million) worth of loans to the airline. | Responding to the move, KJO stated "Once again, àñVP and Greens prove which side they really are on. While there are…

Daniele Pozzati (2020-06-12). German Official Leaks Ministry of Interior 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 …

Dr. Sucharit Bhakdi (2020-06-12). COVID-19 , "Global False Alarm". Leaked German Government Report. globalresearch.ca We bring to the attention of our readers details concerning the Leaked Report of Germany's Ministry of Interior. | What is at stake is a …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-06-12). Luxembourg government accused of abusing emergency powers. peoplesdispatch.org On June 10, Thursday, the Communist Party of Luxembourg (KPL) accused the government in the country of abusing the emergency powers in place to tackle the COVID-19 crisis. The Luxembourg government has threatened a military takeover of an inter-municipal waste recycling plant run by waste management company Sidor in Leudelange after the plant authorities refused to dispose of medical waste they are not authorized to handle. The plant management was concerned about the safety of the workers as they do not have a permit to handle hospital-specific waste. | KPL stated that the threat of an army takeover by the gover…

WSWS (2020-06-12). Washington steps up strategic bomber flights threatening Russia, China. wsws.org As social anger grows over police brutality and the COVID-19 pandemic, the danger that the ruling elite will try to suppress class conflict with external wars is rising.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-06-12). Serbian communists file lawsuit against election commission. peoplesdispatch.org The New Communist Party of Yugoslavia (NKPJ) and the League of Communist Youth of Yugoslavia (SKOJ) have accused the election commission of discrimination after it rejected their registration for the parliamentary elections scheduled on June 21…