Daily Archives: June 21, 2020

2020-06-21: News Headlines

yenisafak (2020-06-21). OIC to hold emergency meeting on Jammu and Kashmir. yenisafak.com The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir will hold an emergency meeting via videoconference on Monday to discuss the latest situation in the disputed territory.The online meet will bring together the foreign ministers of the Jammu And Kashmir Contact Group member states: Azerbaijan, Niger, Pakistan Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the OIC said in a statement."The meeting is part of a series of continuous Jammu And Kashmir Contact Group meetings to address the issue," OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen was quoted as saying. The OIC, founded in 1967 and consists of 67 coun…

yenisafak (2020-06-21). Turkey conveys condolences to UK over knife attack. yenisafak.com Mevlut Cavusoglu spoke to Dominic Raab over the phone, according to diplomatic sources who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.During the conversation, Cavusoglu expressed sorrow over the stabbing incident, and said that he shared the pain of the families of the deceased and the injured.Raab thanked Cavusoglu for his good wishes.On Saturday night, a knife-wielding man killed three people and seriously wounded three others in the town of Reading, some 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the capital London.Thames Valley Police have declared it as a terrorist incident.

yenisafak (2020-06-21). 'Difficult': Health workers on fatherhood in pandemic. yenisafak.com Balancing family life during the coronavirus pandemic is not easy. Yet some healthcare workers have been great role models to their children, and are also helping save the lives of COVID-19 patients.Dads in Turkey's southern Mersin province carry on with their devoted fight against the virus even on Father's Day.They continue to serve at the Mersin City Training and Research Hospital, and have to take extra care when meeting their families due to a possible risk of virus transmission. Mehmet Muku, 51, says it is hard to express the feeling of paternity, which he met in his later years.Responsible for the PCR lab…

en.mehrnews (2020-06-21). There is no difference between Europe, US: Amir-Abdollahian. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 21 (MNA) — Iranian Parliament Speaker's Special Adviser for International Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that there is no difference between Europe and the US, and some European countries are the main US' agents.

en.mehrnews (2020-06-21). Iran calls for urgent clarification of judge Mansuri's cause of death. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 21 (MNA) — Inviting Romanian ambassador to Iranian foreign ministry in Tehran, the Islamic Republic called for Romania to announce the cause of death of the Iranian judge Golamreza Mansouri as soon as possible.

en.mehrnews (2020-06-21). Ulyanov underscores full commitment of E3, Russia to JCPOA. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 21 (MNA) — In a tweet, Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov underlined full commitment of his country and that of E3 to JCPOA and diplomatic efforts to save it.

_____ (2020-06-21). Russia Can Play Crucial Role in Calming China-India Conflict. strategic-culture.org The timing of a Russia-India-China summit next week could not be more apt following a deadly skirmish in the disputed Himalayan region which resulted in dozens of military casualties. | The summit

Ronda Shelton (2020-06-20). Uprising topples racist statues from Belgium to Tennessee. liberationnews.org The international uprising against racist police terror have been in the streets for weeks. The people have taken it upon themselves to destroy statues dedicated to white supremacist figures. From the UK to Belgium to the United States, over a dozen statues glorifying white historical figures involved in genocide, white supremacist rhetoric, slavery, and colonialism have …

sputniknews (2020-06-20). BLM Demonstrators in St Andrews Square Demand Removal of Melville Monument. sputniknews.com The United Kingdom has, alongside the US, become embroiled in controversy surrounding statues of historic figures involved in Britain's former slave trade. Black Lives Matter protesters in Scotland have centered disapproval toward the Melville Monument in Edinburgh's St Andrews Square.

Annelies Wilder-Smith, Steven W Lindsay, Thomas W Scott, Eng Eong Ooi, Duane J Gubler, Pamela Das (2020-06-20). [Comment] The Lancet Commission on dengue and other Aedes-transmitted viral diseases. thelancet.com The past 50 years have seen the emergence of epidemic arboviral diseases transmitted by the urban mosquito, Aedes aegypti. More than 120 countries are affected by frequent and cyclical dengue epidemics that result in an estimated annual 400 million infections and 100 million symptomatic cases.1 Chikungunya virus re-emerged in 2004 from east Africa and spread to Asia, the Pacific, the Americas, and Europe.2,3 Zika virus spread from sub-Saharan Africa through Asia and the Pacific to the Americas, where it caused a major outbreak associated with severe birth defects and neurological complications.

Peter Baker, Alan White, Rosemary Morgan (2020-06-20). [Comment] Men's health: COVID-19 pandemic highlights need for overdue policy action. thelancet.com The COVID-19 pandemic is shining a cruel light on the state of men's health globally. In 38 out of 43 countries for which provisional data were available, as of June 10, 2020, more men than women have died from COVID-19 despite a similar number of confirmed cases in each sex.1 In several countries, including the Netherlands, Dominican Republic, and Spain, about twice as many men as women have died from COVID-19.1 International Men's Health Week on June 15—21 is an opportune time to focus attention on this issue and the need for a new and systematic approach to improve the health of men generally.

ahtribune (2020-06-20). How Did Syria Control the Pandemic So Well? ahtribune.com How is it that Syria, targeted by war and economic siege, has had such striking success in controlling the COVID19 pandemic? With epidemics raging on either side — across Europe and all around the Persian Gulf — how did the embattled Syrian Arab Republic emerge (by mid-June) with so little damage, and indeed with the lowest number of cases and deaths in the entire Middle East region? | This was not due to luck, nor to a laissez-faire Swedish style practice, as some pandemic denier friends of Syria have reported. On the contrary, the Syrian government: (1) took the virus threat seriously, communicat…

ahtribune (2020-06-20). EU's Aviation Deal with Israel 'The Pinnacle of Hypocrisy'. ahtribune.com I had barely finished my rant against the British Government for showering new rewards on the Israelis (see ' The UK-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement signed last year comes into force next January. The Government says it loves this relationship and is committed to strengthening it. "We will seek to work with counterparts in the new Israeli government to host a bilateral trade and investment summit in London." This will "

James Holmes (2020-06-20). It Will Take More Than One B-1 Bomber Run From South Dakota to Faze Russia's Black Sea Fleet. anti-empire.com Related:
| It has become clear that the U.S. Air Force now regards itself as an implement of sea power. Its metamorphosis is a beautiful thing to behold for any Western-leaning nautical enthusiast. In recent years, land-based warbirds have trained to

teleSUR (2020-06-20). 'Belgium Should Apologize for Its Colonial Past,' Kompany Says. telesurenglish.net The Ganshoren major Pierre Kompany emphasized that Belgium should apologize for the atrocities that King Leopold II (1835-1909) allowed to happen when Congo was a colony of this European country. | RELATED: | "If the State apologizes, it would be a big step. But if the King does the same, we would come out of this even better," Kompany said, as reported by VTR NWS. | These statements occurred amidst the World Refugee Day on June 20, when the…

Ola Innset (2020-06-20). Workers of Europe: Compete. zcomm.org In response to neoliberalism's internationalism, European workers have turned to the nation state. It is time for the left to reclaim the narrative…

Martina Kaika (2020-06-20). The case of refugees in Greece. peoplesdispatch.org Successive Greek governments have done nothing to to ensure decent living conditions for the uprooted people. Instead, they are also evicting those who have been granted asylum from their accommodation facilities…

Germán Gorraiz López (2020-06-20). Is Kashmir a US Trap to Confront Russia and China? globalresearch.ca The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), founded in 2001 by the Shanghai Five (China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan) and to which Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan were later added would be the ALBA and Iran countries hard core of resistance to world …

Kim Petersen (2020-06-20). US Military Presence Everywhere. The Arctic, the Middle East, The South China Sea, The Caribbean… globalresearch.ca Tensions in the skies. RT presented a news story of the United States intercepting a fleet of Russian bombers off the Alaskan coast. Four Russian Tu-95 bombers, accompanied by Su-35 and MiG-31 fighters jets, flew from Siberia toward Alaska where …

_____ (2020-06-20). Global Experts Alarmed At Signs US Has 'Given Up' Fight To Stop COVID-19. popularresistance.org Global public health experts are looking on in "alarm and disbelief" as the U.S. economy reopens even as Covid-19 case numbers continue to rise in a number of states, with President Donald Trump signaling he has no intention of calling for more economic shutdowns regardless of the outcome. | As The Washington Post reported Friday, newspapers across Europe have recently published articles and editorials expressing shock at the Trump administration's approach to the pandemic. | "U.S. Increasingly Accepts Rising Covid-19 Numbers," read a headline this week in the Swiss paper Neue Zàºrcher Zeitung. | While image…

_____ (2020-06-20). Churchill, Columbus And Leopold Fall Down. popularresistance.org The perpetrators of crimes against humanity are often elevated to positions of respect and admiration. It all depends on who did the killing, and who was killed. Now the murderers are being called to account. The new movement in the United States against police and other state violence has inspired this welcome change taking place all over the world. The criminals are being exposed decades and even centuries after their atrocities took place. There is no statute of limitations for murder nor should there be for calling out people who have the blood of millions on their hands. | Statues of Belgium's King Leopold h…

yenisafak (2020-06-20). Serbians to go to general, local polls. yenisafak.com As the world wrestles with the novel coronavirus pandemic, Serbia on Sunday will hold general, local, and autonomous region elections.Voters will head to the polls to determine the names and parties that will govern the country both locally and nationally for the next four years.In Serbia, the effect of the pandemic has disappeared for the most part, with casualty numbers and daily cases having decreased to the 50-100 band and major measures removed.More than 6.5 million voters have registered to cast their ballots and elect lawmakers from among 21 election lists competing to enter the 250-seat national assembly.

yenisafak (2020-06-20). Top Pakistani diplomat hails Bozkir's UNGA presidency. yenisafak.com Pakistan's foreign minister on Saturday congratulated Turkey's Volkan Bozkir on his election as president of the next session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)."On behalf of the people and government of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, I would like to extend my warm felicitation on your unanimous election by all member states as the President of the historic 75th Session of the UN General Assembly," Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in a letter.He said Bozkir's unanimous election reflects the international community's "trust and confidence" in his abilities to lead the UNGA "at this time of unprecedented global…

yenisafak (2020-06-20). Turkey rejects UN group's claims on activities in Libya. yenisafak.com Turkey has rejected "unfounded" allegations by the UN Human Rights Special Procedures."We reject the unfounded and unfortunate allegations in the press release of the UN Human Rights Special Procedures," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said in a statement.Aksoy said Turkey, extending its support to the internationally recognized Libyan government upon its request and pursuant to UN resolutions, emphasized from the very beginning that there was no military solution to the conflict in Libya."In this context, Turkey spares no effort to ensure a lasting and sustainable ceasefire and to reinvigorate the politica…

sputniknews (2020-06-20). Greece Again Calls on UK to Return Ancient Parthenon Marbles. sputniknews.com In the early 19th century, British diplomat Lord Elgin stripped the Parthenon of half of its sculptures and brought them back to England, where they are now kept in the British Museum. The acquisition of the 'Parthenon Marbles' has been a contentious issue between Greece and Britain, and the disagreement continues to this day.

sputniknews (2020-06-20). Russian Nurse Gets Modeling Contract After Seen Wearing Bra & Shorts Beneath See-Through PPE. sputniknews.com The nurse noted that she wasn't wearing a swimsuit, but rather a gym top and shorts, underneath her protective clothes.

Manlio Dinucci (2020-06-20). From 1945 Until Today — 20 to 30 Million People Killed by the USA. globalresearch.ca The study documents the wars and coups d'État executed by the US in 30 Asian, African, European and Latin-American countries. It reveals that US military forces are directly responsible for between 10 and 15 million deaths, caused by the major wars — those against Korea and Vietnam and the two wars against Iraq.

ahtribune (2020-06-19). European Court of Human Rights Upholds Right to Boycott Israel. ahtribune.com "Criminal conviction of activists involved in the BDS campaign boycotting products imported from Israel had no relevant and sufficient grounds and violated their freedom of expression" | That is the heading on the 11 June 2020 press statement from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), announcing that it had overturned the conviction by a French court of eleven individuals for engaging in BDS activity. | The Court ruled that their conviction violated Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights — the right to freedom of expression — which states: | "Everyone has the right to freedom o…

yenisafak (2020-06-19). Russia to assess Arctic fuel spill damage by July 1. yenisafak.com Russia's environmental watchdog will finish its assessment of the damage done by last month's fuel spill in the Arctic city of Norilsk by July 1, it said on Friday.Some 21,000 tonnes of diesel leaked into rivers and subsoil on May 29 in Norilsk, home to mining giant Norilsk Nickel , in an incident that Greenpeace has compared to the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off Alaska.

yenisafak (2020-06-19). Eight SNA soldiers martyred in YPG/PKK attack in N Syria. yenisafak.com At least eight soldiers of the Syrian National Army (SNA) were martyred in an attack carried out by the YPG/PKK terrorist group in Afrin, northwestern Syria.From Tal Rifat district, terrorists attempted to infiltrate front lines in Bassouta region in the south of Afrin province.The terrorist group continued to target Syrian National Army and civilian settlements in Afrin and Azaz provinces from Tal Rifat despite a Turkey-Russia deal that foresees their withdrawal from the region.On Oct. 9, 2019, Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate terrorists from northern Syria east of the Euphrates River in order…

sputniknews (2020-06-19). European Parliament Condemns Racism in Any Form, Police Violence in US. sputniknews.com BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — The European Parliament has adopted a resolution to condemn all forms of racism as well as the violence of US police during the ongoing protests.

RT (2020-06-19). EU Parliament meddles into US affairs as it condemns Trump's response to protests and declares 'BLACK LIVES MATTER'. rt.com A lengthy resolution by the European Union legislators denounced US President Donald Trump for wanting to use force against rioters and condemned the "appalling death of George Floyd" and arrests of journalists. | In a Condemning the "appalling death of George Floyd" — a Minneapolis,…

bne IntelliNews (2020-06-19). Russian Deputies Introduce Bill to Un-Ban the Excellent Telegram Messaging App. anti-empire.com Russian Duma deputies from the minority fraction Fair Russia have conceded defeat to reality and have introduced a bill to un-ban the popular messaging service Telegram that belongs to Russian tech whizz-kid Pavel Durov. | Three deputies — Fedot Tumusov, Dmitry Ionin and Alexander Terentyev — have submitted a draft bill to the Duma to terminate the attempts to outlaw Telegram. | The company and the Kremlin clashed after the widely used service refused a request by the Federal Security Service (FSB) to hand over digital keys so the security forces could eavesdrop on conversations on the service. | Tele…

RT (2020-06-19). 'Adverse consequences': UK, France & Germany warn against further US sanctions on Iran, but want weapons embargo to remain. rt.com Britain, France and Germany have jointly warned against the US imposing further sanctions on Iran, saying it would have "adverse consequences" at UN level, though they agree an embargo on arms sales should remain in place. | "We firmly believe that any unilateral attempt to trigger UN sanctions snapback would have serious adverse consequences in the UN Security Council," their joint statement read; it was released following a meeting between the nations in Berlin. | They also said sanctions against Iran would be "incompatible" with the Iran nuclear deal, which the nations are looking to "preserve." They say th…

RT (2020-06-19). US Chick-Fil-A's CEO takes knee & shines shoes of black rapper to win pardon for whites' 'shameful oblivion'. rt.com Dan Cathy, CEO of the Chick-Fil-A fast-food restaurant chain, publicly polished the sneakers of the black rapper Lecrae. The son of the Chick-Fil-A founder said he did it to recognize white people's "oblivion" to racial injustice. | "Most of us white people, we're out-of-sight, out-of-mind oblivious to it," Dan Cathy said. | Kneeling at the feet of the Christian rapper during a panel discussion at the Passion City Church in Atlanta, Georgia, the CEO then started to polish the artist's shoes. | "If we… find somebody that needs to have their shoes shined, we just need to go over and shine their shoes." | Shoes…

RT (2020-06-19). Tucker Carlson becomes target of SPELLS, with #WitchesAgainstTucker trending amid slander lawsuit and BLM controversy. rt.com As Fox News defends host Tucker Carlson's show against accusations of not being factually accurate, the hashtag #WitchesAgainstTucker began trending on Twitter, conjuring up some highly unusual critics of the commentator. | "We, the witches of Poland will no longer tolerate the behaviors of @TuckerCarlson. I am calling on all witches of Poland to cast your spells on him," humorous rapper and successful Twitter troll Elijah Daniel tweeted, appearing to kick off the #WitchesAgainstTucker hashtag, which has received support from thousands of users. | Daniel followed up with a tweet written in Polish, stating, "Yo…

RT (2020-06-19). 'Destructive course': US seeks space superiority by making up threats — Russian Foreign Ministry. rt.com Washington's Defense Space Strategy is provoking an arms race in outer space and threatening international security while trying to blame a nonexistent Moscow threat, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has said. | "To justify the implementation of this destructive course, which provokes an arms race in outer space and destabilizes the international security situation, Washington has resorted to the usual tactics of blaming others," the MFA said in a In…

RT (2020-06-19). Hands off, Uncle Sam! Omsk official believes constitutional amendments will give Russia back status of Soviet era. rt.com If proposed changes to the constitution are adopted next week, Russians will take back control of their country from the Americans. That's according to the Governor of the Omsk region, who believes Russia is ruled by US law. | Read more | | In Alexander Burkov's opinion, the world's largest country is currently dominated by "Uncle Sam." But that could all change with the passage of the new amendments. | "Whe…

ahtribune (2020-06-19). Foreign Troops: What Is Too Close for Comfort? ahtribune.com Tensions in the skies. RT presented a news story of the United States intercepting a fleet of Russian bombers off the Alaskan coast. Four Russian Tu-95 bombers, accompanied by Su-35 and MiG-31 fighters jets, flew from Siberia toward Alaska where they were shadowed by US F-22 fighters. The US and NORAD admitted that the Russian planes stayed in international airspace and did not enter American sovereign airspace. | http: //youtu.be/jmqgpkixULo | Siberia and Alaska are close. At its narrowest point the Bering Strait separates Russia and the US by only 88.5 km (55 mi), so it wouldn't take long upon leaving one coa…

Ben Aris (2020-06-19). Economic Ministry Forecasts Russia Won't Climb Back to Pre-Lockdown Levels Until Late 2022. anti-empire.com Russia's Ministry of Economy has released a fresh forecast for 2019-2022. The ministry said there will be no V-shaped recovery: after a 5% plunge in 2020, real GDP will only recover starting in mid-2022. The Ministry of Economy predicts GDP growth of 2.8% in 2021 and 3% in 2022. | The Urals price stays below the base budget price of $42, at which point the Russian budget breaks even. Urals will average $31.1 per barrel this year, rising to $35.4 in 2021 and only in 2022 will it return to the breakeven price of $42.2 when Russia Inc. goes back into profit. | That means the Ministry of Finance will rely on the Nati…

_____ (2020-06-19). Defending History or Double Standard? strategic-culture.org There is no equivalence between Western imperialists, colonizers and racists and Soviet war heroes. But there is a clear double standard in how demolishing the latter statues is somehow acceptable to Western governments. Because it fits a geopolitical agenda of rewriting the history of World War II to demean Russia. | (Click the image to enlarge)…

Eric A. Gordon (2020-06-19). 'Proud': Episodes of the long march for LGBTQ rights in France. peoplesworld.org Timed for release during LGBTQ Pride Month, the 2018 French "episodic cinema" Proud (Fiertés in French) is now available for a wider viewing in the United States opening on June 19 in virtual cinema in select cities though Kino Marquee. Proud consists of three episodes, each about 50 minutes in duration, focusing on the evolution …

IMEMC & Agencies (2020-06-19). Russia Denies that Putin Tried to Block UN Security Council Recognition of Palestine. imemc.org Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, denied that President Vladimir Putin had blocked a 2016 UN Security Council's resolution that recognizes Palestinian statehood on the 1967 border lines. Zakharov's remarks came during a press briefing on Wednesday, in which she responded to claims by an Israeli online newspaper, Israel …

teleSUR (2020-06-19). China Confirms Strain Found in Market Came From Europe. telesurenglish.net China's health authorities Friday confirmed that the coronavirus' strain identified at the Xinfadi wholesale market in Beijing came from Europe after it was likely imported in frozen foods. | RELATED: | Although the results are still preliminary, experts have found that the virus was circulating in the city's main wholesale market long before it was detected. | "If it had arrived in the city recently, so many posit…

Pierre Dardot (2020-06-19). The Gilets Jaunes and the Invention of the Future. zcomm.org The politics of the Gilets Jaunes are often misunderstood or overlooked, yet the movement should be a point of reference for struggles across Europe…

WSWS (2020-06-19). US escalates trade and economic conflicts. wsws.org US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has delivered a broadside against the World Trade Organisation and indicated that trade negotiations with the European Union were going nowhere.

teleSUR (2020-06-19). UK, France, And Germany Refuse To Endorse US Sanctions on Iran. telesurenglish.net The UK, France, and Germany Friday stated that they would not support the U.S to unilaterally push for reimposing United Nations' sanctions against Iran. | RELATED: | As part of the Comprehensive Joint Action Plan (CJAP), Iran is subject to a UN weapons embargo, which will expire in October. Even when the U.S withdrew from CJAP in 2018, they seek to extend it. | In case the UN Security Council does not agree to the extension, the U.S threate…

Bill Moyers, Rev. James Forbes (2020-06-19). From George Floyd to Juneteenth, America's Other Independence Day. commondreams.org People pray together during a Juneteenth event Organized by the One Race Movement at Centennial Olympic Park on June 19, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when a Union general read orders in Galveston, Texas stating all enslaved people in Texas were free according to federal law. (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/juneteenth_bill_moyers_rev_james_forbes.jpg

WSWS (2020-06-19). Turkish army launches ground attacks into Iraqi Kurdistan to target PKK. wsws.org Amid growing international conflicts over Libya, the eastern Mediterranean and Syria, Turkey has invaded northern Iraq to attack Kurdish-nationalist militias.

_____ (2020-06-19). New Alliance Against China: D-10 Countries Threatened By China Unite Against It. popularresistance.org In late May, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom floated the idea of creating a new international platform—D10, or Democracy 10 alliance. The D10 is to comprise the Group of Seven (G7) states and three others; it will be discussed formally at the G7 meeting in June. The proposed members of the alliance are the G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S.), along with Australia, India and South Korea. The purpose of this alliance is not entirely for mutual benefit. The agenda, Boris Johnson suggests, is to attack China. | Many of the states in the D10 have been hi…