TRENDS

18

Jun

John Bolton, President Trump, The New York Times, The Room Where It Happened

The New York Times: Five Takeaways From John Bolton’s Memoir

“The Room Where It Happened” describes Mr. Bolton’s 17 turbulent months at President Trump’s side through a multitude of crises and foreign policy challenges. PEJOURNAL - John R. Bolton, the former national security adviser, plans to publish a damning book next week depicting President Trump as a corrupt, poorly informed, reckless leader who used the power of his office to advance his own personal and political needs even ahead of the nation’s interests. The book, “The Room Where It Happened,” describes Mr. Bolton’s 17 turbulent months at Mr. Trump’s side through a multitude of crises and foreign policy challenges, but…

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18

Jun

digital totalitarianism, Medvedev, pejournal, Political Economy Journal, Russia

Political Economy Journal: “The productivity of digitalization should not be bought at the cost of digital totalitarianism” Medvedev

Russia's deputy head of the National Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, said in an article published in Russia in World Politics magazine that the economic efficiency that digitalization creates should not be achieved at the cost of "digital totalitarianism." He stated "The digital sector will undoubtedly become an important factor in the economic, social and political development of the world after the pandemic. But the precise demarcation between the benefits of digitalization and the threat of the emergence of the "older digital brother" (digital authoritarianism) and the limitations of human rights and fundamental freedoms are critical. The economic efficiency that digitalization…

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18

Jun

Diplomacy, Europe, Iran, JCPOA, nournews

NOURNEWS: Europe Seeks to Repeat the Failed Experience of “Coercive Diplomacy” against Iran / Knee-to-Neck Policy Does Not Respond Here!

PEJOURNAL - According to Western media reports over the past two days, the European Troika is finalizing anti-Iranian resolutions for approval by the International Atomic Energy Agency's Governing Council, which will likely be put to a vote on Friday, despite opposition from China and Russia. Considered in the context of US menus for disrupting JCPOA, the resolution is seen as a new step in increasing pressure on Iran, and it is natural that Iran cannot fail to react seriously to this European behavior. Due to the negative reactions of Iran, China and Russia to the resolution, representatives of the European…

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18

Jun

Africa, Corona virus, COVID19, PANDEMIC, The Economist

The pandemic in Africa is not just a crisis of public health or the economy, It’s a political one, too.

Writing in The Economist, former senior UN official Alan Doss and founder of Celtel Mo Ibrahim argue that the pandemic threatens the democratic progress made in Africa in recent years."Hard times often make people especially vulnerable to the siren song of populists and extremists trading on communal enmities," they write.At least 18 African countries are expected to hold national elections this year. But unless proper laws are in place, suspending elections amid the pandemic could erode democracy.To prevent this from happening, Mr Doss and Mr Ibrahim explain, there are several steps African governments and the public can take

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17

Jun

IAEA, Iran, JCPOA, NUCLEAR

Political Economy Journal: The IAEA’s Access Request ( Endless Series of Inspections) is not Applicable under the Documents of the Spy Agencies

- According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the International Atomic Energy Agency's inspections are one of the most important issues in the Iran's peace process since the beginning of the nuclear talks in the 1980s. Iran has called for a framework for inspections, and since 2006 Iran's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Mohamed ElBaradei has always demanded that a distinction be made between a request for a safeguard and an over-the-counter. This demand was due to the fact that in his reports to the Board of Governors, the Director General presented a combination of the results…

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17

Jun

Anadolu Agency, annexation, EU, Israel, W.Bank

Anadolu Agency: ‘EU may recognize Palestinian state if Israel annexes W.Bank’

Luxembourg foreign minister calls for tougher EU stance against Israel’s annexation plans, calls it nothing but ‘stealing’ PEJOURNAL - The European Union’s recognition of Palestine as a state would become “inevitable” if Israel moves forward with its controversial plan to annex the West Bank, Luxembourg’s foreign minister has said. Speaking to German weekly Der Spiegel, Jean Asselborn called for a tougher EU stance against the Israeli government’s plan to annex significant parts of the West Bank. “To simply write reproachful letters would be a humiliation for the EU and would significantly weaken its credibility,” Asselborn stressed, suggesting stronger measures like…

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16

Jun

Al-Ahwaziyah, Denmark, Iran, nournews, Saudi Arabia, terrorist

NOURNEWS: Saudi Ambassador Summoned to Denmark

PEJOURNAL - The Danish Foreign Ministry has summoned the Saudi ambassador in connection with the terrorist charges against three members of the Al-Ahwaziyah terrorist group in Denmark. According to Danish police, the three have been prosecuted for financing and promoting terrorism in Iran, as well as cooperating with the Saudi intelligence service for about four months. The men are members of the Al-Ahwaziyah terrorist group and live in Canada, who spied for the Saudi intelligence service between 2012 and 2018. Danish Foreign Minister Yepe Kofoud pointed out that Saudi Arabia's spying against Iran has led to the summoning of the…

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16

Jun

economic recovery, Reuters, U.S. stock indexes, Wall Street

Reuters: Wall Street closes higher on signs of economic recovery

PEJOURNAL - Wall Street advanced on Tuesday as the prospect of additional stimulus and a record jump in retail sales suggested the U.S. economy could bounce back sooner than expected, five months into its pandemic-inflicted recession. All three major U.S. stock indexes posted their third consecutive daily gains. The Dow and the S&P remain about 11% and 8% below their respective record closing highs reached in February, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq hovers about 1% below its all-time closing high reached on June 10. Data released by the Commerce Department showed retail sales jumped by a record 17.7% in May, blowing…

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16

Jun

COVID19, Democracy, Election, Foreign Affairs, PANDEMIC

Foreign Affairs: Democracy Versus the Pandemic

The Coronavirus Is Emboldening Autocrats the World Over By Larry Diamond PEJOURNAL - In late March, Philippine strongman Rodrigo Duterte rammed a bill through his country’s parliament that granted him vastly expanded emergency powers, ostensibly to fight the novel coronavirus. The bill authorized Duterte to reallocate the national budget as he saw fit and to personally direct hospitals. “Do not challenge the government,” he bellowed in a menacing televised address. “You will lose.” Six days later, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban pushed even more expansive emergency legislation through his rubber-stamp parliament, enabling him to suspend existing laws, decree new ones,…

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16

Jun

Seyed Hassan Nasrallah

"The option of buying gasoline and gas from Iran, in the national currency as a result of previous experiences should be considered by the Lebanese , but I have not yet spoken to the Iranians on this issue."

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