(2020-06-24). Video: The Social Impacts and Economic Dimensions of the Drug Trade. globalresearch.ca Being a neighbor to one of the biggest producers of drugs in the world has caused the Islamic Republic of Iran to shoulder a heavy burden as one of the main routes for drug transport. | Iran is at the forefront …
(2020-06-24). Int'l law will determine future of Libya, says Turkey. yenisafak.com The vice president of Turkey on Wednesday underlined that international law would determine Libya's future."Putschists should know that it will be on the legitimate basis of international law that will determine the future of peace in Libya," Fuat Oktay said, adding that with Tripoli's "decisive stance" and Turkey's support, all "games and traps have been thwarted."Oktay said Turkey would back "its Libyan brothers until peace, tranquility and justice are established in the country."He emphasized that those who until now "could not propose any approach towards resolution" to the conflict between the war-torn count…
(2020-06-24). Trump touts fake wall; EU mulls real 'wall' to bar Americans. peoplesworld.org 
On Tuesday in Arizona Trump had his picture taken at the phony prop he calls his "beautiful wall," one of the props along the border with Mexico that he runs to every time he wants to stir up fear of immigrants. While he was doing that the European Union was drafting plans to establish a …
(2020-06-24). U.S. must return political prisoner Simón Trinidad to Colombia. peoplesworld.org 
Murderous violence and oligarchy were at the center of Colombian political life during the 20th century. Colombians by the millions were marginalized, impoverished, and/or displaced from small land holdings. Violence and the failings of liberal democracy turned Simón Trinidad into a revolutionary. Few in the United States and Europe know about him. Colombia's allies in …
(2020-06-24). The Heat: China-EU relations. america.cgtn.com 
Chinese and European Union officials meet to boost economic ties amid a global health crisis.
(2020-06-24). As the UK heads into a heatwave Siberia is going off the charts. thecanary.co 
Scientists have expressed concerns about the implications for the rest of the world after a heatwave in Russia's Siberia region.On Saturday, the thermometer hit a likely record of 38C — or 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit — in the Siberian town of Verkhoyansk in Russia's Sakha Republic.The World Meteorological Organisation said it is looking to verify the temperature reading, which would be a record for the region north of the Arctic Circle.The increasing temperatures in Siberia have been linked to wildfires that grow bigger and more severe every year, as well as the thawing of the permafrost.Scientists are ala…
(2020-06-24). Video: "Militants" Launch Massive Drone Attack on Russian Airbase in Syria. globalresearch.ca Late on June 22, Russian air defense units repelled a massive drone attack on Russia's Hmeimim air base in Syria. According to local sources, Russian Pantsir and Tor systems launched almost two dozen missiles at unmanned aerial vehicles launched by …
(2020-06-24). US Sanctions Iranian Ship Captains as Russia Hosts Venezuelan FM. venezuelanalysis.com Russian FM Sergei Lavrov reiterated his opposition to US aggression in Venezuela.
(2020-06-24). Sacramento And Swiss Sister City Liestal Need To Talk About Their History. indybay.org After the attack on the now removed statue of the founder of Sacramento John Sutter, the Young Socialist Party of the swiss canton of Baselland launched an action in Sutters hometown to draw attention to the fact that John Sutter was a slave owner and child trader. Now, they want Sacramento and its sister city Liestal (Switzerland), capital city of the canton of Baselland, to use their partnership to remember Sutters victims and educate the citizens of both places.
(2020-06-24). The Wasp Network Highlights Our Lack of Freedom to Tell the Truth on the Cuban Five Case. dissidentvoice.org The film Wasp Network, based on the book The Last Soldiers of the Cold War, The Story of the Cuban Five by Fernando Morais, is a co-production between France, Spain, Belgium and Brazil. It was shown in Cuba last December, soon after it came out. You can now watch it on Netflix. It is not a …
(2020-06-24). Norway plans big expansion of Arctic oil exploration. yenisafak.com Norway is planning a major expansion of oil exploration in the Arctic, despite commitments to tackling global warming and opposition from environmental groups.Minister of petroleum and energy Tina Bru said on Wednesday the expansion was needed to protect jobs and generate wealth.The government will auction up to 136 new oil exploration blocks in a major licensing round, with 125 of those in the Arctic Barents Sea, a relatively unspoiled corner of the planet."We need new discoveries to uphold employment and value creation," Bru said in a statement.Norway is western Europe's biggest oil producer and has built the w…
(2020-06-24). Paris nears pre-pandemic air pollution levels. yenisafak.com Air pollution in Paris has more than doubled since the end of lockdown on May 11, and hit the highest level among European cities, said a new study put out on Wednesday.The Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), an independent research organization based in Helsinki, Finland, found that the level of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the atmosphere has nearly doubled since confinement was lifted. | Although the level of air pollution — which dropped by 60% during lockdown — is not presently at pre-COVID-19 level, it has risen in the capital by 120%. | COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, origina…
(2020-06-24). German reporter plays tourist in Antalya, lauds Turkey's coronavirus precautions. yenisafak.com An enthusiastic correspondent from the Germany-based Bild newspaper hopped on a flight from Berlin to Turkey's popular holiday getaway of Antalya, probing the country's safety measures for those seeking a change of atmosphere during the global coronavirus pandemic. Michael Quandt penned his travel experience as a tourist in Turkey in an article titled "Even the lifeguard wears a mask," mapping out the country's precautions against the virus. He underlined that it is mandatory for all travelers who board a plane to wear masks and the violation of this rule costs between 70 and 700 euros.Passengers' body temperatur…
(2020-06-24). Italy says 28 migrants test positive to COVID-19 on quarantine ship. yenisafak.com Dozens of migrants rescued in the Mediterranean have tested positive for the new coronavirus while held in a quarantine ship off the southern Italian coast, Sicily's regional leader Nello Musumeci said on Wednesday.In April Italy banned migrant rescue ships from docking in its ports until July 31 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It now transfers all those saved at sea onto large ferries which must wait off its coast.After saving more than 200 people stranded at sea last week, the Sea-Watch 3 charity boat arrived on Sunday in the Sicilian town of Porto Empedocle.The mainly African passengers were immediately moved to…
(2020-06-24). Russia displays military might to mark WW II victory. yenisafak.com Some 14,000 troops from 13 countries as well as vintage and the latest state-of-art military hardware marched along the Red Square in Moscow on Wednesday to mark the 75th anniversary of its victory in World War II.The parade, which highlighted Russia's fighting capabilities were also held in 28 other cities under the shadow of coronavirus pandemic. The parade was also marked by a colorful fly-past by fighter aircrafts.Russia showed its military might by displaying the latest stealth fighter jet Su-57 with hypersonic Kinzhal complexes, Ka-52 helicopters, and Armata tanks.Originally, the parade was scheduled to tak…
(2020-06-24). Turkey popular tourist destination for Serbia. yenisafak.com As many as 1,000 Serbian tourists have already started their holidays in Turkey this summer, the country's travel agency association said Wednesday.The information from the National Association of Travel Agencies of Serbia (YUTA) came after Turkish Airlines resumed its flights to the country only a few days ago after a three-month suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic.Turkey's flagship air carrier company resumed its flights between Belgrade and Istanbul on Monday."Tourists who traveled to Turkey have no problems," said the director of YUTA, Aleksandar Senicic.The rise in Serbian tourists arriving in Turkey…
(2020-06-24). Top Turkish, Spanish diplomats talk COVID-19, tourism. yenisafak.com Mevlut Cavusoglu and Arancha Gonzalez Laya discussed the latest developments on the outbreak in both countries, effort to bring back tourism, and Turkish-EU relations, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.As tourism worldwide ground to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic, Turkey's new case numbers are falling, and the country is looking to bring back tourists by restarting flights and issuing certificates for businesses that have taken necessary steps against the outbreak.Spain is also seeking to reassure tourists as its numbers fall and its borders reopen.
(2020-06-24). Turkey remands Iraqi national over links to Daesh/ISIS. yenisafak.com A Turkish court on Wednesday remanded an Iraqi national into custody over links to the Daesh/ISIS terror group, according to a security source.The suspect was arrested from a cell house in the western Denizli province where he was hiding after participating in terrorist activities in Syria, said the source on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.The operation was launched as part of the investigation against Daesh by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in Denizli, the source added.Many digital materials were also seized from the address raided.Turkey was one of the first countries…
(2020-06-24). First COVID-19 Case Registered at Chernobyl Nuclear Plant. sputniknews.com In mid-March, Ukraine introduced a nationwide quarantine for a month and subsequently extended it several times. The Ukrainian government decided to relax coronavirus-related restrictions starting 11 May.
(2020-06-24). Trump Says Some US Troops Cut in Germany Will 'Probably' Move to Poland. sputniknews.com US President Donald Trump claims that some of the US troops removed from Germany over Berlin's alleged delinquent payments to NATO will be relocated to Poland.
(2020-06-24). Despite Border Tensions Between India and China, Russia to Ensure RIC Remains Viable, Experts Say. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): The foreign ministers of Russia, India, and China on Tuesday participated in a special videoconference session called by Moscow to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in the Second World War and the creation of the United Nations.
(2020-06-24). German Cabinet agrees to ban sale of single-use plastic items. thecanary.co Germany is banning the sale of single-use plastic straws, cotton buds and food containers, bringing it in line with a European Union directive intended to reduce the amount of plastic waste that pollutes the environment. | The cabinet agreed on Wednesday to end the sale of plastics including single-use cutlery, plates, stirring sticks and balloon holders, as well as polystyrene cups and boxes by 3 July 2021. | Environment minister Svenja Schulze said the move was part of an effort to move away from "throw-away culture". | Up to 20% of rubbish collected in parks and other public places consists of single-use plast…
(2020-06-24). Fascists Are Always Frightened of Communes. strategic-culture.org Fascists and their have, through history, been averse to the idea of communes. Communes always evoke in fascists their innate fear of popular uprisings against vicious statist governments. The popular musical "Les Miserables," which is based on Victor Hugo's eponymous novel about early 19th century France that saw the people rebel against resurgent royalists following the French Revolution, features a song about manning the barricades of a Parisian commune. The song, "Do You Hear the People Sing?", includes the following lyrics: | "Will you join in our crusade? | Who will be strong and stand with me? | Beyond t…
(2020-06-23). Assange Extradition: '60 Minutes' Gives Assange Fair Shake. popularresistance.org Australia's 60 Minutes newsmagazine Sunday night aired an extensive interview with Stella Morris, Julian Assange's partner, and featured the two boys the couple have had together. While the promos for the segment during the week indicated it would focus on salacious questions such as, "How does one get pregnant in an embassy?" and "Did Pamela Anderson give your relationship cover?," the 24-minute spot ditched the usual smears against the imprisoned WikiLeaks publisher and instead humanized him to a large national audience. | The segment made clear Assange was never charged with rape in Sweden, was only wanted for…
(2020-06-23). VIDEO: CIA complicit in drug trafficking to marginalize black community. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 23 (MNA) — In an interview with MNA, Prof. Michel Chossudovsky maintained that European countries have been complicit in allowing drug trade and that CIA permits the entrance of narcotics to the US and use them to marginalize black people.
(2020-06-23). Several international delegates join Palestinians' protest against proposed Israeli annexation. peoplesdispatch.org The protests in Jericho in the Jordan Valley were part of the Palestinian Authority's popular initiatives against the annexation move by Israel. The UN peace envoy and representatives of Russia, China and EU attended the protest…
(2020-06-23). Russia Can't Broker China-India Peace: The Best It Can Do Is Balance Its Response to this Crisis. globalresearch.ca Nobody should have the false expectation that the virtual Foreign Minister's meeting between the Russian, Chinese, and Indian dignitaries, nor the presence of the latter two's Defense Ministers in Moscow this week to attend the delayed Victory Day celebration there, …
(2020-06-23). Thousands Of Palestinians Protest Against Israeli Annexation Plan. popularresistance.org Thousands of Palestinians have rallied in Jericho to protest against Israel's unilateral plan to annex large swaths of the occupied West Bank and Jordan Valley. | Monday's gathering was also attended by dozens of foreign diplomats, including the United Nations peace envoy for the Middle East, Nickolay Mladenov, and the European Union's representative, Sven Kuehn von Burgsdorff. | British, Chinese, Russian, Japanese and Jordanian diplomats were also at the rally. | Citing the presence of the dignitaries, Al Jazeera's Nida Ibrahim said: "Palestinians hope that by doing gatherings like this, they would pressure the…
(2020-06-23). Floyd protests bring down symbols of West's brutal past. yenisafak.com Amid continued protests over the killing of George Floyd in police custody, historical monuments in both the US and Europe are being targeted due to their links to the West's history of slavery and colonialism.Floyd, 46, an unarmed black man, died after being pinned down on May 25 by a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota after reportedly attempting to use a counterfeit $20 bill.His last words, "I can't breathe," became a slogan for worldwide protests.His death has prompted weeks of mass protests across both the US and Europe, and spurred calls for works honoring racist figures to be removed.- USSculptu…
(2020-06-23). #JusticeforSteve: List of victims of police brutality worldwide gets longer but endless number of hashtags falls on deaf ears. rt.com 
As the world grapples with questions concerning police brutality, racism, and discrimination, it's worth taking a look back at a case that sparked outrage and calls for police reform in France a year ago. | The case of Steve Maia Caniço put a long record of excessive use of force by police under the microscope. | But, one year later, what has changed, if anything? Not a whole lot. Anti-police protests in the US have sparked renewed anger at the French police system. Steve represents just one of many cases of police brutality which resulted in the death of an innocent person. Time has passed but #Justice…
(2020-06-23). From a Broken Economy to a People's Economy. cepr.net CEPR Co-Director Mark Weisbrot participated in an event on June 13 as part of "Arise: A Festival of Labour's Left ideas," organized with the United Kingdom's Labour Assembly Against Austerity. Weisbrot was joined by fellow presenters John McDonnell, Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington; Txema Guijarro García, an MP for Spain's left-wing Podemos party and …
(2020-06-23). How We Sold the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia for Plastic Shopping Bags. globalresearch.ca For months, this has been a story that I have wanted to share with young readers in Hong Kong. Now it seems to be the really appropriate time, when the ideological battle between some West superpowers and China is raging, …
(2020-06-23). Victoria Nuland Alert. Her Ambition is Confront Russia to Deter Putin. globalresearch.ca It is difficult to find anything good to say about Donald Trump, but the reality is that he has not started any new wars, though he has come dangerously close in the cases of Venezuela and Iran and there …
(2020-06-23). Trump, Bolton, and Pompeo: Loathsome Peas in a Pod. counterpunch.org 
For nearly a year and a half, from April 2018 to September 2019, the Trump administration was in the hands of a "war cabinet." With Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, and John Bolton as National Security Adviser, Donald Trump created one of the most aggressive foreign policy teams in the history of the presidency. Bolton and Pompeo were fixated on going to war against Iran; were contemptuous toward our European allies and the entire European Community; and were opponents of arms control and disarmament.
(2020-06-23). Kentucky voting chaos: 600,000 Louisville voters, one polling place. peoplesworld.org 
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Imagine trying to jam 600,000 people into one convention center. That is what's happening in Louisville, Ky., in the June 23 primary. The result could be a rerun of Georgia's disaster earlier in June: Long lines and chaos. In a supposed attempt to counter the coronavirus pandemic and stop "community spread" of the contagion, …
(2020-06-23). Racist statues fall everywhere as new Lenin statue rises in Germany. peoplesworld.org 
Lenin lives again in the western German city of Gelsenkirchen, which saw a new statue of the revolutionary Communist leader erected on Saturday in the face of opposition from city authorities. The statue is the first monument to Lenin ever in the territory that used to be West Germany and the first to rise anywhere …
(2020-06-23). Hunter's millions: Ukrainian MP reveals new 'Biden-Poroshenko' tapes, claims VP's son was paid 'protection money' by Burisma. rt.com 
More tapes of what appear to be Joe Biden's phone calls with the former president of Ukraine have surfaced, along with documents showing how much his son Hunter was paid by Burisma, a gas company desperate to avoid prosecution. | Ledgers show payments of $3.4 million from Burisma to Rosemont Seneca Bohai, the company co-founded by Hunter Biden, for "consulting services," former prosecutor Konstantin Kulyk and Ukrainian MP Andrii Derkach revealed on Monday in Kiev. | Kulyk added that these services clearly amounted to "political protection of Burisma" and its owner Mykola Zlochevsky by US vice president at the…
(2020-06-23). Space-time ripples flip our understanding of black holes & neutron stars upside down. rt.com 
The gravitational wave that washed over earth last year left scientists all the world over puzzled about its source. Now the mystery may have been solved, and any one of its potential implications is astonishing. | On August 14 2019, a ripple in the curvature of space-time was detected by researchers in the US and Italy. The ripple, a gravitational wave known as GW190814, was one of the strongest ever witnessed, and disappeared without a trace moments after it washed over our planet. | Gravitational waves are caused by objects moving at very high speeds. In the past, they have been detected upon the explosion…
(2020-06-23). 'Unrealistic': Russia says it won't pressure China to join nuclear talks on Washington's behalf. rt.com 
US expectations that China will join nuclear arms control talks are unrealistic, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said, noting the only way forward is bilateral dialogue between Moscow and Washington. | Ryabkov pointed out that he made that clear to US special envoy for arms control Marshall Billingslea as the two met in Vienna on Monday for negotiations on prolonging the New START Treaty, which expires in February. | "We quite thoroughly explained to them why counting on China joining [the negotiations] is unrealistic," Ryabkov said, noting that Moscow will not pressure Beijing the way Washingt…
(2020-06-23). Russia to abandon flat tax after almost two decades, will start moving back to progressive system — Putin. rt.com 
Russia is planning to introduce a progressive tax regime, adding a 15% tax bracket for those earning over five million rubles ($72,000) a year, President Vladimir Putin said. The money will be used to treat severely ill children. | In a televised address on Tuesday, Putin explained that a tax hike would raise approximately 60 billion rubles a year ($870 million), with Russia's highest earners paying an extra two percent tax on their income. The rate for all other Russians will remain unchanged at 13 percent. | He said that the tax increase will be used to treat children with serious illnesses, removing the nee…
(2020-06-23). Virus numbers surge globally as many nations ease lockdowns. thecanary.co 
The number of global coronavirus (Covid-19) cases has continued to surge in many large countries which have been lifting lockdowns, including the US, even as new infections stabilise or drop in parts of western Europe.In the UK, Department of Health figures for 22 June
(2020-06-23). Germany seeks to tighten European asylum law. wsws.org The core elements are the internment of refugees at the EU's external borders and the implementation of fast-track asylum procedures.
(2020-06-23). India-China conflict threatens to undermine Russian foreign policy. wsws.org While the US has intervened aggressively on the side of India, Russia sees the clash as a challenge to its geo-strategy and is seeking to negotiate a resolution to the conflict.
(2020-06-23). Extreme weather 'record' likely in Arctic Circle, says UN weather agency WMO. news.un.org Reports that temperatures in a Russian town in the Arctic Circle likely reached a record 38C (100.4F), last weekend, have been approved by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) pending final verification, it said on Tuesday.
(2020-06-23). How Washington intends to triumph. thealtworld.com During the quarter of Western lockdown, the map of the Middle East was profoundly transformed. Yemen has been divided into two separate countries, Israel is paralysed by two Prime Ministers who hate each other, Iran openly supports NATO in Iraq and Libya, Turkey occupies northern Syria, Saudi Arabia is close to bankruptcy. All alliances are being called into question and new dividing lines are appearing or rather reappearing. | For two decades Washington has been trying to "reshape" the "Greater Middle East", an arbitrarily defined region stretching from Afghanistan to Morocco. However, over the last three years…
(2020-06-23). Spain pushes clean energy decree to speed renewable rollout. yenisafak.com Spain's cabinet approved on Tuesday a decree aimed at smoothing the rollout of renewable energy generation, with measures to combat speculation in the market, cut red tape and overhaul an outdated auction system to reassure investors and lower prices.Spain wants to make use of rich natural resources including prodigious sunlight both to reduce pollution and create jobs, in response to the devastation the coronavirus has wrought on an economy that relies heavily on tourism and cars.It follows plans being developed by the European Union (EU) to use low-carbon investments to battle the downturn. Spain is working on…
(2020-06-23). Indonesian Muslim scholars worried by Europe Islamophobia. yenisafak.com Indonesian Muslim intellectuals have voiced their concerns following a recent report on mounting Islamophobia in western countries.A report published Sunday by the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), a think tank based int eh Turkish capital Ankara, outlined the discrimination and xenophobia that many Muslims face in European countries. The European Islamophobia Report 2019 recounted many Islamophobic developments that occurred last year in both Europe and across the world."The elections to the European parliament and to several national parliaments saw a further rise in popularity of…
(2020-06-23). 'France's hypocritical, ill-conceived strategy jeopardizing Libya's political stability'. yenisafak.com Recently, France, an ally of warlord Haftar, accused [1] Turkey of thwarting cease-fire efforts by breaking a UN arms embargo.Until December last year, Haftar maintained a military edge over the legitimate government of Libya thanks to significant support from a number of countries, including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Russia and France. Turkey signed a military pact with the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in November 2019, and since then it has provided significant military support, first and foremost armed drones and air defense systems, which have shifted the balance on the ground i…
(2020-06-23). French StopCovid app led to 1.8 million activations as of June 22. yenisafak.com France's state-supported "StopCovid" contact-tracing app has been downloaded by 1.9 million people, roughly 2% of the population, leading to 1.8 million activations as of June 22, digital affairs minister Cedric O said on Tuesday.The "StopCovid" smartphone app, which was launched on June 2, warns users if they have come into contact with anyone infected with the coronavirus to help to contain the epidemic as France emerges from lockdown.
(2020-06-23). Italian cities see bicycle boom after COVID-19 lockdown. yenisafak.com Italy has seen a surge in bicycle sales since the government ended its coronavirus lockdown as people steer clear of public transport and respond to government incentives to help the environment.Some 540,000 bikes have been sold nationwide since shops across the country reopened in early May, according to sector lobby Ancma, a 60% increase in the first month compared to the same period in 2019.To keep people off metros and buses and avoid road congestion, the government has offered to contribute up to 500 euros ($562.70) for city-dwellers who buy traditional or "pedal-assisted" electrical bicycles.The subsidy, wh…
