The Shortwave Report

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

   http://www.outfarpress.com/swr190628.mp3

       From GERMANY- The European continent is experiencing a record breaking heat wave, the result of hot air blowing in from north Africa. Scientists attribute the unprecedented temperatures to climate change and expect the trend to continue. In Bahrain, Jared Kushner arranged what he deemed a peace initiative for Palestine through a $50 billion plan to stimulate development and create jobs in the West Bank and Gaza- it was a complete failure and Palestinians protested their outrage.

       From CUBA- Cuban President Diaz-Canel blasted the US Congress for approving $32 million for the promotion of subversion and regime change in Cuba. The controversial Honduran President Hernandez welcomed the US Southern Command leader and Marines to the US military base in his country. The Supreme court in Brazil has rejected 2 appeals to grant freedom to imprisoned former President Lula da Silva. Yellow Vest protests continue in France for the 32nd week. The Iranian Foreign Minister says his country will never pursue a nuclear weapon, reminding people of the chemical attacks by Iraq on Iran in the 1980s, with the assistance of the US government.

       From RUSSIA- Afshin Rattansi discusses the newest US acting Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, a former vice-president for Raytheon. Afshin then presents the escalating US tensions with Iran after Trump pulled back from a strike, following Iran shooting down a US drone. The US responded with sanctions, leading to Iran saying diplomatic relations may be permanently shut. 

       From JAPAN- The UN says leaders from 140 nations will attend a high level climate action meeting in September, with Trump not attending. One of the hopes for the current G20 summit is to reduce new plastic marine waste to zero by 2050. Then a chronological series of reports on US sanctions, threats, and actions against Iran. Trump has criticized the defense agreement between the US and Japan, saying most countries take advantage of  the US.

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

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From JAPAN- The Iranian Foreign Minister flatly denied that his country had anything to do with the attacks on tankers last week in the Gulf of Oman, and the crew of one of the vessels reported that the tanker was hit with a projectile well above the water line. On Monday the acting US Defense Secretary authorized the deployment of an additional 1000 troops to the middle east and then on Tuesday he resigned. Iran shot down a US military spy drone in their air space, and the US said it was in international territory. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute released its annual report on nuclear armaments.

From GERMANY- On World Refugee Day the UN released that a record number of people are displaced by war or persecution, more than 70 million people around the world. Israel has named a new settlement in the illegally occupied Golan Heights as Trump Heights in appreciation of Donald's support. India is in the grip of an historic deadly heat wave which scientists are attributing to global climate change.

From CUBA- The Foreign Ministers of the EU are working to avoid the consequences of the application of Title 3 of the Helms-Burton Act, which allows US citizens to sue anyone profiting from property expropriated by the Cuban government since the 1959 revolution. Brazilian military police cracked down on civilians protesting the governments privatization of social security. Venezuelan authorities accuse self-proclaimed interim president Guiado of using relief funds to pay for housing his troops. The NYT reported that the US has escalated its cyber attacks against Russia via its power grid.

From RUSSIA- George Galloway interviewed American journalist Chris Hedges. They discuss Trump as a cult rather than political leader, what is imperialism, climate change, and what the US will do to Julian Assange and what legal precedents will be set.

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

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From GERMANY- The British government has approved the extradition of Julian Assange to the US, and a Russian court granted an early release of an incarcerated human rights advocate. On Monday the German Foreign Minister held talks in Iran to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal. The economic warfare that the US is unilaterally imposing against Iran is making citizens feel suffer- the Germany and France are working on methods of providing financial support in spite of US threats. On Thursday two oil tankers headed for Japan were carefully attacked in the Gulf of Oman, but who did it and why is unknown.

From JAPAN- Japanese Prime Minister Abe spent several days in Iran in an attempt to ease tensions- he was told by the Ayatollah that Iran has no intention of making or using nuclear weapons, does not seek war, and does not trust negotiating with the US. Last weekend over a million Hong Kong citizens filled the streets to protest a proposed law that could extradite residents to mainland China- the protests continue and have become violent. Japan has compiled its long term strategy for cutting greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris Agreement. Canadian PM Trudeau says the country will ban single-use plastics as early as 2021- less than 10 percent of plastics used in Canada gets recycled.

From CUBA- The Brazilian Bar Association is demanding the removal of Justice Minister Moro for his partiality in the case of imprisoned former president Lula da Silva, who would have beaten Bolsonaro had he been allowed to run in 2018. On Monday the US has formally requested that Britain extradite of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

From RUSSIA- George Galloway interviewed Ahed Tamimi, an 18 year old Palestinian woman. Ahed was charged with attacking an Israeli soldier when she slapped him after he shot her 15 year old cousin in the head with a rubber bullet at close range. A video of the slap went viral and she spent 8 months in prison. She discusses her generation being the hope in the conflict with Israel, and questions who is imprisoned by lies.

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

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From GERMANY- The Greens political party gained a great deal in the EU Parliament elections, with much credit going to the work of Greta Thunberg. Luxembourg is going to make all public transport free next year to reduce pollution caused by individual cars.

From SPAIN- A brief summary of how Spain voted in the EU parliamentary and regional elections.

From CUBA- China delivered another 69 tons of medical and health supplies to Venezuela. US Senator Lindsey Graham says the US military should invade Venezuela like they did in Grenada in 1983. Argentina faced another nationwide strike in protest of the recession brought on by the Macri administration. The Palestine Liberation Organization has called on the international community to boycott a forthcoming US led conference in Bahrain, purportedly to encourage investment in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The US walked out of the UN conference on Disarmament as Venezuela assumed the body's rotating presidency.

From JAPAN- Japanese President Abe and Trump made speeches on a Japanese naval destroyer that will be converted into an aircraft carrier so that it can carry some of the 100 new F-35 Stealth fighter jets Japan has agreed to buy. The people and leaders of Hiroshima are protesting the recent reporting of a subcritical US nuclear weapon test conducted in February in Nevada. Japan has been experiencing record high temperatures in May.

From RUSSIA- Afshin Rattansi interviewed lawyer and former Harvard professor Alan Dershowitz on the possible British extradition of Julian Assange. They discuss the precedents that could be set by charging a publisher with espionage, why the democratic party is not concerned with the first amendment question, and whether McCarthyism is alive in the US today.

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

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From JAPAN- The Tokyo governor is drawing up a plan to reduce the city's CO2 emissions by 2050. South Korea suspended use of a nuclear reactor that would not shut down when it exceeded its safe thermal limit. North Korea has had the lowest rainfall in over a hundred years which is worsening food shortages.

From CUBA- Cuba denies any links to the shipment of charcoal found to include large quantities of cocaine when it reached Panama. In Brazil millions of students went on strike against educational cuts announced by Bolsonaro. In Honduras medical professionals and educators are defending the massive strike in opposition to privatizing schools and healthcare. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega honored the memory of Augusto Cesar Sandino on the anniversary of his assassination. Steve Bannon, former advisor to Trump, claims that this week's EU parliamentary elections will result in a large number of populist and far-right victories.

From GERMANY- Last weekend tens of thousands of people rallied in cities across Europe to protest the surge of the far-right, and to show support for the EU. Iran reacted to Trump's tweet on the end of Iran, while building up military forces and getting support from Israel and Saudi Arabia. Dramatic US limits on smartphone producer Huawei have displeased many across the world, while evidence of the US allegations of a Chinese backdoor on their equipment has never been publicly demonstrated.

From RUSSIA- George Galloway interviewed Patrick Henningsen editor of 21st Century Wire, an online news source. They discuss the importance of new independent news gatherers who are challenging the mainstream narrative and attempting to stimulate critical thinking. They use the Assange situation as an example of how poorly traditional news sources are doing at clarifying events for the public, and how important listener support for the independent news sources is.

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

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From GERMANY- We will start with 3 brief stories- clashes in Palestine, another successful lawsuit against carcinogenic Roundup, and Turkey launches military exercises for the second time this year. There were large climate change protests again last weekend in London, Paris and Brussels, demanding that governments declare a climate emergency. While starting a global campaign in New Zealand, the UN Secretary-General Guterres urged world leaders to make good on their promises to combat climate change. The campaign is called the zero-carbon bill, calling for a binding framework for the reduction of emissions of carbon, nitrous oxide, and methane. Last week France and 8 other EU countries announced that they would try to halt almost all of their greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.

From JAPAN- There was another UN Climate Change panel held in Japan, unveiling new guidelines for governments to use in estimating greenhouse gas emissions more accurately. The two top exporters of plastic waste, the US and Japan, are no longer able to send it to China or southeast Asia and it is rapidly accumulating. The Iranian foreign minister visited Japanese PM Abe to discuss US threats in the Persian Gulf and reaffirm the importance of their mutual support. The Japanese foreign minister said he will assist in trying to defuse the situation. Iranian leader Khamenei said that his country is not seeking war with the US and that sabotage against Saudi tankers was not done by Iranians. The South Korean President has agreed with the UN World Food Program to help with emergency food aid to North Korea which is experiencing extreme rationing due to drought.

From CUBA- The Cuban President Diaz-Canal that US threats of sanctions against Cuba have no support inside or outside of the US. Indigenous Brazilians and their supporters are rallying against assaults on their rights and territories. The US defense department is redirecting another $1.5 billion from other programs to fund Trump’s border wall. Self-proclaimed president of Venezuela, Juan Guiado, called on the EU to impose new sanctions on the people of his country. The US invasion of the Venezuelan embassy in Washington DC is a violation of international conventions on diplomacy. The Attorney-General of Ecuador has agreed to deliver all of Julian Assange's papers and media to the US government.

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- North Korea launched several missiles on the weekend, saying that it was part of ordinary military training for self-defense- Japanese Prime Minister Abe said there were no threats to national security. Then reports from Monday through Thursday on the evolution of tensions between the US and Iran- resulting in Iranian threats to start higher enrichment of uranium and the US sanctioning Iranian metal sales.

From GERMANY- A European view on the surprising escalation of conflicts between the US and Iran. The UN released a new report on biodiversity, pointing out the unprecedented increase in species extinction caused by human activity.

From RUSSIA- Former UK MP George Galloway talked with Jonathan Steel, former chief foreign correspondent for The Guardian. They discuss the attempts at creating a coup in Venezuela, directed by the US with support from some European nations. Why has the coup so far failed, and do the Venezuelans really support Guiado? Jonathan points out that unlike exploits in the Caribbean, the US has not sent troops into South American nations in modern history, preferring to covertly create regime change. He suggests the need for a third party to create dialogues between Maduro and Guiado, which Mexico has been trying to establish. They also remark on the US regression to going after Cuba.

From CUBA- Mike Pence is offering new incentives to Venezuelan military to turn against Maduro. The American Association of Juries, which consults at the UN, says former Brazilian President Lula da Silva is a political prisoner. The monitoring group Air Wars says new figures released by the Pentagon grossly underestimated civilian war deaths last year caused by the US military in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Somalia, and Yemen. The university in Amherst Mass allowed a pro-Palestinian rally despite attempted court injunctions. Mercenary corporation Blackwater, under a new name, has returned to Iraq to train defeated Daesh terrorists at a military base Trump visited in December.

Today's show is a special edition of the SWR. This past Monday was the 49th anniversary of Earth Day, an annual event to try and bring attention to climate issues. There has been increasing data showing that the human impact on the planet is creating weather and environmental disruptions. Globally, the vast majority of scientists are reporting that the human use of fossil fuels is responsible for a planet that is rapidly warming. And that this is accumulating into a crisis. In the US many people still consider this to be speculation.

Greta Thunberg, a 16 year old from Sweden, has spoken to this issue in various venues including the parliament of the EU, the UN, and the COP24 international climate talks. She has pointed out that governments are not moving swiftly enough to counteract climactic changes that have been known for several decades. Greta has been inspiring school age youth to go on strike every Friday for the past few months. The number of students involved is large and growing in most European countries. In the wake of these actions groups are forming called Extinction Rebellion. This past week saw large protests and confrontations in France and London.

For the most part, mainstream media is not covering these protests. At best they report on actions that involve violence, not the questions and demands being raised. One exception is France 24 which includes English language news and opinion. It is easily available at www.france24.com. The following reports and interviews are from France 24, except for the first presentation by Greta Thunberg which is a sample from a TED talk she gave in August 2018.

Next week I will return to the usual format of this program, using a variety of international broadcasters, covering a different perspective of what is happening in the world.

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- First news briefs including a wind farm, Greta Thunberg meets the Pope, the extinction rebellion, and Trump vetoes a bill to stop funding the war on Yemen. Much of the European news focused on the fire at Notre Dame- here is a report on the funding for its restoration and how that compares to the Yellow Vests demands for social service funding. In Ecuador, supporters of Julian Assange have clashed with riot police.

From CUBA- The former foreign minister of Ecuador asserts that President Moreno turned on Julian Assange to improve relations with the US and secure a huge loan from the IMF. The Cuban Foreign Minister criticized the activation of part of the Helms-Burton law as an attack on international law and a move to create regime change in Cuba. The leader of the US military Southern Command says they are on the balls of their feet, awaiting orders to invade Venezuela. The Venezuelan Ambassador to the UN denounced the April 10th secret meeting in Washington on plans to intervene with mercenary forces in Venezuela.

From RUSSIA- Afshin Rattansi spoke with US journalist Greg Palast on the latest US attempt to create regime change in Venezuela. Greg describes the coup in 2002 when President Hugo Chavez was kidnapped and the racist roots of the anti-Maduro campaigns. He also explains why British Petroleum and the Koch Brothers oil refineries want new leadership in Venezuela.

From JAPAN- Using robotics, the first step of moving nuclear fuel within the Fukushima reactors has begun, 8 years after the devastating accident. In Finland a right-wing anti-immigrant party became the second largest political party in the nation. North Korean state-run media have begun referring to Kim Jong Un as Supreme Representative of all the Korean people.

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

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From CUBA- A few hours ago Julian Assange was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and charged in court for conspiracy at the request of the US Justice department. The first story here is from Wednesday when Ecuadorian President Moreno said he would likely evict Assange, following NYT reports that Moreno offered to sell Assange for debt relief. Then a story just released about former President Correa's response to Julian's arrest.

From GERMANY- Brazilian President Bolsonaro wants the US to work together on exploiting what is left of the Amazon rainforest- then a review of his first 100 days in office. Steve Bannon, former chief strategist for the Trump campaign, is helping set up a new training center in an Italian monastery- their goal is to bring the different populist, far-right political parties together, in Europe and then globally.

From JAPAN- The Japanese defense minister says military expenditures may reach 1.3% of the country’s GDP, well below the 2% the Trump calls for. Japan will not follow the US in labeling the Iranian elite military force a terrorist group- meanwhile Iran has listed the US Central Command as a terrorist organization and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu welcomed the US anti-Iranian move. Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu will keep his post after a general election. The Japanese Foreign Minister says that Japan does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Syrian Golan Heights.

From RUSSIA- George Galloway interviewed British journalist Ahmed Kaballo. Ahmed has been on the ground in Venezuela, producing documentaries about the political and economic upheavals.