Democracy Now! Top U.S. & World Headlines — June 28, 2021

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The main headlines on Al Jazeera English, featuring the latest news and reports from around the world

John McCain and Sarah Palin: Bristol’s Pregnancy Conference Straight Talk

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The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (US) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback, direct from the publishers (US) >>>

VP Sarah Palin, Obama Speaks, & the Olympics

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The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (US) >>>
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Today’s News from The Guardian
Guardian Daily: Local elections 2008: In a special edition of our daily audio show, Jon Dennis and guests discuss Labour's trouncing in the local elections >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback - UK)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback - UK)

Tuncay Seyranlioglu, an Independent Candidate in the Upcoming General Election in Turkey, is Shot Dead
BBC: An independent candidate has been shot dead in Istanbul ahead of Turkey's general election on 22 July.

Tuncay Seyranlioglu's car was hit by gunfire on a highway as it was taking him away from a TV studio.

The businessman, who had assets in media and property, was standing to be an MP in Istanbul. Several suspects are said to have been held over the attack.

Meanwhile, Turkey's prime minister has said he will quit politics if his party fails to win a decisive majority.

"If we can't come to power alone, I'll leave politics," local television quoted Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying.

The prime minister's AK Party wants to win a majority large enough to enable it to form a strong government without relying on coalition partners. Turkish poll candidate shot dead (more)

Mark Alexander

Gerry Falwell Dies

Photo of Gerry Falwell courtesy of Google Images

BBC: Leading US conservative evangelist Rev Gerry Falwell has died in hospital in Virginia after being found unconscious in his office, his assistants said.

Doctors gave Rev Falwell emergency treatment at Lynchburg General Hospital but could not revive him.

Rev Falwell, 73, survived two serious health scares in 2005 but had a history of heart problems.

He became a figurehead of the religious right in the 1980s, founded the Moral Majority and later Liberty University. US evangelist Gerry Falwell dies (more)

Mark Alexander

A Gay Story with No ‘Gay’ Ending

Photo courtesy of Times Online

YAHOO NEWS: BP chief executive Lord Browne has resigned following a court's decision to lift a legal injunction preventing the media reporting details of his relationship with a gay lover.

The firm, which said it accepted Lord Browne's resignation with the "deepest regret", said the chief executive would lose his entitlement to a leaving package worth £3.5m and a potential £12m in shares. BP Chief Resigns Over Gay Lover Story (Read on)

THE TELEGRAPH: Lord Browne resigns after revelations he lied in court about gay lover by Joshua Rozenberg

THE TELEGRAPH: Lord Browne of Madingley's resignation statement

Mark Alexander

The Annulment of Turkey’s Presidency Vote
BBC: The constitutional court in Turkey has annulled last Friday's parliamentary vote to elect a new president.

The only candidate, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, failed to win the required majority after a boycott by secularist opposition parties.

The parties, which accuse Mr Gul of a hidden Islamist agenda, asked the court to rule that there was no quorum.
The government says despite the ruling it will try to achieve a quorum with a new vote on Wednesday. Turkey's presidency vote annulled (Read on)

Mark Alexander

In der Türkei spitzt sich der Konflikt zwischen der Regierung und der Armee zu
Konflikt zwischen Regierung und Militär um Präsidentschaftskandidatur Güls
NZZ: Inmitten neuer Massenproteste in der Türkei spitzt sich der Konflikt zwischen Regierung und Militär im Streit über die Präsidentenwahl zu. Justizminister Cemik Cicek wies eine Erklärung des Generalstabs als inakzeptabel zurück, in der dieser seine Sorge über die Wahl zum Ausdruck brachte und vor einer Abkehr von der säkularen Staatsordnung warnte. Die Lage in der Türkei spitzt sich zu (mehr)

BBC: Huge rally for Turkish secularism

WATCH BBC VIDEO: Thousands of Turks protest

Mark Alexander

Gül nominated as candidate for president
Turkey's ruling party on Tuesday nominated Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül as its candidate for president. The move set aside a possible controversy over Prime Minister Erdogan's potential candidacy. But is Gül any better? First lady in headscarf? (Read on) by Annette Grossbongardt

Mark Alexander

US Fatalities in Iraq Attack
BBC: Nine US soldiers have been killed in a suicide bomb attack on a base north of Baghdad, military officials have said.

Some 20 troops and an Iraqi civilian were injured in the attack, which happened in the volatile province of Diyala, to the north-east of Baghdad.

There has been fierce fighting in Diyala recently, pitting US and Iraqi forces against Sunni and Shia militias.

It is thought to be the worst single US loss on the ground since late 2005, when 10 marines died near Falluja. US troops die in new Iraq attack (Read on)

Mark Alexander

First Muslim and first non-American to head up the World Bank?
TIMESONLINE: The future of Paul Wolfowitz, the embattled President of the World Bank, was in further jeopardy last night after it emerged that the White House was drawing up a list of candidates to succeed him.

Most prominent on th list is Ashraf Ghani, the man credited with overhauling the economy of Afghanistan after September 11, The Times has learnt. Such an appointment would mark the first time a nonAmerican has held the position in the 60-year history of the global lender. Bush draws up list of candidates to replace Wolfowitz by Gabriel Rozenberg

Mark Alexander

Rücktritt für Wolfowitz kommt nicht in Betracht
Amerikanischer Sukkurs für den Weltbank-Chef
NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Der in die Kritik geratene Weltbank-Präsident Paul Wolfowitz will im Amt bleiben. «Die Bank hat wichtige Arbeit zu tun, und ich werde sie weiterhin tun», sagte Wolfowitz nach einer Sitzung des Lenkungsausschusses der Bank am Sonntag in Washington. Wolfowitz lehnt Rücktritt ab

WATCH BBC VIDEO: Defiant Wolfowitz ‘to stay’ in job

But the BBC says:

"The future of beleaguered World Bank chief Paul Wolfowitz remains in the balance despite a defiant statement that he intends to stay." Wolfowitz future still in balance

Mark Alexander

And still Europe contemplates Turkey’s accession to the EU
TIMESONLINE: Hundreds of thousands of Turks took part in two days of protests hoping to persuade the Prime Minister against running for president, amid concerns that his election would put at risk the separation of religion and state in the predominantly Muslim country.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to decide this week whether to stand for president next month. Since his Justice and Development Party (AKP), which has roots in political Islam, has a substantial parliamentary majority, its candidate is assured of succeeding Ahmet Necdet Sezer, the President, who is a staunch secularist.

Mr Erdogan, who has presided over strong economic growth and has worked hard to secure Turkey’s European Union candidacy, presents himself as a conservative democrat. But opponents remain suspicious of his Islamist past. Mr Erdogan has served a prison term for sedition and his wife covers her head in the Islamic manner. During his leadership his party has attempted to criminal-ise adultery, banish alcohol from some establishments and relax restrictions on religious education and headscarves.

His opponents, who include top bureaucrats, academics, judges and generals, believe that he has a hidden Islamist agenda to undermine the strict separation of religion and state, which he could put into practice if AKP held all the top government and state posts. Turks protest amid fears of ‘secret plan’ to overturn secular state (Cont’d) by Suna Erdem

Merkel trifft Erdogan: Der EU-Beitritt der Türkei soll Gesprächsthema bleiben

Mark Alexander

British government consigns term ‘War on Terror’ to the dustbin of history
If the British government feels that the term is counterproductive, then allow me to suggest a better term: ‘War on Jihad’! This term will be clear to everyone what we are up against. Go for it, Tone!

TIMESONLINE: The Government has stopped using the phrase “War on Terror”, Hilary Benn, the International Development Secretary said last night. Government puts an end to the ‘War on Terror’

But Muslim extremists are to be tracked like paedophiles. TIMESONLINE: MI5 adopts paedophile-tracking tactics for Muslim extremists

Mark Alexander

A Clear Case of Nepotism
TIMESONLINE: The board of directors of the World Bank found today that Paul Wolfowitz, the President of the bank, had moved his girlfriend, Shaha Riza, to a new government post at a salary of nearly $200,000 without review by its ethics committee.

The revelation appears to contradict earlier statements from Mr Wolfowitz's office.

The World Bank said that the ethics committee had "informally" advised Mr Wolfowitz to relocate Ms Riza but that it had not approved her new salary and terms and conditions, which were ordered by Mr Wolfowitz.

Her new salary at the US State Department is thought to exceed even that of Condoleezza Rice, who, as Secretary of State, is the highest-ranking official in the department. Wolfowitz ‘acted without approval’ says bank (Cont'd) by Robert Lindsay

BBC: Pressure grows on World Bank boss

BBC VIDEO: Bank meets over Wolfowitz

LE MONDE: Le départ de Wolfowitz

THE SUNDAY TIMES: I’m a wronged woman, says girlfriend in Wolfowitz scandal

Mark Alexander

Canada gets tough on terrorism
BBC: The first person to be charged under Canada's anti-terrorism act has lost his attempt to challenge the law over its constitutionality.

Mohammed Momin Khawaja, a Canadian citizen, was arrested in March 2004 in a joint UK-Canadian operation and was accused of planning to attack the UK.

He argued that the new law was unconstitutional following a ruling by a provincial judge.

But the Supreme Court of Canada decided not to hear Mr Khawaja's appeal. Canadian’s terror appeal denied

Mark Alexander

A round-up of news and views on the freed captives
The 15 Royal Navy sailors and marines held in Iran for almost two weeks have spoken of their happiness at being back in the UK and reunited with relatives. Freed crew ‘delighted to be home’

WATCH BBC VIDEO: Freed navy crew back in UK

TIMESONLINE: Iran captives ‘freed’ after costume drama

TIMESONLINE: Commentary: Hang on. We’re taking the soft approach towards Iran? … the lessons of dealing with an erratic state

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Es gab keine Abmachung: Blair weist nach Rückkehr der Soldaten aus Iran Spekulationen zurück

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Kommentar: Ahmadinejads wendiger Gnadenakt

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Iran: „Wir haben eine Entschuldigung erhalten“

WELTONLINE: PR-Sieg für Teherans "Osterhasen"

Mark Alexander