Daily Archives: June 7, 2020

2020-06-07: News Headlines

Keith Lamb (2020-06-07). George Floyd Is the Spark but Systemic Issues Are the Fuel. globalresearch.ca As a European growing up in the Cold War with the image of America as the land of liberty and freedom the scenes of carnage that we see today are truly saddening. Superficially this is a problem of racial discrimination …

The Lancet (2020-06-06). [Editorial] Salient lessons from Russia's COVID-19 outbreak. thelancet.com Alexander Myasnikov, Russia's COVID-19 information chief, said in mid-April that it would be "impossible" for Russians to get the virus, estimating the probability of extensive spread in Russia at "0 ∑0%". This hubris has been sorely exposed. As of June 2, Russia has 423‚Äà186 cases, the third most in the world, while relatively few deaths from COVID-19 (5031) have been recorded. The rapid spread of the epidemic in Russia has highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of the health system, and presents the traditionally strong Russian leadership with a new challenge.

Abdel Bari Atwan (2020-06-06). Turkish-Russian trade-off in Libya? thealtworld.com Moscow seems to have concluded that Haftar can't win, and opted to cut its losses | The success of forces aligned with Libya's UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) in taking full control of Tripoli, ending Gen. Khalifa Haftar's year-long siege of the capital, and going on to capture the town of Tarhouna, is a major triumph for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It was his decision to give his full military backing to the GNA that turned the tables both in the air and on the ground: crucially the squadrons of Bayrakdar drones he deployed, and the thousands of battle-hardened Islamist fighters he…

WSWS (2020-06-06). Over 20,000 tons of diesel spilled in Russian arctic river. wsws.org The catastrophe on the Ambarnaya underlies the dangers bound up with the "new scramble for the Arctic" by the major powers and corporations.

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-06-05). Two U.S. Senators Determined to Stop Nord Stream 2 by Imposing Extra Sanctions. globalresearch.ca The Nord Stream 2 project involves the construction of two gas pipelines with a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea. The gas pipeline will run through the …

Ramzy Baroud (2020-06-05). 'Wolf Warrior Diplomacy': Israel's China Strategy in Peril. counterpunch.org Israel's balancing act that allowed it to reap America's unconditional and, often, blind support, while slowly benefiting from China's growing economic influence and political prestige, is already floundering. Thanks to the heated cold war between the US and Chinese economic superpowers, the Israeli strategy of playing both sides is unlikely to pay dividends in the

Kester Kenn Klomegah (2020-06-05). Russia's Invitation to G7 Summit Sparks Debate. globalresearch.ca The rescheduling of the Group of Seven (G7) summit from late June to September and Russia's invitation to participate alongside Australia, India and South Korea has sparked discussions among both Russian officials and experts. | The Kremlin reported that Russian President …

Beyond Nuclear (2020-06-05). Beyond Nuclear Files Federal Lawsuit Challenging High-Level Radioactive Waste Dump for Entire Inventory of US "Spent" Reactor Fuel. globalresearch.ca Today the non-profit organization

Andrey Areshev (2020-06-05). 'Great Power Competition' Is a Cheap Slogan Justifying Cold War. strategic-culture.org The fact is, we cannot afford a confrontation with China, no matter how it is packaged. | Daniel LARISON | The hawks that speak loudest about the importance of great power competition don't have the first clue what the U.S. needs to do to remain competitive against other major powers. This has become impossible to miss in the growing push for pursuing a confrontational China policy. | "Great power competition" has become the slogan that hawks now use to justify never-ending increases to the military budget without paying any attention to the importance of developing the social, intellectual, and economic resource…

RT (2020-06-06). 'Total disgrace!' Trump roasts MSNBC after former FBI attorney Lisa Page hired as legal analyst. rt.com Lisa Page, the FBI lawyer whose leaked anti-Trump text messages with another federal agent indicated deep-seated bias in the Russiagate probe, has been hired as an analyst at MSNBC, drawing jeers and praise alike. | t.co/3QdaYCaiZS— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)

RT (2020-06-06). Russia's request for return of seized diplomatic properties to protect staff against Covid-19 ignored by US — Moscow. rt.com "When the New York State governor declared the state of emergency due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we asked to return said property so our personnel could use it to lower the risks stemming from to the spread of the coronavirus," Russia's deputy envoy to the UN, Gennady Kuzmin, said. | Kuzmin noted that Moscow had hoped that "humanitarian reasons… would trump political motives," but the US ignored the request. | The US seized control over three Russian diplomatic posts in New York, DC, and San Francisco in 2017, after ordering Moscow to vacate the buildings. Moscow slammed the move as hostile and illegal under…

RT (2020-06-05). Oxygen treatment: Russian doctors experimenting with PRESSURE CHAMBERS to defeat Covid-19. rt.com As the world researches vaccines and cures, it is no secret that defeating Covid-19 is everyone's top priority. In Moscow, some scientists are using a completely different, experimental technique: hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). | The procedure works by placing a patient in a pressure chamber and having them breathe in oxygen-rich air. In the chamber, air pressure is much higher than the body is used to, meaning the lungs can breathe in much more pure oxygen, speeding up natural healing processes. | "The procedure aims to avoid transferring the patient to an artificial lung ventilation apparatus," said Serge…

RT (2020-06-05). Arctic oil spill: Russian watchdog 'revealed violations' in Norilsk thermal power plant's operations in 2017. rt.com Russia's Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service (Rostechnadzor) revealed violations in the operation of tanks at the combined heat and power plant CHPP-3 in Norilsk, in Russia's Krasnoyarsk Region, in 2017, according to the SPARK database. During inspections in the fall of 2017, Rostechnadzor found irregularities in the operation of two tanks for fuel storage at the thermal power plant that belongs to the Norilsk-Taimyr Energy Company (NTEC), which is part of the Nornickel group. | The watchdog also said the company had failed to conduct repair work which had been planned earlier at…

RT (2020-06-05). 'It's Ruptly, I'm not tweeting it': Yahoo WH correspondent ridiculed for not sharing LIVESTREAM from protest because it's RUSSIAN. rt.com A Yahoo journalist refused to share a livestream from a Washington protest with his followers simply because it was from RT's Ruptly video agency. When ridiculed over it, he implied that the criticism was paid for with rubles. | Hunter Walker, Yahoo's White House correspondent, was looking for live coverage from the Washington protests on Thursday, so he asked his followers if there was a livestream. One was quickly suggested, but the journalist found it problematic. | t.co/yyq9PLHVVK— Kyuss Jones (@Kyuss_Jones) RT (2020-06-05). Moscow slams Prague for 'fabricated provocation' as false 'ricin poisoning plot' leads to Russian diplomats' expulsion. rt.com The Czech government has expelled two Russian diplomats for allegedly tricking the country's special services with a fake poisoning plot. The Russian embassy branded the accusations as a "provocation." | The decision to expel the Russian diplomats in Prague was announced by Prime Minister Andrej Babis and Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek at a joint media conference on Friday. | The prime minister said the high-profile media scandal over an alleged Kremlin plot to kill the mayor of Prague and two municipal officials with ricin poison was actually a ruse. The tip-off about the planned assassination came from a Ru…

RT (2020-06-05). 'Dishonorable and unworthy' move: Moscow vows 'adequate response' to diplomats' expulsion from Czech Republic over 'poison plot'. rt.com The expulsion of two Russian diplomats over the imaginary Prague poisoning plot is a very hostile move, Russia's Foreign Ministry has said, warning the scandal is set to affect relations between the two countries. | "The Czech side has acted dishonorably and unworthily, taking this unfriendly step. Without any reason, the Czech authorities caused serious damage to Russian-Czech relations," the ministry said in a statement. | The actions of Prague will receive not only an adequate response, but will be also taken into account during formation of Russian policies towards the Czech Republic. | After weeks of unfo…

RT (2020-06-05). Just 20% of coronavirus cases responsible for 80% of transmissions according to explosive new research. rt.com The latest research into so-called "superspreader events" could inform public policy across the world, to help fight the widely feared "second wave" of coronavirus infections, but without the need for strict lockdowns. | A "superspreader" is an infected person who transmits a virus to a large number of people. A growing body of evidence has found that superspreaders account for the vast majority of coronavirus transmissions. | In the latest

en.mehrnews (2020-06-05). Russia backs Iran's peaceful satellite launch. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 05 (MNA) — Russia has defended Iran's right to launch a satellite, dismissing US claims that Tehran was defying the UN resolution endorsing the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers by sending it into space.

sputniknews (2020-06-06). US Media Calls Russia's Mysterious Khabarovsk-Class Sub Potential 'Defining Submarine of 2020'. sputniknews.com In addition to being a major component of Russia's overall naval doctrine, submarines are of crucial importance to the country's nuclear triad, with their silent operations lurking under the Arctic Ocean, the Atlantic and Pacific guaranteeing a strategic response in the event of an enemy first strike.

sputniknews (2020-06-05). 'The Pandemic Will Not Change UK or US Narrative When it Comes to Global Competition' – Analyst. sputniknews.com Government Communications Headquarters Director Jeremy Fleming said earlier this week that the NHS is being targeted by cyberattacks from Russia, China and Iran, which are aimed at getting access to sensitive data such as vaccine research in the UK.

sputniknews (2020-06-05). Russian Embassy: Prague's Expulsion of Diplomats Shows it's Unwilling to Normalise Ties With Moscow. sputniknews.com The Czech government has decided to expel two employees of the Russian embassy from the country, in connection with the story of a Russian diplomat allegedly transporting the poison ricin to the Czech Republic, Prime Minister Andrei Babish said at a news conference on Friday.

yenisafak (2020-06-06). Merkel allies criticise Trump decision to cut US troops in Germany. yenisafak.com Senior lawmakers from German Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling conservative bloc on Saturday criticised President Donald Trump's decision to order the U.S. military to remove 9,500 troops from Germany.The move would reduce U.S. troops numbers in Germany to 25,000, from 34,500."The plans once again show that the Trump administration is neglecting an elementary leadership task: the involvement of alliance partners in decision-making processes," Johann Wadephul, foreign policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, told Reuters.All NATO partners benefited from the cohesion of the alliance, and only Russia an…

yenisafak (2020-06-05). UAE airstrikes kill 2 Libyan Army soldiers. yenisafak.com Two Libyan Army soldiers were killed on Friday in an airstrike by a United Arab Emirates (UAE)-made drone in northwestern Libya, according to an army spokesman.The UAE drone attacked Libyan army units along the Abu Qurayn front in Misrata province, Mustafa al-Majei, a spokesman for the Burkan Al-Ghadab (Volcano of Rage) Operation, told Anadolu Agency.The UAE is one of several countries — along with Egypt and Russia — that have supported the militias of warlord Khalifa Haftar against Libya's government.The attack came after the Libyan Army this week announced the complete liberation of the capital Trip…

yenisafak (2020-06-05). Russia nearing 450,000 coronavirus cases. yenisafak.com The number of COVID-19 cases in Russia approached 450,000 on Friday. As many as 449,834 people are being treated of the virus, including 8,726 confirmed over the last 24 hours, the country's emergency task force said in a daily report.Meanwhile, over the same period, recoveries rose by 8,057 and reached 212,680, it added.So far, the authorities have not been able to overcome a negative trend in mortality, with the virus claiming over 100 lives for 11th day in a row

_____ (2020-06-05). Push Back: US Police State Faces Revolt. popularresistance.org Dr. Gerald Horne on the George Floyd protests, the black freedom struggle, and Trump's expansion of the US police state at home and around the world. | Historian and author Gerald Horne discusses the US uprisings against police brutality and systemic racism sparked by George Floyd's killing; the devastating impact of the US government's decades-old war on the black freedom struggle; the ongoing "Russia-baiting" of the protests; and how, amidst the suffering and repression at home, the U.S. government, in bipartisan fashion, continues to attempt to impose its will on countries abroad, from China to Venezuela. | Gu…