Daily Archives: June 15, 2020

2020-06-15: News Headlines

Lawrence Wittner (2020-06-15). Let Them Eat Weapons: Trump's Bizarre Arms Race. zcomm.org In late May of this year, President Donald Trump's special envoy for arms control bragged before a Washington think tank that the U.S. government was prepared to outspend Russia and China to win a new nuclear arms race. "The president has made clear that we have a tried and true practice here," he remarked. "We

Eds. (2020-06-15). Atlanta Police shoot and kill Rayshard Brooks as protests demanding racial justice continue worldwide. mronline.org "This is not the first time a black man has been killed for sleeping," said Rev. James Woodall, state president of the Georgia NAACP.

yenisafak (2020-06-15). Israel owns 90 nuclear warheads: Report. yenisafak.com Israel is believed to possess between 80 and 90 nuclear warheads, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said on Monday. | In a report, SIPRI said Israel continues to pursue a policy of ambiguity regarding its nuclear program. | It said that the number of nuclear warheads in Israel rose to 90, up from 80 warheads in 2019. | "The nine nuclear-armed states—the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)—together possessed an estimated 13,400 nuclear weapons at the start of 2020," the S…

Scott Ritter (2020-06-15). NATO's Colonization of Ukraine Under Guise of Partnership. globalresearch.ca NATO has extended yet another in a long line of "incentives" designed to tease Ukraine with the prospects of joining the transatlantic alliance, while stopping short of actual membership. | The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has designated Ukraine as an …

yenisafak (2020-06-15). Irish parties agree coalition deal. yenisafak.com Ireland's Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Green parties struck a deal to form a new coalition government on Monday that if ratified by grassroots members will end a months-long political deadlock, a government spokesman said.The agreement must be approved over the coming 10 days or so by members from each party, with the smaller Greens requiring two-thirds support, a higher bar than the larger two historic rival parties and which could yet scupper the deal.The parties want the new government in place before the end of June as the fractured parliament cannot pass any new laws, including those to uphold a 6.5 billion eu…

yenisafak (2020-06-15). Turkey, Russia to continue talks for truce in Libya. yenisafak.com Turkey will continue talks with Russia to reach a lasting cease-fire in Libya, said Turkey's foreign minister on Monday.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin have "agreed to continue working together to establish a lasting cease-fire in Libya," Mevlut Cavusoglu told a joint press conference alongside his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif, who is visiting the Turkish capital Ankara.Libya's government, which enjoys recognition by the UN, has been under attack by warlord Khalifa Haftar's forces since April 2019, with more than 1,000 killed in the violence.After launching a counter…

yenisafak (2020-06-15). Turkey's indigenous electric train to serve by year-end. yenisafak.com First Turkish-made electric train, with its tests to be conducted on Aug. 30, will start serving before the end of this year, transport and infrastructure minister said on Monday."Aluminum body production, painting, sandblasting tests of the train set were put into operation in 2019," Adil Karaismailoglu said during his visit to the Turkish Wagon Industry (TUVASAS) plant in the country's northwestern province of Sakarya.The design and operating speeds of the first train set produced were planned as 176 kilometers per hour (109.3 miles per hour), and 160 km/h (99.4 mi/h), respectively."We work on domestic-made hig…

yenisafak (2020-06-15). Turkey: Gov't budget balance posts $14B gap in Jan-May. yenisafak.com The Turkish central government registered a budget deficit of 90.1 billion Turkish liras (some $14 billion) in January-May, the country's Treasury and Finance Ministry reported Monday.Turkey's budget revenue reached 389.1 billion Turkish liras ($60.8 billion) in the first five months of the year, up 12% year-on-year.Budget expenditures rose 15.7% on an annual basis to hit 479.2 billion Turkish liras (74.9 billion) from January to May — marking a 90.1 billion Turkish lira (some $60.8 billion) gap.The budget balance, excluding interest payments, posted a deficit of 25.1 billion Turkish liras ($4 billion) in the fi…

Khubaka, Michael Harris (2020-06-15). 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.

RT (2020-06-14). Economic revival, border openings & no tax hikes, Macron unveils his plans for post-Covid-19 France. rt.com French President Emmanuel Macron has announced the next stage of easing coronavirus restrictions in a televised address, two weeks ahead of delayed local elections which do not look promising for his party. The president attempted to lighten the mood of his fellow citizens by telling them France enters the "Green Zone" — a lower state of alert over the epidemic — starting Monday. That means that Paris restaurants in particular can now operate as normal, he said. | "The fight against the epidemic is not finished but I am happy about this first victory against the virus," Macron stated. He also promise…

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…

_____ (2020-06-14). US State Propaganda Outlets Censor Black Lives Matter Protests. popularresistance.org With a budget that hovers around $100 million, RFE/RL broadcasts to something like to 22 countries in 26 languages. And the same censorship regime extends to just about every RFE/RL language division. | I've looked at about a dozen of them. Most have no coverage of the protests at all. A couple — like the Russian and Afghanistan division — do have a tiny protest stories, but they are given very little attention. | In the case of RFE/RL's Russian coverage, the protests are presented from the most reactionary perspective possible: denying racism and blaming the violence on organized armed anarchist comm…

sputniknews (2020-06-14). Police in Armenia Says Arrested Over 250 Pro-Opposition Protesters Over Breach of Lockdown. sputniknews.com YEREVAN (Sputnik) – Armenian police have detained over 250 people who gathered in front of the National Security Service (NSS) building in the capital of Yerevan over violation of social distancing rules, law enforcement said in a statement.

Fight Back (2020-06-14). Thousands of Greek protesters sent message: "I can't breathe. Break the chains of exploitation!" fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following account by the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) of the June 11 protests. | Thousands of workers protested in Athens and other Greek cities, on June 11, against the system that creates poverty and unemployment, war and refugees, racism and all forms of discrimination. | In Athens, starting with the rally in Syntagma, outside the Greek parliament and marching to the U.S. embassy, workers from all the sectors, from different workplaces, along with the self-employed, students and other young people, took part in the first rally organized after the end of the restric…

Staff (2020-06-14). Protesters Take to the Streets in Atlanta After Police Kill Rayshard Brooks. truthout.org Demands for accountability and sweeping reforms mounted Saturday after Atlanta police shot and killed Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old Black man, Friday night amid a wave of global protests against police violence and systemic racism sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis late last month. | In a message to Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms on Saturday, the Georgia NAACP

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…

_____ (2020-06-14). DoD Announces $250 Million To Ukraine. popularresistance.org The Department of Defense announced today its plans for $250 million in Fiscal Year 2020 Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds for additional training, equipment, and advisory efforts to strengthen Ukraine's capacity to more effectively defend itself against Russian aggression. | This reaffirms the long-standing defense relationship between the United States and Ukraine — a critical partner on the front line of strategic competition with Russia. The United States remains steadfast in its support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

sputniknews (2020-06-14). Number of Injured in Earthquake in Eastern Turkey Reaches 18. sputniknews.com ANKARA (Sputnik) – People who have sustained injuries as a result of a magnitude 5.7 quake in the eastern Turkish province of Bingol count 18, Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Sunday.

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…

sputniknews (2020-06-14). Macron Says Over $560 Billion Allocated to Support French Economy Amid COVID-19 Pandemic. sputniknews.com PARIS (Sputnik) – The French authorities have allocated about 500 billion euros ($562 billion) to support the country's economy amid the crisis triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday.

sputniknews (2020-06-14). Militants Shell Settlements in Syria's Latakia, Idlib, Aleppo, Russian Military Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham* terrorist group has attacked settlements in Syria's provinces of Idlib, Aleppo, and Latakia, Rear Admiral Alexander Shcherbitsky, the head of the Russian Defence Ministry's centre for Syrian reconciliation, said on Sunday.

sputniknews (2020-06-14). Turkey Launches New Offensive Against Kurdish Militants in Iraq's North, Defence Ministry Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Turkish armed forces have launched Operation Claw-Eagle in northern Iraq against forces of the Kurdistan Workers' Party and the Kurdish People's Protection Units, referred jointly as PKK/YPG and designated as terrorists by Ankara, Turkish media reported on Monday, citing the country's Ministry of Defence.

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.

en.mehrnews (2020-06-14). FM Zarif lands in Turkey for bilateral talks. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 14 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived in Istanbul Airport, Turkey on Sunday for two-day visit.

Andrey Areshev (2020-06-14). The Enemy Within: A Story of the Purge of American Intelligence. strategic-culture.org "Western Europe has only 20 to 30 more years of democracy left in it; after that it will slide, engineless and rudderless, under the surrounding sea of dictatorship, and whether the dictation comes from a politburo or a junta will not make that much difference." | — Willy Brandt (German Federal Chancellor, right before he stepped down in 1974) | Believe it or not, but the dystopic view that democracy is dead is by no measure a new idea. However, what might disturb you is where this design, in its contemporary form, really germinated from. | The idea that democracy is in a crisis and needs to be replaced with…

Andrey Areshev (2020-06-14). VIDEO: The EU Continues to Talk Utter Baloney About Libya. strategic-culture.org Although Obama's America is most often blamed for igniting Libya's chaos France, the UK and Italy's militaries

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). St. Petersburg had lighter Covid-19 restrictions because residents are 'more educated' than Muscovites — vice governor. rt.com Russia's varied local responses to the coronavirus have been the cause of much debate, and one leading St. Petersburg official couldn't resist using the city's relatively relaxed rules to take a jab at an old rival — Moscow. | Speaking to a local TV channel, Vice Governor Yevgeny Elin explained that his city did not impose a strict quarantine because the residents are better educated than people in Moscow. | "You can't compare Moscow and St. Petersburg. We did not introduce such severe restrictions like in Moscow," Elin said. "In our opinion, this is justified. This is not because we are smarter, but bec…

RT (2020-06-13). Tear gas deployed at anti-racism protest in Paris that drew several thousand (VIDEOS). rt.com Several thousand demonstrators gathered in central Paris to protest not only the death of George Floyd in the US, but also Adama Traore, who lost his life in France when dealing with the police. | Video from Place de la Republique shows thousands descended into Paris streets for Saturday's protest, with police at one point needing to deploy tear gas. | Assa Traore, sister of Adama Traore who died in 2016 in police custody, addressed the crowd at one point from a truck and said the death of Floyd had a "strong echo" of her brother's death. | "What's happening in the United States is happening in France. Our bro…

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…

RT (2020-06-13). 32.4% of Moscow doctors found to have coronavirus antibodies as Russia ramps up testing. rt.com Almost a third of Moscow's doctors have Covid-19 antibodies, according to the most recent testing in the capital, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova announced on Saturday. | "In the first stage [of testing],15,500 doctors were examined in 60 institutions. Antibodies were detected in 16.5% in the initial examination," Golikova revealed. In the second stage, antibodies were detected in 32.4 percent of physicians. | On Wednesday, Anna Popova, the head of country's consumer watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, announced that antibody testing had already been conducted on over half-a-million Russians throughout th…

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 …

WSWS (2020-06-13). As US withdraws troops, German politicians, media step up militarist campaign. wsws.org Washington's announcement that 9,500 US soldiers stationed in Germany might be withdrawn has been met with defiant criticism and calls for a more independent German-European military policy.

WSWS (2020-06-13). Decades-long cover-up continues of assassination of Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme. wsws.org The announcement settles none of the many unanswered questions about the first assassination of a European head of government in…

Scott Ritter (2020-06-13). NATO's colonization of Ukraine under guise of partnership. thealtworld.com NATO has extended yet another in a long line of "incentives" designed to tease Ukraine with the prospects of joining the transatlantic alliance, while stopping short of actual membership. | The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has designated Ukraine as an "Enhanced Opportunity Partner," making it one of six nations (the others being Georgia, Sweden, Finland, Australia and Jordan) rewarded for their significant contributions to NATO operations and alliance objectives by having the opportunity for increased dialogue and cooperation with the alliance. | A main objective of this enhanced interaction is for N…

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 …