From Russia Today
Rapid Trident: Largest US Army-led multinational exercise kicks off in Ukraine
Published time: 27 Jun, 2016 10:09
FILE PHOTO © www.army.mil
Over 1,800 troops from 14 NATO and “partner nations” have arrived in western Ukraine for the huge Rapid Trident exercise. Coming amid a fragile truce in the country’s east, they’re set to evaluate the readiness of US-trained Ukrainian troops.
The Rapid Trident 2016 exercise, begun in Ukraine’s western region of Lvov on Monday, is scheduled to last until June 8, according to a statement from US Army Europe. It will involve over 1,800 soldiers from 14 NATO and non-NATO countries along with dozens of combat vehicles, aircraft and heavy weaponry. It is said to be the largest multinational war games ever to be held in Ukraine.
The exercise takes place at the International Peacekeeping and Security Center (IPSC) in the Lvov region, where troops will train “interoperability among Ukraine, the US, NATO and Partnership for Peace [non-bloc] members,” the official statement added.
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From Russia Today
We must act to prevent countries from fleeing EU – Merkel
Published time: 27 Jun, 2016 09:31
German Chancellor Angela Merkel © Hannibal Hanschke / Reuters
German chancellor Angela Merkel says action is needed to prevent other EU members from leaving the bloc after Britain.
Post-Brexit world: Financial downturn, political turmoil & protests
The remark was made at Merkel’s conservative party’s board on Monday, according to two participants who spoke to Reuters.
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From Russia Today
EU disintegration ‘practically irreversible’ – Soros
Published time: 26 Jun, 2016 10:37
Business magnate George Soros © Luke MacGregor / Reuters
The EU has “ceased to satisfy its citizens’ needs and aspirations,” George Soros said calling on people to “band together to save it.” The billionaire warned the disintegration of the bloc will be almost impossible to avoid.
“Britain eventually may or may not be relatively better off than other countries by leaving the EU, but its economy and people stand to suffer significantly in the short to medium term,” Soros wrote in a commentary on the website Project Syndicate.
“The catastrophic scenario that many feared has materialized, making the disintegration of the EU practically irreversible.”
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From Russia Today
Europe needs united army, EU parliament committee head urges after Brexit
Published time: 26 Jun, 2016 08:32
© Radu Sigheti / Reuters
The idea of a common European military headquarters has been revived by the head of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, shortly after the UK’s citizens voted in favor of Brexit.
“We need more cooperation in the European defense policy,” Elmar Brok told Die Welt.
The new armed forces could be modeled after the Franco-German model, making European foreign policy much more effective, Brok believes.
“We need a common (military) headquarters and a coalition (of EU countries) acting in accordance with the permanent structural cooperation of the EU Treaty. From such a group an EU army could eventually emerge,” said Brok.
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From Russia Today
Hollande rejects Le Pen’s calls for Frexit referendum
Published time: 26 Jun, 2016 04:47
French President Francois Hollande (L), Prime Minister Manuel Valls (2ndL) and Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault (3rdL) meet with France’s far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen (R) after Britain’s vote to leave the European Union, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, 25, 2016. © Christophe Saidi / Reuters
President Francois Hollande has firmly rejected calls for a referendum on leaving the EU, said French right-wing leader Marine Le Pen. Disappointed with the talks and disregard for public opinion, she was left with the “feeling of coming for nothing.”
“We have called for the implementation of a referendum to ask the French if they wish to remain in the European Union,” Le Pen said according to French media. “He responded ‘no’.”
The National Front leader, who has been gaining popularity in opinion polls and hoping to replace the president in next year’s elections, lashed out at Hollande, saying: “This is just outrageous… as if the people [of France] are a fifth wheel.”
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From The Times of Israel
Brexit and the anti-elite revolt: What UK vote may mean for Clinton and Trump
The British referendum is no exact mirror of the US political landscape, but analysts and operatives see many striking similarities
June 25, 2016, 10:43 am
It was Britain’s poorer and less-educated citizens — angry at not having shared in the economic benefits of a new world order — who pushed it out of the European Union, in a vote that threatens elites, analysts say.
They are those who suffered the worst hangover from the economic crisis, and whose precarious economic position makes them most fearful of rising immigration — to the benefit of far right groups in the EU and Donald Trump in the United States.
“I see the same pattern everywhere I look,” said William Galston, a senior fellow at the US-based Brookings Institution.
“The demographic splits within the UK are exactly the same category for category as the demographic splits within the American electorate in this presidential election.”
Rural areas with high numbers of migrant workers, former industrial hubs and poor areas around cities, those without a university education and older voters were all among the 53.4 percent who voted Brexit.
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From The Daily Mail
Look who’s coming to dinner: Trump dines with Rupert Murdoch and wife Jerry Hall at posh Scottish golf course – but the meal’s on the house because The Donald owns the place!
- Murdoch and Hall came to golf course in northeast Scotland on Saturday
- The Republican presidential candidate had just finished walking around the course, pointing out expansive sea views and talking politics with reporters
- Murdoch only warmed to his White House ambitions three months ago
- The Australian media mogul’s family is originally from the same region of Scotland where Trump opened his International Golf Links in 2012
Donald Trump welcomed Rupert Murdoch and his wife Jerry Hall for dinner at his luxurious golf course in northeast Scotland on Saturday, the final event of a two-day tour of his properties there.
Murdoch, 80, arrived at around 5:15 with wife Jerry Hall, 59, a former model who was previously married to Rolling Stone rocker Mick Jagger.
The pair rode up the road to the clubhouse in an SUV with Trump himself.
The MacLeod House, a restored 15th Century mansion on the grounds of the Trump International Golf Links Scotland, was the site of the meal.
After a visit to the clubhouse, the trio rode to the MacLeod house in a golf cart with Trump driving and Murdoch and Hall sitting in the back seat, facing backward. Hall moved to the front seat minutes later, leaving her husband alone in the back.
Table for three? Donald Trump (center) welcomed Media mogul Rupert Murdoch (left) and his wife Jerry Hall (right) for dinner at his International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire, Scotland on Saturday
From The Daily Mail
Vladimir Putin slams David Cameron for claiming he wanted a Brexit vote and denies his ‘agents’ had tried to swing the result – as China puts the boot into ‘British democracy’
- Russian president mocked the PM for failing to achieve ‘desired result’
- Cameron claimed during Brexit battle Russia would welcome a weaker EU
- Putin insisted he never intervened or commented on the historic poll
- China criticised Brexit decision – but vows to stand by Sino-British ties
Vladimir Putin took an angry swipe at his outgoing foe David Cameron by denying he or his agents had sought to sway the Brexit decision.
Speaking in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Russian President Putin hit back at campaign claims from the Prime Minister that he wanted Brexit to weaken Europe and divide the West, a claim echoed today by Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond.
This comes as Chinese state media offered snide criticism of the negative consequences of democracy after Britain voted to leave the EU – but vowed to stand by the ‘golden age’ of Sino-British ties.
Britain backed Brexit by a 52-48 margin in a shock result in Thursday’s historic referendum.
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Russian president Vladimir Putin dismissed claims from David Cameron that Russia had sought a Brexit vote on Thursday as having ‘no basis’
Putin said today: ‘Statements by the UK Prime Minister, Mr Cameron before this plebiscite where he stated Russia’s position, have no basis and never did.
‘I believe that this is nothing more than a flawed attempt to influence the public opinion in his own country.
‘As we see, it didn’t even have the desired… result.’
He added: ‘I have already said that we never interfered, never spoke about this, and acted in my opinion very properly.
‘And of course we closely followed what was going on, but did not affect this process and did not even attempt to do so.’
From The Independent
Nigel Farage says he hopes Brexit victory will bring down the whole ‘failed project’ of the EU
Eurphoric Ukip leader senses victory and tells supporters: ‘“Let June 23 go down in our history as our independence day!’
As he sensed victory in the EU Referendum, Ukip leader Nigel Farage told a wildly cheering crowd he hoped a Brexit victory would be a “victory for the whole of Europe” and bring down the whole “failed project” of the EU.
At 4am, shortly before dawn, and with the results suggesting the country was on course to vote leave in the EU referendum, Mr Farage told ecstatic supporters: “Dare to dream that dawn is breaking on an independent United Kingdom.”
Arms outstretched, he closed his speech to the faithful by bellowing: “Let June 23 go down in our history as our independence day!”
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From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Netanyahu with Kerry in Rome: Turkey deal will have ‘immense implications’
JERUSALEM (JTA) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said before his meeting Monday in Rome with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that the reconciliation agreement to be announced with Turkey will have “immense implications for the Israeli economy.”
Netanyahu thanked Kerry for his assistance in bringing about the agreement. “I know your team has been working long and hard at this,” he told Kerry.
Netanyahu and Kerry also met on Sunday night. He said he welcomed the opportunity to have “probing talks on the region, on the challenges and on the opportunities with my good friend John Kerry. There are serious talks by two committed allies, Israel and the United States.”
The two leaders said they discussed the challenges in the region including the Islamic State, regional security cooperation, advancing the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, stabilizing the Middle East and bilateral issues.
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From Russia Today
Tame N. Korea or Japan may go nuclear ‘virtually overnight’, Biden warns Xi
Published time: 26 Jun, 2016 01:17
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden © Carlos Barria / Reuters
Japan may obtain nuclear weapons “virtually overnight” if the North Korean threat persists, US Vice-President Joe Biden warned China’s Xi Jinping. He urged to exert influence on Pyongyang, reassuring that US military buildup in Asia is not targeting China.
For years, the United States and world powers have tried to negotiate an end to North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile development programs. While pursuing a variety of responses to the proliferation challenges posed by Pyongyang, mainly focused on military cooperation with allies in the region, Washington failed to achieve any tangible results in curbing the ‘North Korean threat’.
On Wednesday, North Korea test-launched two medium-range ballistic missiles, the latest in a series of launches in violation of UN Security Council resolution. Each missile launch, be it successful or not, is traditionally accompanied by belligerent rhetoric by North Korea towards the US and its regional allies that fall under the American security umbrella.
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From Russia Today
Calais mayor wants French migrant camps moved to UK after Brexit vote
Published time: 25 Jun, 2016 01:35
© Pascal Rossignol / Reuters
The mayor of Calais is calling for a revision of the border deal between France and the UK, saying migrant camps located on the French side of the English Channel should be moved to Britain, which must feel full consequences of its decision to leave the EU.
LIVE UPDATES: British politics in post-Brexit turmoil after vote to leave the EU
“The British must take the consequences of their choice,” mayor of Calais Natacha Bouchart said on Friday.
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From Russia Today
Refugees banned from Austrian pool after ‘foreigner’ sexually assaults teenage girl
Published time: 24 Jun, 2016 18:48
© Stoyan Nenov / Reuters
Authorities in the Austrian town of Mistelbach issued a temporary pool ban for refugees following a sexual assault by a “dark-skinned’ man on a 13-year-old girl.
“This news was a shock,” said the town’s mayor, Alfred Pohl, as quoted by the Heute media outlet.
According to Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung, the attack happened on Wednesday afternoon.
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From The Times of Israel
The Brexit: Six things you need to know
British Jews may gain from UK’s leaving of EU, even as resignation of pro-Israel Cameron is seen as a blow
June 24, 2016, 10:58 pm
JTA — Great Britain and the rest of Europe woke up to a new reality Friday as a slim majority of British voters said their country should leave the European Union. Markets trembled, British currency crashed and British Prime Minister David Cameron announced his pending resignation. It was a major blow to an alliance formed specifically to avoid a repeat of the nationalist rivalries that led to the First and Second World Wars.
Although Britain’s Jews appeared as split as the rest of the country over the “Brexit,” at least one prominent Jewish voice — Stephen Pollard, editor of The Jewish Chronicle newspaper, welcomed the vote as “a wonderful day for Britain — and its Jews.” Pollard’s argument: Britain is now free to chart its own course when it comes to Jewish interests, curbing extremism and supporting Israel. “[A]way from the Brussels bartering and negotiations that lie behind the EU’s foreign policy, Britain will be free to carve out an even more supportive stance, should we wish to,” he wrote.
But Pollard hardly spoke for all British Jews, and the impact of the vote may not be as clearcut as he makes it out to be. Here are six things you need to know about the Brexit vote:
No comment, please — we’re British Jews.
The representatives of British Jewry have remained strictly neutral on the Brexit issue because it divides their community of approximately 250,000 people as cleanly as it does the general population, according to a Jewish Chronicle survey from last month. And while prominent British Jewish figures like sociologist David Hirsch lamented the result as the outcome of xenophobia and fear, other notable British Jews celebrated it as a release from Brussels’ dictates – including the Conservative European Parliament lawmaker Daniel Hannan.
It’s not over.
From The Times of Israel
Ending years of rancor, Israel and Turkey reboot relationship
Israel to pay $20m compensation for families of Mavi Marmara dead in deal renewing full diplomatic ties; ambassadors to return soon; Ankara to send aid shipment to Gaza via Ashdod this week
June 27, 2016, 2:09 pm
Israel and Turkey announced Monday the terms of a deal ending years of diplomatic stalemate between the eastern Mediterranean countries and heralding the normalization of ties.
Addressing one of the most controversial aspects of the deal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the maritime blockade on the Gaza Strip would remain in place following the deal but that Turkey would be able to send supplies to Gaza via the Israeli port of Ashdod.
Netanyahu made the comments in Rome, broadcast live in Israel, after Israel and Turkey agreed on the highly anticipated pact. His Turkish counterpart, Binali Yildirim, made a simultaneous announcement in Ankara.
The agreement would secure the “continuation of the maritime security blockade off the Gaza Strip coast,” Netanyahu said.
“This is a supreme security interest for us. I was not prepared to compromise on it,” he added. Israel says the blockade is necessary to keep out material that could be used for military purposes in the Strip, which is run by the terror group Hamas.
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From PressTV
Moscow, Ankara step up measures to smooth ties: Turkish deputy PM
Turkish deputy prime minister says his country and Russia have stepped up measures to normalize ties soured since last November.
During a televised news conference in the capital Ankara on Monday, Numan Kurtulmus welcomed what he said was a decision to allow some Russian companies to employ Turkish nationals again.
Russia’s relations with Turkey strained in November 2015 after Turkey shot down a Russian Su-24M Fencer aircraft with two pilots aboard, claiming the fighter jet had repeatedly violated the Turkish airspace.
Moscow dismissed Ankara’s claims, saying the plane was brought down inside Syria, where Russia has been conducting combat sorties against Takfiri terrorists since late September 2015 upon a request by the Damascus government.
Following the incident, Moscow imposed a number of sanctions on Ankara, including import restriction on Turkish foods, a ban on tourist travel to Turkey, an embargo on hiring Turkish citizens in Russia and a ban on Turkish organizations’ activities in Russia.
Turkey and Russia have also taken different positions regarding the crisis in Syria, with each of them backing opposite sides in the deadly conflict.
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From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Religion-related terrorism and harassment of Jews increasing worldwide, Pew study finds
A school bus outside a Jewish school burning in the Crown Heights area of Brooklyn, N.Y., May 8, 2016. (Screenshot from YouTube)
(JTA) — The harassment of Jews worldwide continued to increase in 2014 even as government restrictions on religion and social hostilities involving religion decreased modestly, according to a new study.
The Pew Research Center’s annual study of 198 countries released Thursday also found an increase in religion-related terrorism, with 82 of the nearly 200 countries studied experiencing religion-related terrorist activities in 2014 — the most recent year studied. In 60 countries, the terrorist activities led to injuries or deaths. Casualties from religion-related terrorist activities have been rising in recent years, the study reported.
The study did not address the religion with which the majority of the perpetrators of religion-related terrorism identified. However, all the examples cited were of acts perpetrated by Islamist groups and Muslim individuals.
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From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Birthright trip offering college credits for first time
JERUSALEM (JTA) — The first Birthright trip offering participants academic credit is now in Israel.
Some 50 students from colleges and universities in the United States are participating in the inaugural cohort and will be entitled to three academic credits at their academic institutions, according to Taglit Birthright.
They will attend courses at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, or IDC, and at Ben-Gurion University in the Negev during their two-week stay.
At the IDC, the students will learn about “The challenge of terrorism in Israel and the Middle East” and visit an Iron Dome battery in the field. At Ben-Gurion, they will study “Global Warming, Renewable Energy and the Desert Ecosystem,” which includes snorkeling in the coral reef in Eilat.
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From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Pennsylvania man admits he lied about being an Auschwitz survivor
Joseph Hirt had claimed he personally saw Dr. Josef Mengele and managed to escape Auschwitz. (Screenshot from YouTube)
(JTA) — A Pennsylvania man who for years traveled the country giving speeches and media interviews about his experiences as a Holocaust survivor acknowledged that he had been lying and apologized.
In a letter published Thursday on the LancasterOnline news site, Joseph Hirt, of Lancaster County said he lied not for personal gain but in hopes of raising awareness about the problems faced by Holocaust survivors.
Earlier this month, Andrew Reid, a history teacher in Turin, New York, publicly questioned Hirt’s claims about being a prisoner in Auschwitz, the Nazi death camp in Poland, Pennlive.com reported. Reid, who is Christian, said he had become suspicious after hearing Hirt speak in Lowville, New York, on April 15, three weeks before Yom Hashoah, Holocaust memorial day.
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From Russia Today
Church should apologize to gays & women for ill treatment – Pope Francis
Published time: 27 Jun, 2016 12:22
Pope Francis © Tony Gentile / Reuters
Pope Francis has publicly declared the Church should ask gay people and women for forgiveness for hundreds of years of ill treatment at its hands.
The comments were made as the Pope flew back from a visit to Armenia. Francis did not restrict them to just the LGBT community and women, adding that the Church was “turning a blind eye” to child labor and should apologize for “blessing” weapons, according to Reuters.
Francis was answering a question about a similar remark by a German cardinal regarding an apology to gay people. He reminded journalists that, according to Christian teachings, gays “should not be discriminated against. They should be respected [and] accompanied pastorally.”
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From Russia Today
Turkey says Gaza sea blockade ‘largely lifted’ via reconciliation deal, Israel disagrees
Published time: 27 Jun, 2016 10:37
The MV Mavi Marmara © Wikipedia
Turkey’s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim says the Gaza blockade has been “largely lifted” via a Turkish-Israeli peace agreement. The first ship with aid to the area is set to depart later this week, he added.
Early reports that Israel and Turkey reached an agreement to normalize ties emerged on Sunday. The deal will put an end to the rift over the Israeli Navy’s killing of nine Turkish citizens during a Gaza flotilla raid in 2010.
“This text of consensus tomorrow will be signed with the undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and his correspondent in Israel. After this there is the approval process. In Israel the approval is issued by the cabinet and on our side it will be completed at the parliament,” Yildirim said in a TV address.
The two countries will exchange ambassadors as soon as possible, the Turkish PM said.
Yildirim confirmed that Israel would pay $20 million to the bereaved and those injured in the raid, also saying the Gaza blockade is now “largely lifted” through the deal.
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From Russia Today
Erdogan calls for swift removal of Trump name from Istanbul Towers over The Donald’s ‘Islamophobia’
Published time: 25 Jun, 2016 17:29
The residence tower of Trump Towers Istanbul is pictured in Istanbul, Turkey © Murad Sezer / Reuters
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for the immediate removal of the ‘Trump’ name from the Trump Towers Istanbul due to the likely Republican presidential nominee’s anti-Muslim rhetoric.
Erdogan made the call during his speech at a TÜMSİAD (The Industrialists and Businessmen Association) evening, according to Turkish news outlet Yeni Safak.
“[Trump] has no tolerance for Muslims living in the US. And on top of that they used a brand in [Istanbul] with his name. The ones who put that brand on their building should immediately remove it,” Erdogan said, according to The Turkish Sun.
Trump Towers Istanbul was developed by Turkish billionaire Aydın Doğan and opened in 2012 and Doğan has been paying Trump for the brand name.
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From The Times of Israel
Democrats’ draft platform excludes call to end occupation
Panel shoots down Sanders supporter’s text urging ‘end to occupation and illegal settlements’; advocates $15 minimum wage, end to death penalty
June 25, 2016, 4:32 pm
Democrats approved a draft of the party platform early Saturday, deliberating late into the evening on an amendment to call on Israel to end its occupation and building of West Bank settlements. The document includes steps to break up large Wall Street banks, advocates for a $15 an hour wage and urges the abolition of the death penalty, reflecting the influence of Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign.
The group considered the document’s language on the Israel-Palestinian conflict, an issue that has divided Democrats. The committee defeated an amendment led by Sanders supporter James Zogby that would have called for providing Palestinians with “an end to occupation and illegal settlements” and urged an international effort to rebuild Gaza.
James Zogby (BankingBum / Wikipedia)
Zogby said Sanders had helped craft the language. Instead, the draft reflects presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s views and advocates working toward a “two-state solution of the Israel-Palestinian conflict” that guarantees Israel’s security with recognized borders “and provides the Palestinians with independence, sovereignty, and dignity.”
Clinton supporters defeated measures pushed by Sanders’ allies that would have promoted a Medicare-for-all single-payer health care system, a carbon tax to address climate change and impose a moratorium on hydraulic fracking.
From The Times of Israel
A reflective Sanders remains dedicated to defeating Trump
Vermont senator hopes Clinton will choose progressive running mate, ‘one with no roots in Wall Street’
June 24, 2016, 11:40 pm
JTA — Acknowledging that he will not be the Democratic presidential nominee, Bernie Sanders said he was not yet ready to endorse Hillary Clinton.
In an expansive interview aired Wednesday on C-Span, Sanders said he hoped to speak at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia next month, but did not yet know if he would.
“It doesn’t appear that I’m going to be the nominee, so I’m not going to be determining the scope of the convention,” he said.
During the hour-long interview, Sanders, the first Jewish candidate to win major nominating contests, spoke of the prejudices that American society had overcome, including against Jews, only to encounter them again in the campaign of Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
The Independent senator from Vermont said he remained dedicated to defeating Trump.
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