Israel ambassador elected as vice-president of UN General Assembly

Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, has been elected to the position of the UN General Assembly's vice-president, in a move which is set to grant Tel Aviv more sway over the institution.

As one of 21 vice-presidents in the UNGA, Erdan will begin his year-long role in September, when the Assembly gathers for its annual session, enabling him to chair meetings and be involved in the setting of those meetings' agendas.

Erdan's appointment to the position is predicted to grant Israel more influence within the UN as a whole, with Erdan calling it a valuable platform in the face of "ongoing lies of the Palestinians and others at the UN."

He stated that "This triumph sends a clear message to our enemies that they will not prevent us from participating in leading roles at the UN and in the international arena. Hatred must never triumph over the truth. I won't allow it."

His appointment comes at a time when Palestinians and rights groups are increasingly requesting the UN to conduct investigations into numerous human rights violations committed by Israeli forces, the latest of which was the killing of the veteran Palestinian-American journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, in Jenin last month.

While Israeli forces denied that they were the ones who shot her in the head and blamed it on Palestinians, several eyewitnesses – as well as footage and images – indicated that the occupation forces were responsible for her murder. The UN's Special Rapporteur for Palestine also acknowledged that the killing was a "possible war crime".

Although the UN acknowledges Israel's use of apartheid measures and policies against Palestinians, as well as its continued violation of international law in the West Bank, little has been done by the global institution or its member states to hold Tel Aviv to account.

Analysts and human rights groups now fear that Erdan's new position will be used to further Israel's impunity in the face of such violations and to provide it with even more influence and sway over the UNGA and its agenda.

Erdan is not the first Israeli ambassador to be appointed as the Assembly's vice-president, however, his predecessor, Danny Danon was also elected to the role for the 72nd session of the UNGA back in 2017.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220608-israel-ambassador-elected-as-vice-president-of-un-general-assembly/

Khamenei: 'Zionist capitalists' plague for world even before Israel

"The Zionists have always been a plague, even before establishing the fraudulent Zionist regime," the Iranian leader said.

Zionism is a plague for the world of Islam and "Zionist capitalists" were a plague for the whole world, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said during a speech on Wednesday.

"Today, Zionism is an obvious plague for the world of Islam," said Khamenei, according to a transcript on his English-language website. "The Zionists have always been a plague, even before establishing the fraudulent Zionist regime. Even then, Zionist capitalists were a plague for the whole world. Now they’re a plague especially for the world of Islam."

The Iranian supreme leader called for "the plague of Zionism" to be "exposed" in any way possible.

"These Arab and non-Arab states that shook hands, kissed and held meetings with the Zionists won’t benefit from what they did at all, not at all. This will only be to their loss."

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei

Normalization is exploitation

"​Muslim nations oppose the normalization of relations with the Zionists, clench their fists and shout slogans against states seeking normalization," added Khamenei. "The Zionist regime exploits these states. They don’t realize it, but we hope they realize it before it’s too late."

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-708891

Bulgaria Won’t Send Weapons to Ukraine

Bulgaria's PM says the country has done 'enough' by sending humanitarian aid and repairing Ukraine's heavy weapons

On Tuesday, Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said his country has no plans to send heavy weapons to Ukraine. While most NATO countries have followed the US in arming Ukraine, Bulgaria has held out, limiting its assistance to humanitarian aid and repairing some Ukrainian military equipment.

“We’ll do what we have promised to do and there’s no need to reignite the debate every two weeks,” Petkov said. “We’ve supported the incoming refugees, we have sent all kinds of humanitarian aid, we have also been involved with repairing Ukraine’s heavy weapons and we’re in line with all sanctions against Russia.”

Petkov added that Bulgaria has “done enough” and will continue supporting Ukraine as it has been doing. The Bulgarian leader had previously favored sending arms to Ukraine but had to drop the plan over the opposition from parties in his coalition government. The parties eventually agreed that they wouldn’t send arms or ammunition.

Petkov’s comments came after Ukraine’s ambassador in Bulgaria asked for heavy weapons. “Now is the time when we need the weapons that Bulgaria has,” said Ambassador Vitaly Moskalenko.

Bulgaria’s stance on weapons is another example of the growing divisions between NATO and EU members over what level of support they should be providing Ukraine. France, Germany, and Italy have been calling for negotiations to end the war and have been more cautious about sending heavy weapons. The US, Britain, the Baltic states, and several Eastern European countries have been more eager to send advanced arms and have been discouraging peace talks.

https://news.antiwar.com/2022/06/07/bulgaria-wont-send-weapons-to-ukraine/

Spanish operation takes down police and customs officers helping ship cocaine and hashish into Europe

With the support of Europol’s European Financial and Economic Crime Centre, the Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) and National Police (Policía Nacional) have dismantled a drugs trafficking network which allegedly relied on corrupt law enforcement and customs officers to ship hundreds of millions of euros’ worth of cocaine and hashish into Western Europe.

A total of 61 individuals were arrested for their involvement in this criminal operation, including five officers from the Civil Guard, one from the National Police and one from customs, who were identified thanks to the collaboration with Europol and Eurojust.

These arrests follow an 18-month long investigation into two criminal gangs, known as ‘Clan de Tanger’ and ‘Clan del Sur’, who are believed to have smuggled over 16 tonnes of cocaine and 150 tonnes of hashish via the Strait of Gibraltar into Spain for further distribution across Europe. The drugs were hidden among shipments of tomatoes, watermelons and melons. The criminal group dismantled is considered to be the most active network operating around the Port of Algeciras.

The corrupt law enforcement and customs officers were paid by the criminal organisation to make sure that the drugs were not intercepted as they were smuggled in the Spanish port of Algeciras.

In the frame of the investigation, the Spanish authorities conducted 34 raids which led to:

The arrest of 61 individuals, including 7 under European Arrest Warrants issued by other countries;

The seizure of 26 properties valued at over EUR 3 million;

The seizure of 17 vehicles valued at over EUR 400 000;

The seizure in cash of over EUR 1 million;

The seizure of over 83 tonnes of hashish and 9 tonnes of cocaine.

Europol’s European Financial and Economic Crime Centre supported the investigation by providing actionable intelligence and analytical support. On 11 May 2022, two Europol teams were deployed to Spain on the action day to facilitate the extensive exchange of information and provide forensic support for the seized electronic devices.

Cases such as this one involving law enforcement and customs officers show how much corruption has infiltrated society. In its 2021 Serious Organised Crime Threat Assessment, Europol highlighted that over 60 % of criminal groups in the EU engage in corruption, making it a key threat to be addressed in the fight against serious organised crime.

Europol’s European Financial and Economic Crime Centre has set up a dedicated team of experts – known as Analysis Project Corruption - to put a stop to it.

https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/spanish-operation-takes-down-police-and-customs-officers-helping-ship-cocaine-and-hashish-europe

Wim Duisenberg Fellowship

Davide Debortoli, Barcelona School of Economics●Klaus Adam, University of Oxford and Nuffield College●Stefania Albanesi, University of Pittsburgh●Laurence Ball, Johns Hopkins University●Giancarlo Corsetti, University of Cambridge●José-Luis Peydró, Universitat Pompeu Fabra●Cars Hommes, Universiteit van Amsterdam●Angelo Ranaldo, University of St. Gallen●Rafael Repullo, Centre for Monetary and Financial Studies (CEMFI)●Cars Hommes, Universiteit van Amsterdam●Enrique Mendoza, University of Pennsylvania●Roel Beetsma, University of Amsterdam●Lars Svensson, Stockholm School of Economics●Kenneth West, University of Wisconsin●Francesco Bianchi, Duke University●Enrico Perotti, University of Amsterdam●Suresh M. Sundaresan, Columbia Business School●Xavier Vives, IESE Business School●Juan F. Jimeno, Banco de España●Michael Koetter, Frankfurt School of Finance and Management●Andreas Schabert, University of Cologne●Gianluca Benigno, London School of Economics●Hans Peter Grüner, University of Mannheim●Frank de Jong, Tilburg University●Gert Peersman, University of Gent●Jörg Rocholl, European School of Management and Technology●Harald Uhlig, University of Chicago●Reint Gropp, European Business School●Christian Haefke, Institute for Advanced Studies

●Alexander Michaelides, University of Cyprus●John Muelbauer, Oxford University●Tao Zha, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta●Fernando Alvarez, University of Chicago●Michael Devereux, University of British Columbia●Eric Ghysels, University of North Carolina●Harald Hau, INSEAD●Jean Imbs, Paris School of Economics

https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/economic-research/programmes/duisenberg/html/index.en.html

Canada to Introduce Mandatory Monkeypox Quarantine

Canada hasn’t even dropped its COVID travel restrictions, and already the government has elevated monkeypox to Level 2 status, which means travellers may be subject to “isolation,” i.e., mandatory quarantine.

As per a Health Canada announcement, “In the current outbreak, those at risk of infection are those who have had close or intimate contact with a person who has monkeypox.”

“During your travel, you may be subject to procedures at your destination put in place to limit the spread of monkeypox, such as isolation, should you become infected. You may have limited access to timely and appropriate health care should you become ill, and may experience delays in returning home.”

This announcement also suggests that, much like COVID, the Canadian government plans on utilizing COVID infrastructure to track individuals suspected of having contacted those with confirmed monkeypox infections.

Health Canada continues, saying the federal government is now working with provincial and international governments to monitor the spread of monkeypox, even though cases remain low and the monkeypox isn’t transmitted easily.

They are also recommending the use of personal protective equipment while travelling, which may mean additional mask mandates down the road.

Besides being one of the first countries to jump the gun on quarantining those who come down with a case of monkeypox, Canada is also one of the first countries (if not the first) to begin vaccinating people for monkeypox using the smallpox vaccine.

Quebec was the first to begin vaccinating for monkeypox, despite having only 25 cases in the province.

As of yesterday (half a month later), there are now supposedly 85 cases, and over 500 Quebecers have received the smallpox vaccine.

Health officials also appear to be focused almost exclusively on monitoring gay men due to the spread believed to be occurring during sexual intercourse between individuals who attended a Spanish Pride festival — though monkeypox isn’t classified as a sexually-transmitted disease.

“We’re seeing the chain of transmission mainly in social networks in men who have sex with men,” said Montreal’s medical officer, Genevieve Bergeron.

It isn’t clear whether the government plans on tracking heterosexuals, too, or if it’s just gay men being targeted during Pride month.

https://www.naturalblaze.com/2022/06/canada-to-introduce-mandatory-monkeypox-quarantine.html

AFP warns Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group that foreign governments are supporting organised crime in Australia

Drug cartels and other organised crime groups are being infiltrated and assisted by hostile foreign governments to launder dirty cash and peddle illegal substances in Australia.

Key points:

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw gave a speech to the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group

The group includes the FBI, DEA, UK Met Police, NZ Police and Royal Canadian Mounted Police

He says "the long shadow of organised crime and state aggression" is fuelling an increase in serious crimes

The alarming assessment was made by the country's top policeman at a Sydney meeting of leading crime-fighting figures from the Five Eyes nations of the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw, who currently chairs the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group (FLEG) says "the long shadow of organised crime and state aggression" is fuelling an increase in serious crimes.

"State actors and citizens from some nations are using our countries at the expense of our sovereignty and economies," Commissioner Kershaw told a gathering of visiting representatives from domestic and international agencies on Wednesday night.

Speaking to top figures from organisations including the FBI, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, New Zealand Police and the UK's National Crime Agency, Commissioner Kershaw confirmed that "federal crime in Australia is increasing".

"Contributing to this increase is the long shadow of organised crime and state aggression," he told his audience, which included new Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus.

"For the AFP, geopolitics and regional instability continue to influence our strategic priorities," he said.

"Our operational focus remains countering terrorism, espionage and foreign interference; child exploitation; cyber; fraud, and transnational serious organised crime – what we call transnational, serious and organised crime (TSOC)".

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-08/five-eyes-law-enforcement-group-representatives-in-australia/101135068

How Russia Can (And Will?) De-NATO-size Europe

In a video published yesterday Gonzalo Lire, currently under house arrest in Karkov, is asking a very interesting question:

What Happens To Europe When Russia Wins? (vid) https://youtu.be/pdUYtvk4sqE

Lira states, and I agree with him, that Russia will win the war in the Ukraine, take the south and east to likely create a new country and leave the rest of the cadaver for Poland, Hungary, Romania, Lithuania and others to feast on.

But then what?

The U.S. controlled NATO will still be there. It is practically guaranteed that the U.S. will use it to push for revenge for the loss of Ukraine. This will be done by a steady buildup of troops and long range missile capabilities along Russia's Nordic and Baltic borders and additional naval threats in the northern Arctic as well as the southern Black Sea. Some ten years from now the U.S. would be able to again try to wage a big (proxy) war against Russia. Then with a decent chance to win.

No negotiations or peace agreements will prevent that. The U.S. is famously non-agreement-capable (недоговороспособны). It has broken ALL promises and agreements it has ever made with Russia.

Dozens of U.S. and European luminaries had promised to Russia that NATO would expand 'not one inch' towards Russia. Look where its borders are now. The U.S. and the EU have confiscated huge amounts of Russian state owned money. They have even taken, in contradiction to their own constitutions, the properties of private Russian citizens just because those persons happen to be Russian.

In 2014 Germany and France signed on to guarantee elections for a peaceful regime change in Kiev. A day later the fascists stormed the Ukrainian parliament and those guarantees turned out to be totally worthless. The U.S. simply said fuck the EU. It does not give shit about European interests. Germany and France later negotiated and signed the Minsk-1 and Minsk-2 agreements. They continued to feed billions of EU money into Ukraine even as the Ukrainian government, controlled by the U.S., did nothing to fulfill them. Yes, they were that stupid.

The U.S. has installed 'missile defense' systems in Poland and Romania which are in fact designed to lob Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles (IRBM) onto Moscow. These are a serious danger to Russia.

Even after Ukraine is finished, NATO and its EU proxies will continue to be a danger to Russia. Both have proven to be unable to keep promises. Russia in consequence will have to rearrange them.

https://www.moonofalabama.org/2022/06/how-russia-can-and-will-de-nato-size-europe.html

Banking heiress Kate Rothschild pays tribute to her 'angel' daughter Iris three years on from her death aged 15 - as entries close on environmental prize launched in her honour

Kate Rothschild paid tribute to her daughter Iris Goldsmith who died in 2019

Iris, 15, died after a buggy accident on her father Ben Goldsmith's Somerset farm

Her divorced parents recently joined forces to announce a prize in Iris' honour

The Iris Project supports young people tackling environmental issues

Banking heiress Kate Rothschild has paid tribute to her 'angel' daughter Iris, three years after her death.

The 15-year-old died in a buggy accident on her father Ben Goldsmith's farm in North Brewham, Somerset, on July 8, 2019.

Kate, who often posts about her daughter, today took to Instagram stories to share an image of Iris holding a teacup, with a tiny chick inside.

The image, which features the words 'My angel,' along with today's date, shows Iris beaming with happiness as she holds the baby animal.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-10896517/Banking-heiress-Kate-Rothschild-pays-tribute-angel-daughter-Iris-three-years-death.html

Former members of fundamentalist Mormon cult detail the horrific abuse they faced at the hands of pedophile 'prophet' Warren Jeffs - who had 78 WIVES and raped multiple children, while telling them it was the only way they could be 'saved'

Jeffs, now 66, has served as the president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) since 2002

A new Netflix documentary, Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, is set to expose the heinous crimes that Jeffs committed throughout his ruling over the church

FLDS was created in the early 20th century by a group of Mormons got ostracized from the community because they refused to give up polygamy

Jeffs, who became its prophet in 2002, brainwashed, imprisoned, and abused multiple women and children, earning him a spot on the FBI's Most Wanted List

He had 78 wives, 24 of which were children, when he was arrested in 2008. He was convicted of two felony counts of child sexual assault in 2011

He is currently serving a life sentence for the charges, however, it's been reported that he has continued to run the cult from behind bars

A new documentary is set to expose the horrific sexual and physical abuse that took place inside an extremist Mormon cult run by a pedophile who had 78 wives and raped multiple underage girls.

Warren Jeffs, now 66 - who has served as the president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) since 2002 - had more than 70 wives, 24 of whom were underage children, when he was arrested in 2008.

Now, a new Netflix documentary, Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, will lift a lid on the heinous crimes that Jeffs - who is reportedly still running the cult from behind bars - committed while serving as the self-appointed leader of the fundamentalist arm of the church.

FLDS was created in the early 20th century by a group of Mormons who got ostracized from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because they refused to give up polygamy - the act of marrying multiple women.

Polygamy was renounced from the Mormon religion in 1904, when the then-president of the church said it would no longer be allowed in a declaration known as the Second Manifesto.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-10893971/Netflix-documentary-lifts-lid-horrific-abuse-occurred-Warren-Jeffs-extremist-Mormon-cult.html

AFP Commissioner's address to the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group

I begin tonight by acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet and pay my respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

Colleagues, the Honourable Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, QC, distinguished guests and to the broader law enforcement audience here tonight: Many of you have travelled several hours to get to Australia and your journey is no doubt a reminder of our unique location in the Asia Pacific Region.

The close alliance that brings us here today was borne out of the military affiliations formed during World War II.

This Five Nation alliance was crucial during the start of the Cold War – a time in history when serious threats motivated key allies to cooperate in a much more deliberate manner.

It was not until the 1950s that Australia joined this strategic partnership, which matured and evolved post 9/11.

In 2006, the Law Enforcement Strategic Alliance Group was developed under the Five Eyes partnership, and in 2013, it transitioned to the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group, known as the FELEG.

In the six decades that have passed since Australia formally joined the alliance, intelligence and operational sharing has helped keep our countries safe.

This is our shared history.

We know that the past often helps mould our future.

But we don’t need a crystal ball to see that recent world events make FELEG as relevant today as it was at the time of its inception.

However, I would argue FELEG has never been more important.

And that is because:

The pandemic has contributed to the de-stabilisation of the world order.

Global instability is helping to fuel and embolden organised crime.

Criminals have weaponised technology and have become ruthlessly efficient at finding victims.

https://www.afp.gov.au/news-media/media-releases/afp-commissioners-address-five-eyes-law-enforcement-group

Ahmadinejad Suggests 9/11 Was an Inside Job to the Whole World

https://www.bitchute.com/video/FVURl6tXXq1p/

Foreign fighters in Ukraine plead guilty

Two Britons and a Moroccan are on trial as mercenaries in a Donetsk court

Three foreigners who fought for the Ukrainian government pleaded guilty to some of the charges against them in a Donetsk court on Wednesday. British nationals Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin and Moroccan citizen Ibrahim Saadoun face a series of charges – some of which carry the possibility of the death penalty – after being captured by Donetsk People’s Republic forces in and around Mariupol.

Aslin, Pinner, and Saadoun pled guilty under Article 232 of the Donetsk Criminal Code, for “undergoing training for the purpose of carrying out terrorist activities.” Pinner also admitted to the Article 323 charge, “act of seizing power by force.”

All three said they were not guilty of being mercenaries in an armed conflict (Article 430) or participating in a conspiracy (Article 34). Proceedings against them at the Supreme Court of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) began on Monday.

The DPR accuses Ukraine of military aggression against the breakaway state, which declared independence in 2014 following the US-backed coup in Kiev. Both Britons said they had fought on the Ukrainian side since 2018.

Under the laws of the Donetsk People’s Republic, forcible seizure of power carries a penalty of 12-20 years behind bars, but could be escalated to capital punishment due to wartime aggravating circumstances. Being a mercenary is punishable by a prison sentence of three to seven years.

Pinner and Aslin were captured in Mariupol in April, as Russian and DPR troops cut off a brigade of Ukrainian marines to which they were attached. The neo-Nazi ‘Azov’ militants held out at an industrial complex of the Black Sea port city for another month before surrendering on May 20.

London has demanded that Aslin and Pinner be treated as prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions. However, the DPR has pointed out that the conventions only apply to uniformed soldiers of a national military, not foreign mercenaries.

https://www.rt.com/russia/556833-donetsk-court-mercenaries-guilt/

Iran’s Nuclear Agency Turns Off IAEA Cameras It Says Aren't Included in March NPT Safeguards Deal

Following accusations it had refused to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA), the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) decided to turn off several monitoring cameras at an unnamed nuclear site, saying they were not part of its monitoring deal with the UN-affiliated watchdog.

In a Wednesday statement, the AEOI said the IAEA has “unfortunately ignored the fact that such cooperation signifies Iran’s goodwill, has been ungrateful for the cooperation and has considered it as a duty of Iran,” according to Tasnim News Agency.

As a result, the agency turned off two of the ultra-Safeguards Agreement cameras that monitor the country’s enrichment of uranium-235, a radioactive isotope useful in lower purities for nuclear power and at extremely high purities for producing nuclear warheads. It can also be used as the base from which to refine plutonium, a much more powerful nuclear warhead fuel.

The AEOI said the cameras went beyond the scope of Tehran’s nonproliferation treaty (NPT) safeguards agreement made with the IAEA. It added that more than 80% of the IAEA’s cameras in Iran are covered by the agreement and have remained on.

Speaking before the IAEA’s board of governors on Monday, agency director-general Rafael Grossi said the IAEA had lived up to its end of the March bargain, but that the AEOI had “not provided explanations that are technically credible in relation to the Agency’s findings at three undeclared locations in Iran,” referring to a report the week prior claiming to have found traces of nuclear material there. He demanded Tehran reveal “the current location, or locations, of the nuclear material and/or of the equipment contaminated with nuclear material, that was moved from Turquzabad in 2018.”

Saeed Khatibzadeh, the spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, blasted the report as “neither fair nor balanced,” saying Tehran had in fact provided the IAEA with written answers to its question.

Iran has also accused Grossi of “colluding” with Israel after he traveled to Tel Aviv on Friday and met with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett ahead of the IAEA meeting. The visit was especially dubious as Israel is not only staunchly opposed to a nuclear deal with Iran, but also possesses nuclear weapons and is not a signatory to the NPT.

https://sputniknews.com/20220608/irans-nuclear-agency-turns-off-iaea-cameras-it-says-arent-included-in-march-npt-safeguards-deal-1096133799.html

Former WA MP Phil Edman set to face trial over allegations he hindered a corruption investigation

A former WA Liberal politician is set to stand trial over claims he hindered a corruption investigation into his taxpayer-funded sex trips, massages and lavish dinners.

Phil Edman fronted a Perth court on Wednesday morning on five charges stemming from the 2019 Crime and Corruption Commission probe, which ultimately found he misused his $78,000 yearly electoral allowance.

Those criminal allegations involve tipping off four associates about the inquiry, including former upper house MP Nigel Hallett.

The watchdog's report prompted a prolonged tug-of-war with state Parliament over Edman's laptop, which he spoke about in secretly recorded phone conversations, claiming it contained "dirt" that could "end careers".

Edman's lawyer Finola Barr told reporters outside court her client "has entered firm not guilty pleas" and will be "defending all the charges".

A date for his trial will likely be set later this month.

https://www.9news.com.au/national/former-wa-liberal-politician-phil-edman-set-to-face-trial-over-claims-he-hindered-a-corruption-investigation/5dfa8b87-9dde-4c71-867a-5b66e1ed47fb

Troy City Council Member Pleads Guilty to Identity Theft

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndny/pr/troy-city-council-member-pleads-guilty-identity-theft