This week's show features stories from Radio Deutsche-Welle, France 24, Radio Havana Cuba, and NHK Japan.

http://youthspeaksout.net/swr220819.mp3 (29:00)

From GERMANY- During a joint press interview, German Chancellor Scholz failed to criticize Palestinian President Abbas over remarks that Palestine had experienced 50 massacres or holocausts at the hands of Israeli forces- Scholz responded later and Abbas toned down his rhetoric. As record breaking heat is drying up rivers across Europe more problems with transporting goods are arising. France is intending to build more nuclear power plants, but the current lack of river water, which is used to cool down the reactors, is requiring special permission to discharge at temperatures that are damaging the local flora and fauna.

From FRANCE- Wildfires continue to rage in many parts of Europe- Portugal has recorded its hottest July on record, and has lost one percent of its land to the fires. France has seen many heat and fire records broken as well, but then hail and extreme rainfall created flooding and tornado like conditions in several parts of the country including Paris. The Iran nuclear deal is stalled because Iran wants guarantees that future US administrations cannot pull out of. France pulled military troops out of Mali who then accused the French of violating air space and assisting terrorist groups in the region.

From CUBA- Colombian President Petro has named new military leaders in the country. Brazilian womens organizations are mobilizing to support Lula da Silva in the October presidential election. The International Red Cross is imploring donors to resume aid to Afghanistan. A group of journalists and lawyers have filed a lawsuit against the CIA and Mike Pompeo for spying on them when they visited Julian Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

From JAPAN- 5 US Congressional lawmakers met in private with the Taiwan president in Taipei which resulted in more military activities by China. The US military test fired an ICBM missile from California, which the Air Force says demonstrated the readiness of US nuclear forces. The US defense department held a separate missile defense exercise off the coast of Hawaii with forces from Japan and South Korea.