Daily Archives: June 30, 2020

2020-06-30: News Headlines

news.un (2020-06-30). Iran nuclear deal still best way to ensure peace, DiCarlo tells Security Council. news.un.org The UN regrets that the future of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is in doubt, but notwithstanding current challenges, that landmark deal is still the best way to ensure that Iran's nuclear programme proceeds along a peaceful path, the UN's top political official said on Tuesday.

yenisafak (2020-06-30). Pompeo: US told Taliban not to attack Americans. yenisafak.com US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo had a video conference with Taliban Deputy and chief negotiator Mullah Baradar, the State Department said Tuesday.The two men discussed Monday the implementation of the US-Taliban peace agreement, according to a statement by spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus."The Secretary made clear the expectation for the Taliban to live up to their commitments, which include not attacking Americans," said Ortagus, who did not provide information about reports of Russian payments to Taliban militants for targeting American troops in Afghanistan.The New York Times reported late last week that a Russ…

Aaron Maté (2020-06-30). US claim of 'Russian Bounty' plot in Afghanistan is dubious and dangerous. thegrayzone.com Max Blumenthal breaks down the "Russian bounty" story's flaws and how it aims to prolong the war in Afghanistan —…

WSWS Repost (2020-06-30). Another anti-Russian smear from the New York Times. indybay.org Patrick Martin at the World Socialist Web Site describes the New York Time's ongoing aversion to facts. [Illustration shows how a current Google Search simply amplifies the propaganda.]…

Scott Ritter (2020-06-30). New York Times Takes Anti-Russian Hysteria to New Level with Report on Russian 'Bounty' for US Troops in Afghanistan. globalresearch.ca The New York Times published an article claiming that Russia was paying out monetary bounties to the Taliban to kill US troops in Afghanistan. There's just one problem — none of what they reported was true. | As news reporting goes, …

_____ (2020-06-30). The Russia-Afghanistan Story Is Western Propaganda At Its Most Vile. popularresistance.org All western mass media outlets are now shrieking about the story The New York Times first reported, citing zero evidence and naming zero sources, claiming intelligence says Russia paid out bounties to Taliban-linked fighters in Afghanistan for attacking the occupying forces of the US and its allies in Afghanistan. As of this writing, and probably forevermore, there have still been zero intelligence sources named and zero evidence provided for this claim. | As we discussed yesterday, the only correct response to unsubstantiated claims by anonymous spooks in a post-Iraq invasion world is to assume that they are lyi…

sputniknews (2020-06-30). DoD Doesn't Know, But 'Unnamed Sources' Do? Officials Say Trump Knew About Bounty Claims for a Year. sputniknews.com Last Friday's New York Times piece citing anonymous intelligence officials on an alleged Russian plot to offer rewards to Taliban-linked militants to kill US and coalition troops in Afghanistan has been criticized and condemned from all sides, with Moscow, the White House and even the Taliban itself dismissing the newspaper's claims.

sputniknews (2020-06-30). Trump Not Briefed on 'Unverified' Intel Allegations of Russian Collusion With Taliban – O'Brien. sputniknews.com Groundless allegations that Russia offered reward money to Taliban militants for killing American soldiers, published in a recent article in The New York Times, have been denied by Moscow, the White House and the Taliban itself.

Staff (2020-06-30). Trump Is Either Lying or Out of the Loop on Afghanistan. Both Are Bad. truthout.org The corporate media has been straining at its collective leash since the weekend, firing a volley of barks our way about Russian intelligence agents paying the Taliban to kill U.S. soldiers, and my God, did Donald Trump know? The high dudgeon in these reports is unmistakable; one CNN It's a story that has everything, if you l…

South Front (2020-06-30). Video: Russian Private Military Contractors Took Control of Libya's Largest Oil Field. globalresearch.ca Washington is concerned by the growing Russian influence in Libya as Turkish-led forces are preparing to storm the port city of Sirte, controlled by the Libyan National Army. | On June 26, the US embassy in Libya released a statement claiming …

Ian Zabarte (2020-06-30). Nuclear Weapons' Testing in Nevada and the Shoshone People. The Dark Legacy of Radiation Exposure. globalresearch.ca Regarding Gary Martin's June 15 Review-Journal article, "Nuke test rumors spur Nevada lawmakers": As a Shoshone, we always had horses. My grandfather always told me, "Stop kicking up dust." Now I understand that it was because of the radioactive fallout….

yenisafak (2020-06-30). US urges UN to extend Iran arms embargo. yenisafak.com US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged the UN Security Council (UNSC) to extend Tuesday an arms embargo against Iran and warned that ending it would risk stability in the Middle East."Iran will hold a sword of Damocles over the economic stability of the Middle East, endangering nations like Russia and China that rely on stable energy prices," Pompeo told a virtual UNSC session.The ban on arms transactions with Iran is set to expire Oct. 18, under terms of a 2015 nuclear deal.Pompeo said Iran could directly move to buy Russian fighter jets and upgrade its submarine fleet if the embargo expires and Tehran would be…

yenisafak (2020-06-30). France's oldest nuclear power plant shuts down. yenisafak.com France's oldest power plant Fessenheim went offline at midnight on Monday after 40 years of operation, the state-owned energy company EDF announced.France has 56 nuclear reactors currently in operation which provide 75% of the country's energy consumption, making the nation the world's biggest consumer of nuclear energy.The development of Fessenheim was welcome news for residents of the region, previously fairly devoid of industry or any commerce. The location was an attractive one for its proximity to Germany: Fessenheim is a commune located directly on the border, in the Haut-Rhin Department in the Grand Est re…

en.mehrnews (2020-06-30). US seeking to change Iran's Establishment: Russian envoy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 30 (MNA) — Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya criticized the US Secretary of State's anti-Iranian statement at a Security Council meeting on Tuesday.

en.mehrnews (2020-06-30). Leaders of Astana Process to hold virtual meeting. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 30 (MNA) — Kremlin Spokesman announced on Tuesday that the Iranian, Russian, and Turkish presidents will hold a videoconference on the Syrian crisis tomorrow.

en.mehrnews (2020-06-30). A permanent member of UNSC has violated Res. 2231: FM Zarif. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 30 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council [UNSC] has violated the UN-drafted Resolution 2231 on Iran's 2015 nuclear deal.

_____ (2020-06-30). This Russia-Afghanistan Story Is Western Propaganda at Its Most Vile. strategic-culture.org It really is funny how the most influential news outlets in the western world will uncritically parrot whatever they're told to say by the most powerful and depraved intelligence agencies on the planet, and then turn around and tell you without a hint of self-awareness that Russia and China are bad because they have state media.

sputniknews (2020-06-29). 'This Whole Thing is Garbage': Afghan War Vet Dismisses Shaky 'Russian Bounties' Claims. sputniknews.com On Friday, the New York Times reported on a US intelligence report claiming Russian operatives were offering the Taliban bounties to assassinate US soldiers in Afghanistan. However, as US lawmakers demand answers and action, one expert says serious skepticism about the report's veracity is missing, which threatens the increasingly fragile peace.

RT (2020-06-29). WH spokeswoman says 'no intelligence consensus' on Russia bounty story, tells NYT & WaPo to 'return Pulitzers' for misreporting. rt.com The New York Times and the Washington Post should give up their journalistic accolades for selling rumors as scoops, the White House's Kayleigh McEnany said, pointing at holes in their story about Russian bounties for the Taliban. | The secretary has unleashed a scathing rebuke at the media, accusing the Times and the WaPo of peddling scandalous speculations about US President Donald Trump allegedly doing nothing after having been briefed about Russia paying the Taliban to kill US soldiers in Afghanistan. | Speaking at the White House on Monday, McEnany said that her boss had never received a briefing on the i…

RT (2020-06-29). 'We don't leave our people behind': Lavrov speaks to RT about evacuation of Russians stranded abroad over coronavirus. rt.com The coronavirus pandemic prompted an unprecedented rescue operation, with tens of thousands of Russian citizens stranded abroad. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has praised his officials for their efforts in bringing people home. | The country had previous experience in bringing back people home in big numbers— after the devastating 2004 tsunami in Thailand, for instance — yet this year's operation was on an far larger scale, Lavrov Sometimes t…

Andre Vltchek (2020-06-29). Some Italian Thinkers Are Now Resisting Lies About the Soviet Union and World War II. globalresearch.ca Lying about world history is one of the main weapons of the Western imperialists, through which they are managing to maintain their control of the world. | European and North American countries are inventing and spreading a twisted narrative about almost …

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-06-29). Only Idiots Believe The CIA, And Other Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix. thealtworld.com ~ | Mainstream media outlets which publish anonymous intelligence claims with no proof are just publishing CIA press releases disguised as news. | ~ | The most influential news outlets in the western world uncritically parrot whatever they're told to say by the most powerful and depraved intelligence agencies on the planet, then tell you that Russia and China are bad because they have state media. | ~ | Imagine if a compulsive liar who you know for a fact constantly deceives people in order to hurt and exploit them told you your neighbor is going to kill you if you don't kill him first, and you go and kill your n…

John Helmer (2020-06-29). The Dutch Prosecution and the Judge Have Rigged the Outcome of the Malaysia Airlines MH17 Trial on a Charge that Requires No Proof. globalresearch.ca The Dutch Government has devised an evidence-proof scheme for ensuring the trial of the Russian government for the destruction of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 will end in a conviction. | This scheme will work without evidence to prove that the four …

_____ (2020-06-29). US And Saudi Nuclear Program: The Trump Administration's Secrecy. popularresistance.org A recent report by the US House of Representatives revealed that Trump administration has accelerated the process of transferring "very sensitive" nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia. | The US House of Representatives has revealed that the Donald Trump administration has tried to provide Saudi Arabia with highly sensitive and advanced nuclear technology as soon as possible, regardless of legal and security concerns, the report said. | The report also expressed concern about the Trump administration's secretive engagement with Saudi Arabia. | The report goes on to say that private companies that are in close contac…

sputniknews (2020-06-29). Finnish PM Embroiled in 'Russian Influence' Scandal Over Fake Tweet About John Bolton's Book. sputniknews.com In his behind-the-scenes book about his tenure at the White House, former National Security Adviser John Bolton has painted Donald Trump's administration in an unfavourable light. Among other things, the book claims Trump once asked his chief of staff whether Finland was a part of Russia.

en.mehrnews (2020-06-29). 'The Trucker and the Fox' to go on screen at Flahertiana Intl. Film Fest. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 30 (MNA) — Iranian documentary 'The Trucker and the Fox' by Arash Lahooti will be screened at the 20th edition of International Documentary Film Festival Flahertiana in Russia.

_____ (2020-06-29). John Bolton — Traitor to Common Decency. strategic-culture.org There are few men in modern American history more venal than Former National Security Adviser John Bolton. Calling Bolton a relic of the Cold War in his outlook on foreign policy is a kindness. | Bolton is a dangerous and pathetic creature whose entire life is an example of how incomplete men with a talent for violence can rise in a late-stage cesspit of political corruption. | He is simply someone who has never been in a fight in his life who lusts for the power to kill, main and destroy anyone who dares challenge him. A pathology he's had the dubious distinction of being able to act out in the real world on mor…

Terry Everton (2020-06-28). How Racism Gets Taught and Misrepresented in Our Schools. dissidentvoice.org The not-so-subtle purpose of compulsory schooling is to ensure a populace subservient to the status quo which primarily serves the ruling class. What we call education is derived from a Prussian model designed to reward individuals based on how well they stay in line and do as they're told through the process of grading. It's …

RT (2020-06-28). British meddling? Russian Election Commission says DDoS attack on constitution vote website was launched from UK. rt.com Russia's Central Election Commission says that denial of service attacks were launched from the UK and Singapore on a website providing information on constitutional reform as the country conducts a national vote on amendments. | "Since the early morning, we have been detecting DDoS attacks on the website –∫–æ–Ω—Å—Ç–∏—Ç—É—Ü–∏—è2020.—Ä—Ñ [constitution2020.rf]," the commission

RT (2020-06-28). Western conspiracy theories suggesting Covid-19 is man-made & was unleashed deliberately are not backed by evidence — Putin. rt.com Allegations that the coronavirus pandemic was started by design, rather than accident, are not backed by evidence and are ultimately irrelevant, Vladimir Putin has said. He also revealed how often he is tested for Covid-19. | Some US politicians, including President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have claimed that the Covid-19 outbreak started as a leak from a biolab in Wuhan, China — the city where the disease was first recorded in December 2019. Pompeo once even stated that the virus was "man-made," in an apparent slip of the tongue. | "Claiming that [the pandemic] was caused by somebo…

RT (2020-06-28). WATCH Russian Tu-142MK anti-submarine planes fly on Arctic & Pacific mission, escorted by Norwegian & US jets. rt.com Two squadrons of Russian long-range anti-submarine and reconnaissance aircraft have been patrolling the vast Arctic and north Pacific, the Defense Ministry says. They were closely monitored by NATO jets during the mission. | Three Tu-142MKs conducted a routine mission above the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea, escorted by Norwegian F-16 jet fighters during the trip. | In the meantime, a squadron of four Tu-142MKs was sent on a mission to Russia's Far East, flying over the northern Pacific Ocean. During some parts of their journey, the planes were monitored by US Air Force F-22 jets. | The Russian anti-sub…

RT (2020-06-28). Russia conspiracy theories are back! MSNBC asks Bolton if Trump is 'too afraid' to take on Putin because he helped get him elected. rt.com MSNBC is still doing its best to spread the theory that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election, thanks to an anonymous report from the New York Times claiming the nation paid militants to attack US troops in Afghanistan. | "Do you think that the president is afraid to make Putin mad because maybe Putin did help him win the election and he doesn't want to make him mad for 2020?" Chuck Todd asked of John Bolton in a Meet the Press interview on Sunday. | Completely disgraceful from NBC's Chuck Todd: | "Do you think that the president is afraid to make Putin mad because maybe Putin did help him win the e…

RT (2020-06-28). Hay Satan! WATCH 'tractor of apocalypse' catch fire on Russian road & set fields ablaze. rt.com A tractor with two trailers of hay turned into a moving inferno as its cargo caught fire on a road in southern Russia. The vehicle spilled flames left and right as it swirled around setting the surrounding fields alight. | The red-hot video from Russia's Krasnodar region emerged on social media on Sunday, promptly going viral. Footage shows the tractor – with two burning trailers attached – zigzagging on the road in a desperate attempt to beat off the flames. | The tactics didn't prove to be very effective though, as the hard maneuvering only spilled the blazing hay from the trailers, setting crops at the s…

yenisafak (2020-06-28). Trump denies being told about Russian bounties to kill US troops in Afghanistan. yenisafak.com The White House on Saturday also denied that Trump was briefed on U.S. intelligence regarding the affair but it did not address the merits of the intelligence. The Director of National Intelligence also said Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were not briefed, and called the Times report inaccurate."Nobody briefed or told me, @VP Pence, or Chief of Staff @MarkMeadows about the so-called attacks on our troops in Afghanistan by Russians, as reported through an 'anonymous source' by the Fake News @nytimes. Everybody is denying it & there have not been many attacks on us," Trump tweeted, calling on the newspaper to…

yenisafak (2020-06-28). Global coronavirus cases top 10 million. yenisafak.com Global coronavirus cases have exceeded 10 million on Sunday, according to a running tally by US-based Johns Hopkins University.The worldwide tally of virus-linked deaths has reached 499,124, while the number of recoveries tops five million.The US remains the worst-hit country with over 2.5 million infections, while its death toll exceeds 125,500.Brazil, which has the largest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Latin America, has the second-highest number of infections worldwide with 1.31 million.Russia, India, Italy, Spain and the UK are also among the hardest-hit countries in the world.China, the ground zero…

Staff (2020-06-28). Siberian Forest Fires Increase by Fivefold in Week Since Record High Temperature. truthout.org The number of fires in the vast north Asian region of Siberia increased fivefold this week, according to the Russian forest fire aerial protection service, as temperatures in the Arctic continued higher than normal in the latest sign of the ongoing climate crisis. | The news of the increase comes a week after the small Siberian town of Verkhoyansk reported a high temperature of 100.4 ∞ F on June 20, a reading that, if confirmed, would mark the hottest day ever recorded in the region…

RT (2020-06-27). Loyalty to US has led Germany & rest of EU into 'dead end' & they need to escape — top Russian Foreign Affairs official. rt.com The cult of 'Atlanticism' has failed the European Union and dragged its members down a blind alley. That's according to Dmitry Novikov, a senior member of Russia's foreign policy establishment. | At a time when some of the states of Central and Western Europe are reassessing their place in the world — amid the rise of China, US political flux, Covid-19 and Brexit — Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel has spoken about the need for "constructive" dialogue with Russia. | Novikov was responding to comments Merkel made on Friday during an interview with selected liberal European newspapers such as the Guar…

RT (2020-06-27). Three decades after Soviet collapse, Russia tells UN it's eliminated 'extreme' poverty, but millions still require govt help. rt.com The disastrous 1990s are now a generation ago, but the scars still remain. Only now has Russia eradicated extreme poverty, and 18.1 million people still live below the subsistence minimum. However, things are slowly improving. | On Friday, Russia Its review also highlights the strides it has made in reducing deprivation at all levels of severity, although it has falle…

RT (2020-06-27). Shush! Russia's leading design studio used AI 'employee' for making customer logos for months… and NOBODY noticed. rt.com Why make something yourself when you can get a bot to do it? A Russian art design studio has been using an AI neural network to create logos for more than a year — all the while keeping its customers in the dark.

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-06-27). Mentally Replace Everything Before "U.S. Intelligence Says" With "Blah Blah We're Probably Lying" thealtworld.com "Russia Secretly Offered Afghan Militants Bounties to Kill Troops, U.S. Intelligence Says", blares the To be clear, this is journalistic malpractice. Mainstream media outlets which publish anonymous intelligence claims with no proof are just publishi…

WSWS (2020-06-27). The Salisbury Poisonings: Skripal drama framed as anti-Russian propaganda. wsws.org The BBC's three-part The Salisbury Poisonings uses drama as state propaganda and is designed to reignite the Skripal affair that dominated UK politics in 2018.

news.un (2020-06-27). FROM THE FIELD: 'Major breakthrough' in fight against diseases spread by mosquitos. news.un.org The UN nuclear agency (IAEA) has announced a major breakthrough in the bid to scale up technology designed to suppress disease-carrying mosquitos, and bring dengue, yellow fever and Zika under control.

yenisafak (2020-06-27). EU holds off decision on borders, Americans set to be excluded. yenisafak.com European Union countries failed to settle on Friday on a final "safe list" of countries whose residents could travel to the bloc from July, with the United States, Brazil and Russia set to be excluded.Ambassadors from the 27 EU members convened from Friday afternoon to establish criteria for granting quarantine-free access from next Wednesday.A redrawn text of 10-20 countries was put to them, but many said they needed to consult first with their governments, diplomats said. The list did not include the United States, Brazil or Russia, one diplomat said.Discussions were continuing overnight, with the EU countries…

yenisafak (2020-06-27). 'Existing tensions surfacing in new China-India row'. yenisafak.com The recent clashes between China and India are a manifestation of long-standing tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, according to an expert on South Asian geopolitics."The Himalayan border problem between Pakistan, India, and China is not a new issue — it goes back at least 70 years," Umit Alperen, a researcher and professor, said in an online discussion with Cemal Demir, head of the Istanbul-based South Asia Strategic Research Center (GASAM).China and India's military clash can be seen as the surfacing of a tension that has been there for some time, and an escalation accelerated by domestic, r…