2021-07-02: News Headlines

The Lancet (2021-07-03). [Editorial] Germany's election: transformation versus more of the same. thelancet.com Angela Merkel's 16-year reign as German chancellor will come to an end this year. This fact is the only certain outcome, among various possible party coalition options, when Germans vote in federal elections on Sept 26. 2021 is a particularly poignant and important year for an election in Germany, with a mixed picture of success in the COVID-19 pandemic, an unfinished history of migration, strong population feelings on climate change and sustainability, and continuing discussion on the role of the EU.

Anonymous669 (2021-07-02). Central Syria: Chief Of ISIS Oil Smuggling Operations Killed In Recent Russian Airstrikes. southfront.org File image. | The chief of ISIS oil smuggling operations has been reportedly killed in a Russian airstrike that hit his hideout in Syria's central region. | Iraqi sources affiliated with the group mourned the terrorist leader who is commonly known as "Sami al-Ajouz" on July 1. It remains unclear if al-Ajouz was killed on the very same day or in an earlier date. | Al-Ajouz was reportedly responsible for ISIS oil smuggling operations in both Iraq and Syria. The terrorists leader is originally…

Anonymous007 (2021-07-02). Russia's Black Sea Fleet Carries Out Live Fire Drills, Tests Crimea Defenses Alongside NATO's Sea Breeze Exercise. southfront.org On July 1st, Russian warships carried out a live fire training exercise in the Black Sea, as Ukraine and NATO…

Staff (2021-07-02). Fighting rages near New York as government forces battle breakaway militia… but US thanks Ukraine for naming town in its honor. rt.com With its decaying industrial landscape and ever-present risk of violence, New York isn't a place many people would choose to live. But this is Eastern Europe, not the Upper East Side, in a newly renamed town on the front line. | On Thursday, Ukrainian MPs voted through proposals to rename the Donbass region village of Novogorodskoye in honor of the East Coast American metropolis. It is located just seven kilometers from the fractious frontier where Kiev's forces are facing off against troops loyal to the self-proclaimed breakaway Donetsk People's Republic. Shelling, drone strikes, and gunfire have been escalat…

Staff (2021-07-02). Fighting rages near New York as government forces battle breakaway militia… but US thanks Ukraine for naming town in its honor. rt.com With its decaying industrial landscape and ever-present risk of violence, New York isn't a place many people would choose to live. But this is Eastern Europe, not the Upper East Side, in a newly renamed town on the front line. | On Thursday, Ukrainian MPs voted through proposals to rename the Donbass region village of Novogorodskoye in honor of the East Coast American metropolis. It is located just seven kilometers from the fractious frontier where Kiev's forces are facing off against troops loyal to the self-proclaimed breakaway Donetsk People's Republic. Shelling, drone strikes, and gunfire have been escalat…

Staff (2021-07-02). 'Clothing police': Leftist Melenchon denounces Macron for opposing crop tops in French schools, likens him to 'Iranian Ayatollahs'. rt.com The leader of a French leftist party has compared President Emmanuel Macron to Iranian ayatollahs or the "clothing police," after Macron disapproved of teenagers wearing crop tops in school. | In an interview with Elle magazine, Macron was asked what he thinks about teenagers sporting the midriff-revealing crop tops outside of or in schools. "I'm all for freedom," the president replied. "But freedom is only valid when there are rules for living in a community." | At home or with friends, it's one thing. At school, I'm a more of a 'proper attire required' kind of person, for both girls and boys. | "I'm not an a…

Staff (2021-07-02). 'No state cover-up': French government refuses to apologize over Pacific nuclear test radiation levels. rt.com France's junior defense minister Genevieve Darrieussecq has denied her country engaged in a "state cover-up" to conceal the extent of the impact of nuclear tests conducted by the country in the Pacific between 1966 and 1996. | Speaking following the conclusion of a two-day roundtable meeting, Darrieussecq declared that "there was no state cover-up," rejecting allegations France sought to conceal the extent of the fallout from the nuclear tests, and ruling out any official apology. | The event had been arranged by France's President Emmanuel Macron to confront the legacy of the 193 nuclear tests at Moruroa and…

_____ (2021-07-02). Media Blackout After Key Witness Against Assange Admits Lying. popularresistance.org "not one major western media outlet outside of Iceland has reported on this massive and entirely legitimate news story. A search brings up coverage by Icelandic media, by Russian media, and by smaller western outlets like Democracy Now, World Socialist Website, Consortium News, Zero Hedge and some others, but as of this writing this story has been completely ignored by all major outlets who are ostensibly responsible for informing the public in the western world."

Rick Rozoff (2021-07-02). Belarus seals off border with Ukraine as president warns of repeat of 1941. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Belarus seals off border with Ukraine as president warns of repeat of 1941 The government of Belarus announced today that it is completely closing its border with Ukraine, which for months have been targeting Belarus with accusations of plotting military aggression against it. Ukraine has a population of almost 45 million and a military trained …

Matthew Stevenson (2021-07-02). Letters From Minsk: The Last Dictator. counterpunch.org This is the last in a series about train and bicycle rides from Switzerland to Belarus, in those carefree days before pandemic lockdowns. One day in Minsk, I headed out after a leisurely breakfast—the Hotel Garni had a full buffet and very few guests—and rode to the Museum of Modern Belarusian Statehood in Minsk, which

Eric A. Gordon (2021-07-02). Fiddler on the sidewalks of New York: What became of Tevye. peoplesworld.org BEVERLY HILLS—The last we saw renowned Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem's touching character Tevye the Milkman, he was exiting the stage escaping an anti-Semitic pogrom in Russia headed for parts unknown. People like him wound up in France, England, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, Australia. Many found themselves in New York and other American cities …

Anonymous007 (2021-07-02). Russia To Begin Exporting Orion Attack UAVs In 2022. southfront.org Click to see full-size image | Russia will start selling serially-produced attack unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to foreign buyers starting from 2022, sources in the military-industrial complex and the administration of the Moscow region told RIA Novosti. | This is so that production at Russia's first plant for drone production can start operating fully, under the management of the Kronsdadt group of companies. | As previously reported, Russia has begun promoting Orion drones in a strike version on the international arms…

Anonymous669 (2021-07-02). Syrian Authorities, Turkish-Backed Militants Swap Prisoners Under Russian-Brokered Deal (Video, Photos). southfront.org Click to see full-size image. Source: RT. | On July 2, Syrian authorities and Turkish-backed militants swapped prisoners as a part of a deal that was brokered by the Ministry of Defense of Russia and backed by Turkey. | The prisoners swap took place on the Abu al-Zandin crossing which links Turkish-occupied areas in northern Aleppo with areas held by Syrian government forces. The United Nations and the Red Crescent oversaw the deal. | Turkish-backed militants released five soldiers and officers of the Syri…

Staff (2021-07-02). 'Clothing police': Leftist Melenchon denounces Macron for opposing crop tops in French schools, likens him to 'Iranian Ayatollahs'. rt.com The leader of a French leftist party has compared President Emmanuel Macron to Iranian ayatollahs or the "clothing police," after Macron disapproved of teenagers wearing crop tops in school. | In an interview with Elle magazine, Macron was asked what he thinks about teenagers sporting the midriff-revealing crop tops outside of or in schools. "I'm all for freedom," the president replied. "But freedom is only valid when there are rules for living in a community." | At home or with friends, it's one thing. At school, I'm a more of a 'proper attire required' kind of person, for both girls and boys. | "I'm not an a…

Staff (2021-07-02). 'No state cover-up': French government refuses to apologize over Pacific nuclear test radiation levels. rt.com France's junior defense minister Genevieve Darrieussecq has denied her country engaged in a "state cover-up" to conceal the extent of the impact of nuclear tests conducted by the country in the Pacific between 1966 and 1996. | Speaking following the conclusion of a two-day roundtable meeting, Darrieussecq declared that "there was no state cover-up," rejecting allegations France sought to conceal the extent of the fallout from the nuclear tests, and ruling out any official apology. | The event had been arranged by France's President Emmanuel Macron to confront the legacy of the 193 nuclear tests at Moruroa and…

Staff (2021-07-02). US asks Afghanistan's neighbors to shelter its ex-employees who fear Taliban retaliation after troop pullout – media. rt.com Thousands of Afghan citizens eligible for US visas after working for the US government may soon move to a different Central Asian country, where they will presumably be safe from retaliation while their applications are processed. | Afghanistan's neighbors Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as Kazakhstan, may shelter as many as 9,000 Afghans qualified for the so-called Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. It is

Staff (2021-07-02). US asks Afghanistan's neighbors to shelter its ex-employees who fear Taliban retaliation after troop pullout – media. rt.com Thousands of Afghan citizens eligible for US visas after working for the US government may soon move to a different Central Asian country, where they will presumably be safe from retaliation while their applications are processed. | Afghanistan's neighbors Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as Kazakhstan, may shelter as many as 9,000 Afghans qualified for the so-called Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. It is

Staff (2021-07-02). Cyberhack dispute: Russian diplomats say Moscow not behind attacks on US targets, but is itself constantly bombarded by Americans. rt.com One day after the US accused Moscow of being behind cyberattacks on both government bodies and private business, the Russian Embassy in Washington has pointed the finger at the Americans, accusing them of hacking Russian targets. | "We strictly deny the involvement of Russian government agencies in attacks 'on government and private facilities in…

Staff (2021-07-02). Cyberhack dispute: Russian diplomats say Moscow not behind attacks on US targets, but is itself constantly bombarded by Americans. rt.com One day after the US accused Moscow of being behind cyberattacks on both government bodies and private business, the Russian Embassy in Washington has pointed the finger at the Americans, accusing them of hacking Russian targets. | "We strictly deny the involvement of Russian government agencies in attacks 'on government and private facilities in…

Staff (2021-07-02). As Russia breaks Covid-19 death record for fourth day, poll reports economic concerns mean most oppose new lockdown as solution. rt.com Almost 80% of Russians surveyed are against the introduction of a new lockdown to fight against the country's increasing number of Covid-19 cases, a survey has revealed, with over a half saying it would endanger the economy. | According to the research, conducted by Otkritie Bank, 51% of respondents are against a repeat of the kind of punitive measures seen in 2020 because of the negative consequences for the economy. This is despite rising infection figures. | A further 28% believe there is no epidemiological reason for a lockdown. | The results were reported by news agency RIA Novosti. | New restrictions are…

Staff (2021-07-02). Russian court takes bankrupt man's only home to pay off debt for first time in history; he is given small flat as replacement. rt.com For the first time in the history of Russia, a court has ruled that a citizen who declared bankruptcy should have his only housing seized and auctioned in order to pay back a debt. The unprecedented decision was upheld on appeal.

Staff (2021-07-02). As Russia breaks Covid-19 death record for fourth day, poll reports economic concerns mean most oppose new lockdown as solution. rt.com Almost 80% of Russians surveyed are against the introduction of a new lockdown to fight against the country's increasing number of Covid-19 cases, a survey has revealed, with over a half saying it would endanger the economy. | According to the research, conducted by Otkritie Bank, 51% of respondents are against a repeat of the kind of punitive measures seen in 2020 because of the negative consequences for the economy. This is despite rising infection figures. | A further 28% believe there is no epidemiological reason for a lockdown. | The results were reported by news agency RIA Novosti. | New restrictions are…

Staff (2021-07-02). Russian court takes bankrupt man's only home to pay off debt for first time in history; he is given small flat as replacement. rt.com For the first time in the history of Russia, a court has ruled that a citizen who declared bankruptcy should have his only housing seized and auctioned in order to pay back a debt. The unprecedented decision was upheld on appeal.

WSWS (2021-07-02). World Health Organization warns of new pandemic wave as cases surge in Europe and US. wsws.org The number of daily new cases of COVID-19 has surged over the past week in the United States, as the government eliminates all remaining restrictions on the spread of the disease even as the dangerous Delta variant becomes prevalent.

Rishika Pardikar (2021-07-02). U.S. and U.K. Green New Deals Skirt Around Systemic Transformation. towardfreedom.org Record-breaking heat waves and economic hits as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic have prompted governments in the United States and the United Kingdom to consider enacting a Green New Deal (GND). But will they curb emissions while upholding the principles of social justice and equity?

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2021-07-02). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Summer travel and people not in your bubble during COVID-19 pandemic. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org "The reason we have the COVID-19 delta variant, the reason we have the delta plus variant is because of unimmunized people who get infected," says Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. He adds that 99.2% of the recorded COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are in people not vaccinated against the virus. This is why he cautions folks who may be traveling this Fourth of July holiday and…

Rick Rozoff (2021-07-02). U.S. Army in Armenia. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com U.S. Army construction projects in Armenia improving local emergency response and firefighting capabilities The humanitarian assistance construction is being managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District and funded through the United States European Command, or EUCOM. The work is being done in close coordination with the U.S. Embassy in the Armenian capital …

WSWS (2021-07-02). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org Mass protests in Sudan's capital Khartoum against inflation and the removal of fuel subsidies after IMF loan struck; workers in Nigeria still fighting for minimum wage agreed in 2019; warning strikes in retail and mail order sectors in Germany over pay; childcare sector workers' stoppages in Holland and Belgium over workload and contracts; railworkers' strikes continue in Portugal over pay and staffing levels~…

_____ (2021-07-02). The New Green-Red Zagreb. popularresistance.org In May's local elections, Croatia's green-left platform won the capital's assembly and its mayoralty. The new government has big plans for a clean, democratic city — but the challenges of building it under assault from the right remain.

Dean Baker (2021-07-02). Trains and Population Density: U.S. and Europe. cepr.net There are lots of silly comments that pass for great wisdom in elite circles. Steve Rattner gave us one of my favorites in his NYT column warning President Biden against putting too much money into reviving our system of train travel. Rattner tells us: "America is not Europe, with its dense population centers clustered reasonably …

WSWS (2021-07-02). Chancellor candidates Laschet, Baerbock and Scholz advocate massive military build-up. wsws.org The candidates from the Christian Democrats, Greens and Social Democrats competed to present themselves as the best militarist who would increase arms spending and make Germany ready for war.

Rick Rozoff (2021-07-02). Poland: Warsaw Pact bad, NATO good. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com The Soviet Union was involved in Afghanistan from 1979-1989. No Warsaw Pact troops, Polish or others, were sent there. Poland joined NATO in 1999 supposedly to protect it from post-Soviet Russia. Instead, at NATO's behest it sent its sons and daughter to kill and die in Afghanistan and Iraq. Ceremony marks official end of Polish …

_____ (2021-07-02). Atlantic Stormwind In The Black Sea. popularresistance.org The large aeronaval maneuver Sea Breeze, officially "co-hosted by the United States and Ukraine" in the Black Sea, began on June 28, 2021. The United States planned and commanded it, US is, therefore, the host in this sea close to Russian territory. | Sea Breeze is taking place from June 28 to July 10. The maneuver is led by the US / African Naval Forces with headquarters in Naples and includes the Sixth Fleet. It includes naval, submarine, amphibious, land, and air warfare exercises. | Since this series of annual maneuvers in the Black Sea began in 1997, the 2021 edition sees the largest number of participants:…

Rick Rozoff (2021-07-02). Ukrainian foreign minister: NATO would defeat Russia in Black Sea war. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Ukrainian foreign minister: NATO would defeat Russia in Black Sea war Today's Ukrainian press cites the nation's foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, confidently voicing a number of assertions regarding the Black Sea — as the U.S.-led, 32-nation Sea Breeze war games are occurring there — not all (or many) of his comments consistent with each other. …

sputniknews (2021-07-02). Russia Working on Updated Concept for Security in the Persian Gulf, Lavrov Says. sputniknews.com Russia first unveiled a 'Security Concept for the Persian Gulf Region' in mid-2019, in the aftermath of a series of dangerous and destabilizing incidents including tanker seizures, sabotage attacks, and the shoot down of a $200 million US spy drone over Iranian airspace – which nearly prompted Washington to launch strikes into Iran.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-07-02). Protests surge in Serbia over amendments to law on civil procedure. peoplesdispatch.org Provisions in the Draft on Amendments to the Law on Civil Procedure in Serbia are likely to affect ordinary citizens' right to access courts as well as hamper activists' and independent media's right to respond to lawsuits…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-07-02). Women protest Turkey's withdrawal from Istanbul convention. peoplesdispatch.org The conservative government in Turkey led by AKP officially withdrew from the convention which demands signatories make legal and institutional arrangements for protecting women and achieving gender equality…

John Laforge (2021-07-02). Uproar Over Japan's Decision to Disperse Radioactive Fukushima Waste Water. counterpunch.org Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's Cabinet on April 13 "gave permission" to Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) to release over 1.25 million metric tons (1.38 million US tons) of Fukushima's radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean. Harsh rejection of the decision was immediate and widespread, coming from Russia, China, North and South Korea, the Philippines,

Leo Ensel, Roberto J DeLapuente (2021-07-02). The media's response to Putin's conciliatory essay. indybay.org On the exact 80th anniversary of the German invasion of the Soviet Union, which cost that country nearly 27 million lives, the Russian president himself published an essay in the former flagship of détente whose title already signaled a willingness to reconcile: "Be open, despite the past."

WSWS (2021-07-02). Putin reveals US involvement in provocations by British warship in Black Sea. wsws.org The Russian president denied that the incident could have led to a world war, stating, "No, I do not think so."

Paul Stubbs (2021-07-02). The New Green-Red Zagreb. zcomm.org In May's local elections, Croatia's green-left platform won the capital's assembly and its mayoralty…

Anonymous669 (2021-07-01). 50 Syrian Air Force Cadets Completed Training With Russian Instructors (Videos). southfront.org Screen grab from the Russian MoD video. | On July 1, 50 cadets of Syria's Kuweires Military Aviation Institute, which reopened in 2018 after remaining closed for years due to the war, completed training with help from Russian instructors. | The Ministry of Defense of Russia and TV Zvezda shared footage of Syria's new pilots flying on L-39 Albatros high-performance fighter jet trainers. The Syrian Arab Air Force (SyAAF) has been using this type of warplanes in close air support and ground attack missions since 2012. | R…

Anonymous669 (2021-07-01). Russian Airstrikes Killed Or Wounded Over 50 Terrorists In Central Syria In June: Monitoring Group. southfront.org 2712070 10/04/2015 Russian servicemen attach a Kh-25 high-precision missile to a Su-24 aircraft at the Khmeimim airbase in Syria. Dmitriy Vinogradov/RIA Novosti | At least 23 ISIS terrorists were killed and 31 others were wounded in Syria's central region in June as a result of Russian airstrikes, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on June 30. | According to the London-based monitoring group, Russian warplanes carried out more than 1,350 airstrikes on the terrorist group's cells in the…

Anonymous007 (2021-07-01). Putin Says Russia Could Easily Sink HMS Defender With Little Consequence, Blames U.S. As Orchestrator. southfront.org Click to see full-size image | On June 30th, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a "Direct Line", answering journalist questions. | It lasted 3 hours and 42 minutes. | The head of state answered 68 questions. The main topics of conversation were vaccinations, price increases, and social benefits, but also mentioned NATO, the UK's HMS Defender and more. | Regarding NATO and the UK, Putin said that Russia could have sunk the HMS Defender, no questions asked, because it illegally entered its territorial waters witho…

Anonymous007 (2021-07-01). Military Situation In CAR On July 1, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org Click to see full-size image | On June 30, the UPC rebels attacked Alindao town and killed 7 people in the area | On June 30, the UN peacekeeping mission sent nearly 60 Nepalese peacekeepers to the Alindao town | On June 30, Central African authorities rejected a UN report denouncing "violations of international humanitarian law" by Central African military and Russian instructors supporting them against rebels trying to overthrow President Faustin Archange Touadéra | 600 more Russian…

Anonymous007 (2021-07-01). Military Situation In Syria On July 1, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org Click to see full-size image | On July 1, Russian Army launched a naval drill on the Syrian coast, including exercises on the search for enemy submarines and repelling air attacks | On June 30, the Syrian and Jordanian sides reached an agreement that would solve the crisis of Syrian refrigerators stuck at Nassib border crossing | On June 30, clashes between SDF and Turkish-backed forces were reported near Ain Issa | On June 30, SAA artillery shelled positions of Turkish-backed forces in Kafr Nuran vi…

Staff (2021-07-01). "Abolition Amendment" Could End Loophole That Allows Forced Labor in Prisons. truthout.org After President Biden signed legislation this month to create a federal holiday commemorating June 19 as Juneteenth, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley and Georgia Congressmember Nikema Williams reintroduced what is being called the "Abolition Amendment" to amend the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which banned slavery and involuntary servitude "except as a punishment for crime" — a clause that has allowed the widespread use of forced prison labor. "Eliminating the loophole … is one way…

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-07-01). CSTO Warned of NATO's Final Assault on Former Soviet Nations. libya360.wordpress.com Rick Rozoff Vladimir Andreichenko. the chairman of the House of Representatives in the parliament of Belarus, greeted a meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, yesterday and on the occasion issued a solemn warning about Western threats to nations of the former Soviet Union. He spoke to the…

Rick Rozoff (2021-07-01). CSTO warned of NATO's final assault on former Soviet nations. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com CSTO warned of NATO's final assault on former Soviet nations Vladimir Andreichenko. the chairman of the House of Representatives in the parliament of Belarus, greeted a meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, yesterday and on the occasion issued a solemn warning about Western threats to nations of …

Joris Leverink (2021-07-01). Rituals of submission: Amazon's creation of the neoliberal worker. roarmag.org Workers at an Amazon fulfillment center in Vélizy, France — September 23, 2019. Frederic Legrand — COMEO / Shutterstock.com | It is around 3 p.m. in a brightly lit Glasgow Amazon warehouse. We are walking around fulfilling our duties, when the managers summon us to the common room where we immediately observe the festive atmosphere and the burgers, fries and drinks. We had been expecting the usual monthly meeting where our superiors jubilantly inform us of our successes and amicably warn us of our infractions, but this seems a lot better. | We are told to relax and to set our handheld device which monit…

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