https://english.almayadeen.net/news/economics/us-eu-economies-slowing-amid-growing-recession-risks

US, EU economies slowing amid growing recession risks

The risk of recessions is rising on a global scale, with the US and Europe's economies slowing sharply in June amid rising food and energy prices.

According to new figures, the war in Ukraine has impacted growth in Europe and the US, as high inflation spreads. The problem was further exacerbated by supply-chain disruptions.

S&P Global said on Thursday that the US composite purchasing managers index, which measures activity in the manufacturing and services sectors, fell in June from 53.6 (May) to 51.2, reaching its lowest level in five months.

The index fell from 54.8 in May to 51.9 in June in the eurozone, marking a 16-month low. When the index is above 50 points, this signifies economic expansion, while below 50 points mean economic contraction.

The results, which show that US retail sales fell in May, while mortgage prices rose 5.81% last week (scoring the highest rise since 2008), and inflation at a four-decade high, all point to a US economy that will grow at an annual rate of less than 1% in June, and will contract in the third quarter, according to Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global.

In Europe, readings point to a second-quarter growth rate of 0.2%.

The obstacles faced by the West's economy this year range from renewed Covid-19 lockdowns in China, rising food and energy prices, central banks combating high inflation by increasing borrowing costs, and the decisive factor being the war in Ukraine.

Economists at Barclays envisioned a 2.2% growth for the US economy this year, followed by a 1.1% growth in 2023. As for the eurozone, the economy is expected to enter a recession in the final quarter of 2022, and may expand by just 0.5% in 2023.

US President Biden has been blaming his domestic inflation on Russia at a time when it has been pushing for West-led sanctions on Russian oil, which is sinking the world into further crises.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/putins-approval-rating-hits-80-percent

Putin's approval rating hits 80 percent

On Friday, Russia's Public Opinion Foundation (FOM) released their latest numbers for Putin, and they show that his popularity is growing even more. Putin now holds an enormous 80-percent approval rating.

From June 17 to 19, FOM conducted a national survey with 1,500 respondents over the age of 18 from 53 Russian regions. The margin of error was less than 3.6 percent.

80 percent of respondents trusted Putin, 12 percent did not, and 8 percent were unsure, according to the poll.

In comparison to a similar poll conducted in June 2021, the figures were as follows: 57%, 32%, and 11%, respectively. These findings remained consistent until late February 2022, when Putin's confidence rating began to rise steadily.

The results also showed that 81 percent of respondents approved of the president's actions, while 8 percent disagreed and 11 percent were unsure. As a result, Putin's approval rating has increased by roughly a fifth (from 62 percent) since June 2021.

From June 13 to 19, Russia's Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) conducted a similar poll, interviewing 1,600 citizens over the age of 18. According to VTsIOM, Putin is currently trusted by 81.1 percent of Russian citizens, and his actions are supported by 78.7 percent of respondents. The poll's margin of error was less than one percent.

>>16501537

Once a jackass, always a jackass.

>>16501579

Best Potus ever.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/labor-defeat-tories-in-by-elections-tory-party-chair-resigns

Labour defeat Tories in by-elections, Tory party chair resigns

Britain's Labor Party has won the Wakefield by-election, and has regained the seat it lost to the Tories in the 2019 elections.

Labor candidate Simon Lightwood defeated Conservative candidate Nadeem Ahmed by 4,925 votes, garnering 13,166 votes.

The elections took place following the resignation of an ex-Conservative MP, Imran Ahmad Khan, who was convicted in May of sexual assault against a 15-year-old boy in 2008. Wakefield had been held by the Labor party since the 1930s prior to Khan winning the election in 2019.

Shortly after the announcement was made in Wakefield, Conservatives lost Tiverton and Honiton in Devon to the Liberal Democrats.

Tory leader resigns

Oliver Dowden, the Tories' party chair decided to resign from his position following these losses, saying that someone must "take responsibility" for the "very poor result" for the Conservative party.

In the letter he wrote to PM Boris Johnson, Dowden said “our supporters are distressed and disappointed by recent events, and I share their feelings.

“We cannot carry on with business as usual. Somebody must take responsibility and I have concluded that, in these circumstances, it would not be right for me to remain in office.”

Johnson has been grappling with calls to resign after a series of leaks showed that several social gatherings were held at his offices throughout 2020 and 2021, flouting Covid-19 social distancing rules, which later became known as the Partygate scandal. The scandal gravely affected his party's standing.

The Conservative Party also lost key London council seats back in May, as faith in the party has weaned over the past year.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/ukraine-seeking-fighter-jets-instead-of-us-provided-drones

Ukraine seeking fighter jets instead of US-provided drones

The US had provided Ukraine with Gray Eagle combat drones, however, Kiev is seeking to receive fighter jets such as the F-15 and F-16 instead of them. Ukrainian officials argue that the fighter jets have a better chance against Russian air defenses.

According to Foreign Policy, a Ukrainian pilot said that “It’s very dangerous to use such expensive drones in our case, because of the enemy’s air defense,” adding that “It’s not Afghanistan here.”

UK officials have been divided over the efficiency of US-provided combat drones. On the other hand, retired US officers, such as Max Boot, have firmly advocated for the delivery of Gray Eagles to Ukraine. They even argued that these weapons could be a “game-changer” in a conflict zone.

Another Ukrainian fighter pilot said that the Gray Eagles “could be useful” on the frontline. Nonetheless, they would probably not survive more than one or two missions which is a small number of missions compared to the cost of each drone which is about $10 million.

While there is an ongoing debate regarding the weapons, Reuters had reported that the US had put the delivery of four such drones to Kiev “on hold” out of fear that they might end up in Russian hands.

Read more: US sends $450 million worth of weapons to Ukraine

Previously, Ukraine has been able to efficiently use the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 strike drones turning them it a significant part of their arsenal said the fighter pilot. However, that was the case in the early stages of the war but now the Russian air defense would strike them down much faster. A fighter jet would be so much more efficient in the ongoing war.

A debt-ridden war

Earlier this week, Ukraine received a delivery of precision artillery from the US. The weapons came in response to Kiev’s plea to the allies to support its military with advanced artillery in the war with Russia.

Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksiy Reznikov stated via his Twitter account that the "HIMARS have arrived in Ukraine,” adding, “Thank you to my colleague and friend Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III for these powerful tools! Summer will be hot for Russian occupiers. And the last one for some of them.”

On the US end, Senator Paul Rand has been arguing since May that the US might be investing too much in Ukraine.

Paul argued that the US is funding Ukraine's war with borrowed money, which would add to the US' $30 trillion debt, exacerbating the its crippling inflation crisis.

“Americans are feeling the pain, and Congress seems intent on only adding to that pain by shoving more money out the door as fast as they can,” Paul said.

Washington, according to Paul, is still trying to recover from the $1.6 trillion spent on wars in the Middle East, in addition to the $5 trillion spent on the Covid-19 response.

“We should not forget that the Soviet Union collapsed in large part not because it was defeated militarily, but because it ran out of money,” he said. “In an attempt to save Ukraine, will we doom the US to such a future?”

On June 11th, and according to AAA's reading, a gallon of ordinary petrol costs $5 on average throughout the US for the first time. Gas prices have been gradually climbing since April, and this current milestone represents the 15th consecutive day that the AAA gauge has reached a new high, and the 32nd time in the last 33 days.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/johnson:-ukrainians-who-come-to-uk-illegally-could-be-sent-t

Johnson: Ukrainians who come to UK illegally could be sent to Rwanda

In an escalation of his government's plans to deport those crossing into the UK to seek sanctuary, PM Boris Johnson has said that Ukrainian refugees entering the UK without authorization may be deported to Rwanda.

Johnson defended, on Thursday, his contentious deal to deport migrants to Rwanda, urging critics to "keep an open mind."

It is worth noting that the London-Kigali scheme, which involves Britain deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda thousands of miles away, has sparked outrage.

The migrant arrangement has been strongly condemned by rights groups, church leaders, and the United Nations, not to mention that it threatens to overshadow this week's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

One of the most outspoken opponents is the British heir to the throne, Prince Charles, who has been quoted in the British media as calling it "appalling".

Johnson had previously said the prospect of Ukrainian refugees being sent to Rwanda was "simply not going to happen."

However, when asked ahead of the CHOGM meeting on whether Ukrainians arriving to the UK by boat may be deported to East Africa, he said: “The only circumstances in which people will be sent to Rwanda would be if they come to the UK illegally," adding moments later "if you come here illegally, you’re undermining all those who come here legally. And it’s crazy. So I’m afraid the answer is I suppose, yes, in theory that could happen. But I think it’s very unlikely.”

UK and Ukrainian refugees

Critics of the UK government's response to the war have said that the UK in fact takes in fewer Ukrainians per capita than most of Europe.

“In stark contrast to the British public who have opened their doors to welcome Ukrainians in desperate search of safety, our prime minister has confirmed that the government is intent on treating them as human cargo to be transported from the UK to Rwanda," Enver Solomon, the chief executive of the Refugee Council said regarding Johnson's statements.

The first flight carrying migrants was scheduled for June 14, following the rejection of a lawsuit filed by human rights activists seeking to halt the government's decision to send illegal migrants to Rwanda. According to the court's statement, the flight was canceled after the ECHR ruled that an Iraqi migrant involved might face "a real risk of irreversible harm."

Rwanda's government announced that it has already begun spending the 120 million pound downpayment given by the UK on the asylum scheme, as the government's spokesperson said that part of it was spent to prepare accommodations to receive the first batch of migrants that was supposed to arrive on the 14th.

Meanwhile, to counter the EHCR's decision, Britain began legislating for a new bill of rights on Wednesday, which would state unequivocally that Britain's Supreme Court, which approved the Rwanda flights, had legal supremacy and that ECHR judgments did not necessarily have to be followed by British courts.

According to the Ministry of Justice, it would certify that injunctions ordered by the ECHR under Rule 39, which halted the Rwandan flight, were not binding.

Stephanie Boyce, president of the Law Society of England and Wales, said it would create an acceptable class of human rights violations, while Sacha Deshmukh, Chief Executive of Amnesty International UK, said it was unsurprising that politicians held accountable by human rights laws wanted them removed.

"This is not about tinkering with rights. It's about removing them," Deshmukh said.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/ukrainian-official-accuses-israeli-government-of-corruption

Ukrainian official accuses Israeli government of corruption

The Israeli occupation government is "corrupt", a senior Ukrainian official told the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom on Thursday.

The Israeli outlet reported that in an "unprecedented diplomatic attack," the Ukrainian official accused ministers within the Israeli cabinet of corruption, which he said was affecting "Tel Aviv's" policy regarding the Ukraine war.

Unlike the Israeli government, the official said, "the Western governments realized that they must support Ukraine. We were badly surprised by the Israeli government - some of the ministers are doing business with Russia, and we understood that this is a corrupt government."

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity, which prompted the Israeli occupation's foreign ministry to say that they "do not respond to anonymous allegations."

Russian-Israeli relations have undergone tensions recently, especially in light of "Tel Aviv" announcing that it was sending thousands of helmets and vests to Kiev's forces. The announcement was accompanied by statements from senior Israeli officials, including Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, alleging that Russia "committed war crimes in Ukraine."

The official also expressed fear over a "scenario" that would provide Russia with an excuse to use nuclear weapons. "According to the Russian constitution, an attack on Russian territory justifies the use of nuclear weapons," he asserted, noting that any attack on Crimea could lead to a Russian retaliation.

Moscow accused the Israeli occupation of backing "the neo-Nazi regime in Kiev" in early May. Days later, Russia confirmed that Israeli mercenaries were fighting alongside extremist nationalists in Ukraine.

During an interview with Sputnik, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova added that there are Israeli mercenaries fighting alongside the extremist nationalist battalions within the Azov Battalion in Ukraine.

>>16501715

How are you Tinkerbelle. Nice day today. You happy?

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/un:-iof-fired-shots-that-killed-abu-akleh

UN: IOF fired shots that killed Abu Akleh

Information gathered by the United Nations showed that the bullets that killed Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh were fired from the barrel of an Israeli gun, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) said on Friday.

"All information we have gathered is consistent with the finding that the shots that killed Abu Akleh and injured her colleague Ali Sammoudi came from Israeli security forces and not from indiscriminate firing by armed Palestinians," OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told reporters.

According to the data gathered by the human rights watchdog, there was no activity by any armed Palestinians in the journalists' immediate vicinity, Shamdasani added.

Abu Akleh and the group of Al Jazeera journalists made sure to stand in front of an IOF convoy while wearing press jackets and helmets to indicate their journalist status, the investigation showed, in confirmation of the testimony of one of the martyr's colleagues.

"The journalists said they chose a side street for their approach to avoid the location of armed Palestinians inside the camp and that they proceeded slowly in order to make their presence visible to the Israeli forces deployed down the street," she said, revealing that there was no warning before the Israeli occupation forces opened fire at that time and that location.

"Several single, seemingly well-aimed bullets were fired towards [the journalists] from the direction of the Israeli security forces," Shamdasani said.

She also highlighted how the IOF continued firing at an unarmed man who was trying to help Abu Akleh, as well as a journalist who was using a tree as a shelter.

OHCHR chief Michelle Bachelet reiterated her call for the Israeli occupation to launch a criminal investigation into Abu Akleh's killing, Shamdasani noted amid accusations from top Israeli officials that Palestinians could have been behind Abu Akleh's murder.

Later on, "Tel Aviv" went back on its words, raising the possibility that an Israeli soldier could have fired the shot that took the veteran journalist's life.

Around half of the Democrat Senators in the US Congress were reported earlier today as calling for Washington to be directly involved in the investigation into last month's murder of Abu Akleh.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), even before reports regarding the letter emerged, started lobbying to block it using claims such as bias against the Israeli occupation. The lobbying group claimed that the circumstances of Abu Akleh's murder remained unclear while alleging that the senators' letter "implies both Israeli culpability and inability to conduct an objective, thorough investigation" of the murder.

Investigations conducted by CNN, The New York Times, and The Washington Post have all found that the Israeli occupation was behind Abu Akleh's murder in one way or another. One thing all the outlets have in common is that the bullet that ended the life of a veteran journalist was fired from the direction of an IOF convoy that was in Jenin as part of an Israeli bid to terrorize the city's residents amid confrontations.

The Washington Post examined more than 60 videos, social media posts, and photos of the murder, conducted physical inspections of the area, and commissioned two independent acoustic analyses of the gunshots. The paper found that Abu Akleh was killed by an Israeli soldier in the convoy that was near her and her colleagues.

Eyewitnesses told CNN that the Israeli forces present on the same street fired, deliberately, at the journalist even though the entourage followed journalist protocol, making sure they were seen, as a group, before moving around.

In the wake of the various press investigations into the crime, "Israel" seems like it won't be conducting an investigation of its own into the murder - US lawmakers, the United Nations, and the international community on the other hand are demanding an independent investigation.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/guterres-foresees-real-risk-of-multiple-famines-in-2022

Guterres foresees 'real risk' of multiple famines in 2022

In a video message to the international ministerial conference on global food security in Berlin, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned, on Friday, that there is a “real risk" of multiple famines in 2022, adding that next year can be even worse.

"There is a clear risk that multiple famines will be declared in 2022 and 2023 could be even worse," he said.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Guterres has cautioned that all harvests in Africa, Asia, and America will be affected.

"Humanitarian support is essential but not enough, it is not just a food crisis, it requires a coordinated multilateral approach with multidimensional solutions," the UN chief added.

World leaders and international organizations have expressed concern about an impending and large-scale food crisis, citing disruptions in supply chains, rising prices, and crop production delays in one of the world's most productive regions due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

It is worth mentioning that Ukraine and Russia are estimated to account for 30% of global wheat exports, 20% of maize exports, and 76% of sunflower exports.

Russia has been accused by Western countries of obstructing grain shipments in Black Sea ports. Moscow asserts that Ukraine mined the ports, making shipments impossible.

Meanwhile, Russia seeks to establish a second grain market to support economically unstable countries and help avoid a humanitarian crisis.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-court-supports-arkansas-anti-bds-law

US court supports Arkansas anti-BDS law

In a major victory for pro-"Israel" activists, a US federal appeals court supported an Arkansas state law that requires public contractors to vow not to boycott "Israel." The latest ruling, which was initiated by the US Court of Appeals, overturns an earlier ruling that the legislation violated the First Amendment.

Israeli lobbies have influenced some 30 US states to adopt laws against BDS - or, the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, which is a peaceful initiative that condemns Israeli aggression and occupational violence in Palestine through economic, academic, and cultural boycotts.

In 2017, Arkansas made it compulsory that all public agencies not do business with contractors unless they sign on a pledge that they will not boycott "Israel".

In 2018, The Arkansas Times, a small newspaper, challenged in 2018 the legislation when a state college refused to continue advertising with the paper until it signed an anti-boycott agreement. The law forces contractors to reduce their fees by 20% if they don't sign the pledge.

Alan Leveritt, The Arkansas Times' publisher, said in a statement that while the decision was expected, the newspaper would not take a "political position in return for advertising".

"We are obviously disappointed and note that these laws, which were originally passed in over 30 states, have been overturned in every court except this one," Leveritt said.

"We consider being banned from doing business with our state government for refusing to sign a pledge not to boycott Israel a ridiculous government overreach that has nothing to do with Arkansas."

According to a staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, Brian Hauss, the judge's opinion was simply wrong, and there are intentions to appeal the case at the Supreme Court.

"It ignores the fact that this country was founded on a boycott of British goods and that boycotts have been a fundamental part of American political discourse ever since," Hauss said of the decision.

"We hope and expect that the Supreme Court will set things right and reaffirm the nation’s historic commitment to providing robust protection to political boycotts."

Pro-Palestine and free speech groups have condemned the anti-BDS bills which have been on the rise in recent times, accusing the supporters of the legislation that they are breaching free speech and stifling criticism against "Israel".

Texas, Georgia, Virginia

US states have been in a debacle with citizens and civil liberty groups over matters regarding boycotting "Israel" - in 2017, Texas passed a law that requires public employees and companies to sign a contract that they will not engage in any boycott of "Israel" or else they will face consequences.

However, with multiple lawsuits, Texas federal courts ruled that such a contract is unconstitutional.

That case is causing a ripple effect: Georgia and Virginia, according to the Electronic Intifada, are trying to crush citizens' rights to boycott "Israel" - but the people are fighting back.

>>16501770

You are racist and what you are to me is discrimination based on my ethnicity. Shove your head in your butt hole where it belongs. You've been shitting at me only because I'm Lebanese. So fuck off Tinkerbelle.

Neither me or you has the right to tell Baker what to do. They are grown ups and can up their own minds. It's only fuckers racists like you that are good at shitting at others. You excel in discrimination. You think I don't know you've been doing all of this shit simply because I'm Arab. Go play with kids your age.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/jordanian-king:-we-will-support-a-middle-eastern-version-of

Jordanian King: We will support a Middle Eastern version of NATO

Jordanian King: We will support a Middle Eastern version of NATO

Middle Eastern NATO and Israeli goals

Earlier in the year, Tal Kalman, Head of Military Strategies in the Israeli occupation forces, previously revealed in an interview for Al-Ayam newspaper about a possible establishment of an alliance similar to the NATO that would include “Israel", Bahrain, the UAE, Jordan, Egypt, Greece, and several other countries.

Commenting on Kalman's statement, Bennett indicated that over recent years, the Israeli occupation has strengthened its security cooperation with Arab and non-Arab countries in the region.

The Israeli Prime Minister added that these sides understand that they face the same challenges, "so why not work together to tackle them?"

This echoes the Jordanian King's opinions meaning that similar-minded governments are those that are pro-normalization in the region. A similar offer was made to the Gulf states as Israeli media outlets pointed out that Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett proposed a military initiative aiming to establish a Gulf version of NATO, of which "Israel" would be a part. All these offers were made to countries that have been on the path toward normalization for years.

>>16501867

Naaaa, not triggered. Just puking. I'm totally disgusted by your Jew ass. As if I cannot smell a Jews even if it's that far away. You know Mayadeen just like me and you know that they Q. That's why you are doing all of this shit so i won't be able to share what's going on. And… you won't be around for much longer. You know it's coming. And anons are not aware of it. But you are. And I am. I will see you on the battlefield asshole.

>>16501933

Don't worry ass hole. Your time and the time likes of you are coming.

>>16501950

exactly

And everything is being monitored.

>>16502060

Anon, i've been here from the get go. This has nothing to do with being emotionally unstable. Mayadden is Qing. In Arabic of course. War is inches away = Israel for last.

Seems like the bakers are trying to shush me up. A lot of Q hints and messages are being sent through Mayadden. Which is only watched in the ME. So the ones doing this know the channel and what it's doing. The narrative is being shaped for the finale. Anons are asleep and it's about to start any moment. No more digging but time is up. we are just a few steps away from the big rock and roll. the coms are in perfect synch.

>>16502199

Same ass hole who's trying to shush me up. He's got 2 or 3 ID working none stop in here. Maybe is even one of the bakers. and keeps on trying to shift the narrative.