The Shortwave Report

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

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From GERMANY- Justin Trudeau began his election campaign 6 weeks before voting and is facing corruption accusations. New British government documents warn of chaos if a no-deal Brexit occurs. In Barcelona hundreds of thousands of Catalan separatists demanded a break from Spain and release of their imprisoned leaders. China has warned Germany to not interfere with the Hong Kong protests. The US commemorated the 911 attacks while stepping up bombing in Afghanistan aimed at the Taliban. This immediately followed Trump dismissing John Bolton. Does Trump have a strategy to return to his pre-election claims of wanting to end American foreign wars which he so far has not done?

From JAPAN- Japan and South Korea are having serious trade disagreements with Korea making formal complaints at the WTO. South Korea does not agree with Japan on dealing with the ever accumulating radioactive waste water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The Japanese Environment Minister says the only way to stop the build up of the radioactive waste water is to release it into the Pacific Ocean. Secondary school students in Hong Kong demonstrated, urging the government to investigate police brutality. On Monday North Korea said it was ready to resume talks with the US on denuclearization in late September. On Tuesday North Korea tested a large multiple rocket launcher and fired two projectiles, which observers say may be an attempt to pressure the US to reopen negotiations. The Iranian ambassador to the UN says talks with the US are out of the question as long as economic sanctions remain in place.

From CUBA- The EU ratified its interest in economic cooperation with Cuba while rejecting the US Helms-Burton Act. In Brazil Catholic leaders condemned the fires and other man made destruction of the rainforest and genocide against the indigenous people. In Chile there was a huge annual human rights march against the former dictator Pinochet- it was followed by brutal police repression and riots. Venezuela again denied military involvement in Colombia. Israeli military launched a new round of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. The Iranian Foreign Minister denied Israeli claims of testing equipment for nuclear arms. The London based Financial Times reported that US government officials contacted the captain of an Iranian tanker offering millions of dollars if he steered toward an allied country that would impound for the US.

This week's show features stories from NHK Japan, Radio Havana Cuba, and Spanish National Radio.

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From JAPAN- Japan gave another briefing to foreign officials on the radioactive wastewater building up at the Fukushima nuclear power plant devastated in 2011. Stories from Monday and Thursday about the ongoing antigovernment protests in Hong Kong, which are seeing more students going on strike. The US government has imposed more sanctions on Iranian civilian companies developing satellites and space launching equipment. The French government has proposed offering a credit line for Iran that will be guaranteed by its oil revenues.

From CUBA- 8 million Venezuelans added their signatures to a petition condemning US sanctions against the country and headed to the UN. President Maduro declared an orange alert in the states that border with Colombia due to threats of military aggression. Brazilians are becoming rapidly disillusioned with their president Bolsonaro, largely due to the response to the fires in the Amazon. In France, a few hundred yellow vest protestors gathered for the 42nd week of street demonstrations. Then a Viewpoint on the recent fighting between Israel and Lebanon, triggered by an Israeli drone loaded with bombs that exploded on the roof of the Islamic resistance movement Hezbollah. The last large scale war between the neighbors ended in 2006. It is suggested that open support from Donald Trump has encouraged the Israeli military, while the government will consider as Israeli territory all Jewish colonies assembled in recent years on Palestinian soil.

From SPAIN- Alison Hughes and Justin Coe read an opinion piece by Nils Melzer, a United Nations Rappoteur on Torture. He had visited Julian Assange in a British prison to determine if Assange's sustained detentions qualified as torture. He publicly announced they had. He subsequently wrote this opinion piece on the Julian's case which has been rejected by the NYT, the Washington Post, The Guardian and numerous other media outlets.

This week's show features stories from Spanish National Radio, Radio Havana Cuba, and Radio Deutsche-Welle.

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From SPAIN- Alison Hughes reports on the G7 meeting in France last weekend, beginning with some history of the gathering of the wealthiest capitalist nations. There was a strong division between all the leaders and Donald Trump. The agenda was income inequality, climate change, trade and international taxation of digital companies. French President Macron invited the Iranian Foreign Minister to reopen dialogue on the nuclear deal, which only the US is opposed to. There was a counter G7 gathering nearby with a climate and justice march with 14,000 anti-capitalist protestors. The fires in the Brazilian rainforest were a topic at the G7 which enraged Brazilian President Bolsonaro, who said Europe was looking for a pretext to sanction his country and did not need assistance. Trump did not attend the climate or Amazon meetings at the conference. There were large demonstrations in Brazil in defense of the Amazon and in opposition to Bolsonaro.

From CUBA- In Brazil federal prosecutors have launched an investigation into revelations that the Environment Ministry knew in advance of plans to start the fires in the Amazon but did nothing. A Brazilian Supreme Court justice believes jailed former President Lula da Silva deserves a retrial on corruption charges. Venezuelan migrants are facing new restrictions from Colombia, Brazil and other Latin American countries. The UN noted the Lebanese presidents claim that recent Israeli aerial transgressions against Lebanon amount to a declaration of war, and urged both sides to exercise restraint. A leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization has censured Israeli PM Netanyahu to build 113,000 new settler units in the occupied West Bank. Donald Trump suggested using nuclear weapons against hurricanes.

From GERMANY- An interview with Laura Kehoe of EUbrazilTrade.org on national and individual methods of trying to preserve the remaining Amazon rainforest. Activist Greta Thunberg arrived in New York from Europe without a carbon footprint to speak at various upcoming climate summits. Unelected British PM Boris Johnson got permission to suspend Parliament just before the UK is scheduled to leave the EU with a no-deal Brexit.

This week's show features stories from Sputnik Radio, NHK Japan, and Radio Havana Cuba.

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From RUSSIA- Afshin Rattansi interviewed legendary journalist John Pilger. They discuss the exclusion of Russia and China from the upcoming G7 meeting- one of the main topics will be protests in Hong Kong but nothing about the Yellow Vests in France which were met with even more police brutality. Hong Kong has lost its role as salesperson for Asian products and there is horrible irony in protestors with British and American flags. The American and Russian return to developing nuclear capable missiles is ominous, as are Democrats supporting Trump's runaway military budget. Pilger points out the media's role in supporting the governments omission of facts and censorship. Pilger visited Julian Assange recently and reports on his condition- he is being treated as a political prisoner in Britain where his only charge is infringing bail.

From JAPAN- Japan has overtaken China as the largest holder of US government bonds. South Korea insists that Japan explain why they are planning to release more radioactive contaminated water from Fukushima into the Pacific ocean. The Trump administration has formally decided to sell 66 F16 fighter jets to Taiwan, greatly irritating Beijing. The Japanese defense ministry is proposing its largest ever budget to boost its space surveillance capabilities and purchase F35 Stealth fighter jets from the US. The US military announced it will launch Space Command on August 29th. High school students from Japan have called for the abolition of nuclear weapons in a visit to the UN in Geneva.

From CUBA- Trump proposed deploying Navy ships along the Venezuelan coast to block deliveries in and out of the country. US congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib have stepped up their criticism of Israel after being banned from traveling there. Israeli forces continue to injure Palestinians while escorting settlers into a shrine in the occupied West Bank. Jeremy Corbyn slammed new British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as Britain's Trump.

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

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From GERMANY- Greta Thunberg is on her way to the UN Climate Summit in New York on a racing yacht powered by sails and solar energy. An analysis of increased climate awareness in Germany and measures being taken by the government. In Brazil under Bolsonaro deforestation has greatly increased and indigenous women from the region have travelled to Brasilia to protest. In northern Russia there was an explosion and spike in radiation levels- what exactly happened is unclear.

From JAPAN- The Hong Kong demonstrations have been removed from the airport but continue in the streets. The US military is talking with allies in Asia about new deployments of intermediate range missiles in the region.

From CUBA- Venezuela is gathering signatures to demand an end the US blockade under the hashtag no more Trump rallies. In occupied east Jerusalem Israeli troops launched an attack inside the al-Aqsa mosque at the start of Muslim holy days.

From SPAIN- Alison Hughes reports on presidential election results in Argentina and Guatemala, which both saw surprising outcomes. In Honduras large protests against the president have continued, and the violence has engulfed the country since a US backed coup ten years ago. The adverse affects of climate change are hitting hard on agriculture in central America leaving millions in need of food aid.

This week's show features stories from Spanish National Radio, Radio Havana Cuba, Radio Deutsche-Welle, and Sputnik Radio.

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From SPAIN- Alison Hughes begins with a report on a Spanish MEP who compared the racist immigration policies of the EU with that of the Donald Trump administration. Summer high temperatures periods in Spain have grown by 5 weeks since the 1980s, and the rate of deforestation in the Brazil rainforest skyrocketed last month. India has imposed direct rule in muslim majority Kashmir by detaining regional leaders, shutting down internet and phone service, and deploying 25,000 additional Indian soldiers to the region. The US has imposed sweeping new sanctions on the Venezuelan government which called on the UN to condemn the new round of economic terrorism.

From CUBA- Brazilian president Bolsonaro is pushing legislation that would protect police who shoot to kill suspects without being taken to court. Japan and 5 other countries have warned their citizens traveling to the US to be aware of the potential for gunfire incidents. Trump has been criticized for claiming that he was the least racist person anywhere in the world while denying encouraging the white supremacist movement.

From GERMANY- Trump was given a hostile reception when he visited Dayton and El Paso following the mass shootings there. Citizens and politicians demanded that he be held accountable for pattern of racism that has defined his administration.

From RUSSIA- Afshin Rattansi interviewed Aaron Mate, columnist for The Nation and former producer and reporter on Democracy Now. They discuss the continuing effort to strangle and provoke Iran, the limited way the so-called liberal media in the US covers the Trump administration, how Americans forgot what Robert Muller was doing under the Bush presidency, why Democrats have abandoned Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning, and that new US sanctions could cause a famine in Venezuela.

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

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From GERMANY- The day before he quit being the British Foreign Minister, Jeremy Hunt called on European allies to create a naval force in the straits of Hormuz to protect oil tankers without the involvement of the US- Iran and British troops continue to hold each others oil tankers.Israel soldiers drew rare criticism from Germany, France, and Spain for destroying legal Palestinian homes in east Jerusalem. Europe is experiencing a second wave of extreme heat this summer, breaking the highest temperatures ever recorded in France, Germany, Netherlands and Belgium. 16 year old Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg was invited to speak at the French National Assembly by a large coalition of French MPs. The school strikes that Greta instituted have slowly managed to awaken many in Europe to heed the warnings of scientists that we are seeing a climate crisis that requires immediate action.

From RUSSIA- On his program called Going Underground Afshin Rattansi interviewed Dr Rupert Read, former classmate of Boris Johnson, the new British Prime Minister. Dr Read is a spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion which led mass nonviolent protests in 5 cities around London this past April to protest climate breakdown, biodiversity loss, and social and ecological collapse. Over a thousand people were arrested and face incarceration. The movement has grown and spread globally. Dr Read points out that 63% of the British population now believes there is a climate emergency, the Parliament declared an emergency, and the BBC finally ceased having climate change deniers being given time on the airwaves.

From CUBA- Venezuela had a fourth massive power outage which they believe was again caused by cyber sabotage. US Secretary of State Pompeo is on a tour of Latin American countries to gain support for US policies against Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.

From JAPAN- South Korean warplanes fired more than 360 warning shots at a Russian military aircraft that they believed was in their airspace. Boris Johnson was elected by the British Tories to replace Theresa May as Prime Minister, and he vows to leave the European Union.

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

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From JAPAN- The Japanese government issued an ominous white paper on the state of protectionism around the world. Pacific rim countries are holding fisheries conference to try to preserve remaining stocks of Pacific Saury, a Japanese delicacy. The Australian Broadcast Corporation is opposing federal police who want to fingerprint two of its journalists over leaks about Australian troops in Afghanistan. French President Macron announced a plan to create a military space command. A further leak from former British ambassador to the US Kim Darroch claims that Trump abandoned the Iran nuclear deal to spite his predecessor Barack Obama. Trump was quickly rebuffed by Iran after claiming they were open to new negotiations over its missile program.

From RUSSIA- On his program Going underground Afshin Rattansi interviewed Mohammad Marandi a professor at the University of Tehran. They spoke about EU foreign ministers meeting to find a way to deal with Trump's violation of the nuclear treaty with Iran. They discuss the British seizure of an Iranian oil tanker headed for Syria, the threats that Iran responded with, the proposed program to allow EU countries to trade with Iran by not using US dollars, and a meeting in Albania with Rudy Guiliani, Joe Lieberman, and the MEK, a militant Iranian group intent on overthrowing the Republic of Iran.

From GERMANY- Climate activists from Extinction Rebellion are continuing actions around Britain, while scientists in Canada report record temperatures in the world's northernmost settlement in the Arctic. There is widespread ice melting and unprecedented wildfires, as the Arctic Circle is warming much quicker than the rest of the planet. A seaside village in the north of Wales could be one of the first British communities to be evacuated due to climate change.

From CUBA- In Puerto Rico police are cracking down on protestors who are demanding the resignation of Governor Ricardo Rossello whose sexist and homophobic texts were leaked to the press. Ecuador's campesinos and trade unions are on a five day strike to protest President Moreno's neo-liberal government. Brazilian President Bolsonaro announced he will appoint his son as ambassador to the US.

This week's show features stories from Radio Deutsche-Welle, Radio Havana Cuba, Sputnik Radio, and NHK World Radio Japan,

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From GERMANY- Students in Ankara Turkey trying to preserve a forest on campus clashed with police. Young climate activists have been promoting an anti-flying movement- how much larger is the carbon footprint of an individual on a commercial flight compared to driving or taking a train? France has announced a green tax on flights departing the country to be spent on more eco-friendly travel infrastructure. The leak in a British tabloid of diplomatic cables critical of Trump from the ambassador to the US has created a major row between the governments- the conflict has brought up many questions including who created the leak and why?

From CUBA- Michelle Bachelet, former Chilean president and now High Commissioner for Human Rights, released a report highly critical of the Venezuelan government- another human rights expert says the report is very biased and that removing US sanctions strangling the country would relieve much human suffering. Then a Viewpoint on the tragic history of military dictatorships in South America in the 1970s and 80s that have gone largely unpunished- a court in Rome has sentenced 24 military officers and politicians to life imprisonment for participating in Plan Condor that murdered tens of thousands in Chile, Uruguay, Peru, and Bolivia.

From RUSSIA- On his program called Going Underground, Afshin Rattansi spoke with Prince Charles adviser Sir Jonathon Porritt about climate change, greenwashing, the need for immediate renewable energy investment , and the Extinction Rebellion.

From JAPAN- The US government has approved a plan to sell $2.2 billion worth of weapons to Taiwan. Following Iran's increase in uranium enrichment, France sent a diplomatic adviser to Tehran asking that they scale back the program. The Iranian foreign minister denied charges that Iranian forces attempted to seize a British oil tanker in the Straits of Hormuz

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

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From JAPAN- Japanese commercial whaling fleets are getting meat to the market- the planned catch for the next six months is less than what was being taken under the so-called "research program." Japanese PM Abe spoke with Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G20 summit and talked about trade issues and large increases in Japanese purchases of US military equipment. UN Secretary General Guterres called for immediate action to tackle global warming, pointing out that there is no time to lose.

From GERMANY- Last month was the hottest June ever recorded worldwide, which an analyst says was directly caused by man made climate change- scientists see no heat cutoff point in sight, however not all weather extremes can be attributed to carbon in the atmosphere. Southeast Asian countries are returning plastic waste to developed counties- July 3rd was world plastic bag free day, highlighting the need to phase out their use.

From RUSSIA- Afshin Rattansi spoke with Italian journalist Stefania Maurizi about the implications of the extradition trials of Julian Assange, which is a case against journalists worldwide. Then he and former MP Lembit Opik discuss the EU standing up to US sanctions against Iran, and the Israeli bombing in Syria which killed children and in effect aided remaining IS forces.

From CUBA- The IMF has given Ecuador another loan installment requiring that more government workers be laid off and wider use of US currency in the country. At a G20 news conference Donald Trump boasted that he has 5 different tactics for regime change in Venezuela. The Cuban foreign minister affirmed that US national security advisor John Bolton is a pathological liar about Cuban activities in other countries. Then a Viewpoint about the corrupt methods used by the Brazilian justice system to set up the incarceration of former President Lula da Silva.