Daily Archives: July 21, 2020

2020-07-21: News Headlines

Eds. (2020-07-21). Influential DC-based Ukrainian think tank hosts neo-Nazi activist convicted for racist violence. mronline.org The U.S.-Ukraine Foundation hosted notorious neo-Nazi militant Diana Vynohradova in a webinar this month. While legitimizing Ukrainian white supremacists, the think tank has forged close ties with foreign policy elites in Washington.

yenisafak (2020-07-21). Turkey arrests two Daesh terrorists in N. Syria. yenisafak.com Turkish security forces arrested two terrorists linked to Daesh terror group in northern Syria, just south of the Turkish border, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said on Tuesday."2 DAESH terrorists, who were found to be carrying out terrorist activities in order to disturb the environment of peace and security in the Euphrates Shield region, were detained in an operation," the ministry said on Twitter.Separately, Turkish security forces arrested two people allegedly linked to terrorist organizations along the Turkish-Syrian border in Hatay province, the ministry said in a statement.Since 2016, Turkey has la…

Staff (2020-07-21). Headlines for July 21, 2020. democracynow.org Coronavirus Spikes Across U.S. as Tensions Mount over Plans to Reopen Schools, Labs Show Promising Results in COVID-19 Vaccine as Cases Surge in Countries Around the World, Trump Threatens to Send More Feds into Cities Across U.S. to Crack Down on Protests, Georgia Dems Select State Senator Nikema Williams to Run for Late John Lewis's Congressional Seat, Suspect in Killing of NJ Judge's Son Is Found Dead, Was an "Anti-Feminist," Racist Lawyer, U.K. Suspends Extradition Treaty with Hong Kong, Iran Executes Man Convicted of Spying, After Halting Killing of Protesters Following Public Outcry, Rights Groups Call for…

Patrick Cockburn (2020-07-21). The UK and US are Starting a New Cold War with Russia and China. zcomm.org What are These Governments Trying to Hide?>

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-07-21). Is the U.S. About to Move Its Strategic Naval Base from Spain to Morocco? globalresearch.ca Located near the point where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea, close to Morocco, is the Spanish Naval Station Rota that is co-tenanted with the U.S. Navy. The issue for Washington to renew its tenancy that allows the Americans …

South Front (2020-07-21). Turkey's Poisonous Hand of Friendship with Ukraine. globalresearch.ca While the situation in Libya continues to escalate and the parties are preparing for a decisive battle for Sirte, Turkey, which actively supports forces of the Government of National Accord (GNA), is negotiating with its strategic partners. On July 10, …

Dr. Cyril Widdershoven (2020-07-21). The Forgotten Conflict Between Azerbaijan and Armenia Is Threatening Energy Markets. globalresearch.ca One of the world's forgotten conflicts is now making headlines again. | In the last week, the military conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia has reignited, with the two nations having already been engaged in a military confrontation for decades. Nagorno Karabach, …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-21). Thousands march in France demanding Justice for Adama Traoré. peoplesdispatch.org Adama Traoré was killed on his 24th birthday on July 19, 2016, by three police officers from the French National Gendarmerie who used excessive force when arresting him…

Tom Coburg (2020-07-21). The real lesson from the Russia report is that interference in UK democracy is far closer to home. thecanary.co The long delayed However, it failed to examine a number of serious concerns, in particular donations by Russian or Putin-linked oligarchs. Also, the report's focus on Russian interference rather successfully distracts from interfere…

Yanis Iqbal (2020-07-21). Environmental Disaster and Health Crisis in Cerrejon. dissidentvoice.org At Cerrejon (Colombia), the largest open-pit coal mine in Latin America owned equally by BHP (Australia), Anglo American PLC (United Kingdom) and Glencore (Switzerland), the situation of the indigenous people is progressively worsening. Cerrejon Limited has informed the workers that "all the existing shifts will be unified into a single 7-day work, for three days …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-21). Who benefits from the US escalation against Huawei? peoplesdispatch.org The Chinese tech giant Huawei is increasingly being pushed out of Western markets. The most recent blow came last week, when the United Kingdom banned the use of Huawei manufactured components from its 5G networks. This move against Huawei is a direct result of US pressure on its allies to not allow the Chinese company into their markets.

yenisafak (2020-07-21). Russians seek to travel to Turkey despite restrictions. yenisafak.com Russians are trying to fly to Turkey for a holiday despite the ban on international flights imposed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.Crossing the border with Belarus through the forest or with a certificate of referral for treatment, the Russians then fly to Turkey.In April, after the introduction of a nationwide lockdown in Russia, experts of travel search company Aviasales noted a rise in requests for flights from Minsk — the largest international airport in Belarus — to Turkey.After checking the IP location, they found out that the majority of search queries were made by users from Russia.Since mid-May,…

yenisafak (2020-07-21). Libya: Germany criticizes Egypt's military intervention plan. yenisafak.com Germany on Tuesday criticized Egypt over its plans to militarily intervene in neighboring Libya.Foreign Minister Heiko Maas voiced Berlin's concern during a joint press conference with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias after their meeting in Athens."Decisions on military deployments cannot be welcomed, as they always bring the danger of further escalation," Maas said, adding that German government has long been trying to de-escalate tensions in Libya, through talks with Libyan parties and regional actors.Maas recalled that the conflict parties were seeking to control provinces of Sirte and Al-Jufra, and argued…

yenisafak (2020-07-21). Turkey: Ruling party proposes social media regulations. yenisafak.com Working to fulfill a recent pledge by Turkey's leaders, the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party on Tuesday submitted a new bill to regulate social media."We aim to end insults and swearing on social media and harassment through this form of media," Ozlem Zengin, the party's deputy group chair, told reporters in parliament.Zengin underlined that the bill is not meant to shut down social media providers, saying: "We're aware of its place in our lives and we're also aware of the extent of its use.""But, in this sense, there is a series of tiered sanctions [in the bill] trying to set a balance between freedoms…

yenisafak (2020-07-21). Turkey: Cafes, restaurants can open normal hours again. yenisafak.com Further relaxing restrictions from the height of the coronavirus outbreak, Turkey is now allowing cafes, restaurants, and similar businesses to go back to normal work hours again.Working hour restrictions for certain businesses under the outbreak were lifted in line with recommendations of Turkey's Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board, said an Interior Ministry circular sent to all of Turkey's 81 provinces on Tuesday.The businesses include restaurants, cafes, coffeehouses, tea houses, and clubhouses.These businesses will be able to operate within the times specified in their general regulations and licenses, as…

yenisafak (2020-07-21). 'Turkey acts more effectively with presidential system'. yenisafak.com Turkey's reflexes under its current presidential system are quicker as well as more effective and comprehensive in responding to regional and global crises, the country's president said on Tuesday."The presidential system of government is the only administrative reform carried out directly by the people's will in our 200-year quest for democracy," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a special Cabinet meeting looking back at the last two years under Turkey's presidential system, adopted in the wake of a 2017 public referendum.Erdogan added that he would willingly change course if a better and more effective system of gov…

yenisafak (2020-07-21). Turkey wants to play role in Niger's development. yenisafak.com Turkey wants to take part in the "great vision" of Niger's development plan, Turkey's foreign minister said on Tuesday in the Nigerien capital Niamey."We would like to make a contribution to Niger's development in the areas of transportation, construction, energy, mining and agriculture," Mevlut Cavusoglu told a press conference in Niger, the second stop on a West African tour.Speaking after talks with Nigerien President Issoufou Mahamadou, Cavusoglu said they had spoken at length on boosting relations between the two countries."With the president, we also evaluated [bilateral] cooperation against terrorism. We s…

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-21). Germany, UK to discuss European trio format on Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 22 (MNA) — German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas informed of his intention to discuss the European trio format on Iran with UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab at their upcoming talks.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-21). Iran, Georgia discuss bilateral ties. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 21 (MNA) — Iranian Ambassador to Georgia Javad Ghavam Shahidi and the country's Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia met and held talks in Tbilisi on Tuesday.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-21). Iran-Russia relations growing exponentially: Lavrov. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 21 (MNA) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Iran-Russia relations are growing exponentially.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-21). Iranian delegation due in Kiev next week on Ukrainian plane. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 22 (MNA) — Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for International and Legal Affairs Mohsen Baharvand said that Iranian delegation will travel to Ukraine's capital Kiev next week to discuss issues around the Ukrainian plane crash.

imperial.ac.uk (2020-07-21). The UK must continue to be at heart of the ERC, says President Gast. imperial.ac.uk Imperial's President Alice Gast says the UK must continue to be at the heart of the European Research Council (ERC) to remain a science superpower.

yenisafak (2020-07-20). Turkish, Libyan and Maltese ministers meet in Ankara. yenisafak.com Turkey's defense minister on Monday held a trilateral meeting with Libya's interior minister, and Malta's minister of home affairs and national security in the capital.The high-ups came to Turkey on an official visit after an invitation by Ankara.Before the joint sitting, Hulusi Akar held separate meetings with Libya's Fathi Bashagha and Malta's Byron Camilleri.According to sources, regional cooperation on defense and security, and efforts in contributing to regional stability and peace were discussed during the trilateral session.Libya has been torn by a civil war since the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi i…

_____ (2020-07-20). The UK and U.S. Are Starting a New Cold War With Russia and China, So What Are These Governments Trying to Hide? strategic-culture.org Patrick COCKBURN | The new Cold War launched by the West against China and Russia is escalating by the day. In a single week, the Kremlin has been unmasked trying to discover the secrets of Britain's pursuit of a vaccine against coronavirus and revelations are promised about covert Russian interference in British politics. Boris Johnson made a U-turn on Huawei, announcing that it is to be kicked out of participation in the 5G network because it poses a threat to British security, though a curiously slow-burning one since they will only be evicted over seven years. | The US may put the widely-used Chinese video ap…

Kollibri terre Sonnenblume (2020-07-20). "How Trump Stole 2020‚Ä≥— An Interview With Greg Palast. counterpunch.org Voter suppression is simply class war by other means." —Greg Palast What do timber interests, nuclear power, and off-shore drilling have in common with voter-suppression in Georgia? Greg Palast lays it out, following the money and naming the names, in his new book, "How Trump Stole 2020: The hunt for America's Vanished Voters," which was

RT (2020-07-20). Italian police bust major 'psycho-sect' that practiced child sex abuse for over 30 YEARS. rt.com Police in Italy have raided what they called a "very powerful" sect, said to be entrenched in several cities across the country, which preyed on young women — many of whom were minors — subjecting them to sex abuse and torture.

RT (2020-07-20). US sanctions Chechen leader Kadyrov, his wife & daughters over 'gross human rights violations'. rt.com Washington has added the head of the Russian southern republic of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, to its sanctions blacklist, accusing him of "numerous" human rights violations. Restrictions were also imposed against his family. | The US State Department has banned Kadyrov from entering US territory, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a

RT (2020-07-20). 'Russian agent' or Steele's patsy? 'Revealed' identity of primary sub-source for Russiagate dossier sparks fresh speculation. rt.com In the latest twist in the 'Russiagate' saga, internet sleuths say they have figured out the identity of the source Christopher Steele used to embellish and fabricate what would become the notorious Trump-Russia dossier. | The identity of Steele's "primary sub-source" (PSS) has long been the subject of speculation, as the former British spy had no actual sources in Russia himself. The 59-page

RT (2020-07-20). Democrats cry 'foreign meddling' in 2020 election in letter to FBI, reportedly over probe of Biden dealings in Ukraine. rt.com A probe into former VP Joe Biden's dealings in Ukraine is reportedly the 'foreign interference' in US elections that prompted Democrats to demand an urgent defensive briefing from the FBI for all members of Congress. | "We are gravely concerned, in particular, that Congress appears to be the target of a concerted foreign interference campaign, which seeks to launder and amplify disinformation in order to influence congressional activity, public debate, and the presidential election in November," says a letter by four Democrats on the congressional 'Gang of Eight' that deals with intelligence matters. | The let…

Bill Nicholov (2020-07-20). The Surreal World: Macedonia. globalresearch.ca Claiming that Macedonians voluntarily chose to rename our country into "North Macedonia" and ethnicity into "North Macedonians" is like saying that Indigenous groups choose to be called "Redskins". And when Western media attack Macedonians for denouncing the forced name change, …

WSWS (2020-07-20). Barcelona residents told to stay at home as COVID-19 resurges across Europe. wsws.org Regional authorities have asked over 4 million people not to leave their homes, as the back-to-work campaigns accelerates the contagion of COVID-19 across Europe.

WSWS (2020-07-20). Fire damages historic Nantes cathedral in France. wsws.org While the structure of the building so far appears to have been saved, the greatest losses are the organ and stained-glass windows behind it, which were destroyed.

Scott Ritter (2020-07-20). Turkey Will be the Death of NATO: Its Recent Clash with Fellow Member France Off the Coast of Libya Is an Early Symptom. globalresearch.ca When two countries who are supposed to be military allies fall out and almost get themselves into a shooting match, you know there's going to be trouble ahead. The problem for NATO is, this time, it may prove terminal. | For …

WSWS (2020-07-20). Workers disproportionately affected by coronavirus pandemic in Germany. wsws.org The disease particularly affects workers who do not have the opportunity to remain at home and maintain social distancing.

Dean Baker (2020-07-20). Debt Worries: The NYT's Oped Page Has Not Heard of a Country Called "Japan" cepr.net Ruchir Sharma had a New York Times column today telling readers that Germany will likely emerge from the pandemic as the world's leading economic power. Part of his story is based on Germany's robust pandemic stimulus package, which he puts at 47 percent of GDP. (This is somewhat misleading since it includes the nominal value …

WSWS (2020-07-20). Tà∂nnies meat-processing plant in Germany restarted despite ongoing danger from COVID-19. wsws.org At the Tà∂nnies plant in Rheda-Wiedenbràºck, and the district of Gàºtersloh where it is located, 244 people are still registered as sick due to the coronavirus.

Chris Jones (2020-07-20). Médecins Sans Frontières: A Moment of Reckoning? Report from Greece's Samos Island. globalresearch.ca My opinions about MSF are largely based on seeing them in action on Samos. Like many on the island we had a positive attitude given what we knew of their work war zones. Overall after 5 years of their (intermittent) …

Raul Diego (2020-07-20). Mike Pompeo Delineates Atlanticist Playbook To Target China, Russia and Iran. mintpressnews.com Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held a teleconference call at the Economic Club of New York, where he spoke to the choir about the next phase of American foreign policy.

Tom Coburg (2020-07-20). These claims about Johnson and his cronies must not be excluded from the ISC's 'Russia report'. thecanary.co The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) report on Russia was

_____ (2020-07-20). Why Our Analyses On Powell And Iraq Matter Today. popularresistance.org We are still living with the consequences of the Iraq War brought on, in part, by the testimony of Colin Powell before the UN. Iraq is still an unstable country. Extremist groups such as the Islamic State arose because of Iraq's instability. The invasion of Iraq is now universally seen in the U.S. as the nations' worst foreign policy blunder perhaps in history. To prevent another such crime of aggression, this needs to be repeatedly stated. | As Ray McGovern pointed out in his piece, the politicization of intelligence in the lead-up to the Iraq invasion manifested itself again in the Russiagate affair, when DNI J…

yenisafak (2020-07-20). EU deal on recovery is possible and a necessity, says French FinMin. yenisafak.com French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Monday an agreement on a recovery plan at the European Council meeting in Brussels was possible and a necessity.Le Maire also told French BFM TV that the future of Europe in the 21st century was at stake."An agreement is possible. An agreement is a necessity", Le Maire said.EU leaders stood at an impasse on Monday after three days of haggling over a plan to revive economies throttled by the COVID-19 pandemic.

yenisafak (2020-07-20). Russia says military drill not against other countries. yenisafak.com Russia's surprise combat readiness check is not directed against other countries, the country's Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said on Monday.It is also not linked to the escalation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, Fomin said at a meeting with the foreign military attaches in Moscow.Last Friday, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu announced a surprise combat readiness check in the country's armed forces, involving the troops of the southern and western military districts, separate formations of the central group, Airborne and Marines of the Northern and Pacific fleets.During the drill, the army tra…

yenisafak (2020-07-20). Air France pilots in draft deal on low-cost domestic flights. yenisafak.com A draft deal is "on the table" but has yet to be signed subject to approval by members, a spokeswoman for Air France's main SNPL pilots' union said, confirming a report by French daily La Tribune. Air France declined to comment.The Franco-Dutch group aims to cut some 7,580 jobs by the end of next year as airlines struggle to weather the COVID-19 pandemic and a resulting slump in global travel.Chief Executive Ben Smith is accelerating cost-cutting measures including the transfer of French domestic services from Air France and its HOP! unit to Transavia. The move requires changes to union agreements that currently…

yenisafak (2020-07-20). Card payments in Turkey soar in Jan-June amid coronavirus. yenisafak.com Payments via debit and credit cards in Turkey surged 10% year-on-year in the first half of this year amid concerns surrounding the novel coronavirus, according to the country's Interbank Card Center (BKM) on Monday."While payment behavior continues to change with the pandemic period, a total of 500 billion Turkish liras [$77 billion] payment was done via cards in January-June," the BKM said in a statement.The number of card payments rose the most in the consumer electronics and markets-food sectors with 43% and 33%, respectively, compared to the same period last year.This was followed by public payments, such as…

yenisafak (2020-07-20). Turkey's Borsa Istanbul up 0.42% at close. yenisafak.com Turkey's benchmark stock index rose 0.42% to 119,280.87 points at the close on Monday.After starting the week at 118,844.45 points, Borsa Istanbul's BIST 100 index gained 494.78 points from Friday's close of 118,786.09 points.During the day, the index hovered between 118,582.78 and 119,747.30 points.The total market value of the BIST 100 was 873 billion Turkish liras ($127 billion) by market close, with a daily trading volume of 19.1 billion Turkish liras ($2.8 billion).Exchange Rates Friday Monday | USD/TRY 6.8680 6.8560 | EUR/TRY 7.8490 | 7.8280 | GBP/TRY 8.6510 | 8.6880…

yenisafak (2020-07-20). Another body recovered from lake in eastern Turkey. yenisafak.com The death toll from a boat disaster in a lake in eastern Turkey has risen to 60 as another body was recovered on Monday.The boat carrying dozens of irregular migrants sank in Lake Van, Turkey's largest lake, on June 27.Rescue efforts at the site continue.Five suspects have been remanded in custody over the incident thus far.Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, the number of irregular migrants arriving in Turkey has declined.However, more than 21,000 migrants have reached Van so far this year, according to Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu.Of them, 16,000 were denied entry but 4,500 managed to enter illega…

yenisafak (2020-07-20). I woke up to world with no smell, says COVID-19 patient. yenisafak.com A Turkish doctor, who has recovered from the novel coronavirus, said he woke up to a world with no smell one day, recalling his days of fighting the disease caused by the virus."I woke up one morning and said, 'The world has no smell'. It has been around two months since I recovered from the infection, however, almost all details of the world still have no smell for me," Ugur Duman, a doctor at Bursa Yuksek Ihtisas Training and Research Hospital in northwestern Turkey, told Anadolu Agency.Duman, 44, said there is just small recovery in his sense of smell which is not up to the desired level.He said that the sympt…

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-20). Chehrabad salt mine historical relics to be shown in Germany. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 20 (MNA) — Zanjan province's tourism chief Amir Arjmand said on Monday that 200 relics discovered in Chehrabad salt mine are to be showcased in an exhibition in Germany.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-20). Iran, Russian FMs to meet in Moscow on Tuesday: spox. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 20 (MNA) — A spokesperson with the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov will hold talks in Moscow on Tuesday.

The Canary (2020-07-20). TikTok denies claims that user data could be accessed by China. thecanary.co TikTok has insisted that China's Communist Party does not have access to the personal information of its users. | US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has previously claimed that people should only use the social media app if they are happy for their data to be accessed by the Chinese state. | Asked about such claims, TikTok's head of public policy for Europe, Theo Bertram, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the allegation is "completely false". | "TikTok is not available in China. TikTok data is stored in the US," he said. | "TikTok is a company incorporated in the US. | "There is zero truth to the accusations…