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"I believe the First Amendment and the Espionage Act are in contradiction," Assange said when asked to explain the charge against him in his own words, the Australian channel ABC reported. "Working as a journalist I encouraged my source to provide information…
❗️ A US judge has accepted WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's plea deal after he pled guilty to one charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information relating to the national defense of the United States, the Guardian reported.
The United States will next take steps to immediately overturn remaining charges against Assange in the Eastern District of Virginia, the report said.
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The United States will next take steps to immediately overturn remaining charges against Assange in the Eastern District of Virginia, the report said.
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The BRICS group of emerging economies has agreed by majority vote to take a pause in accepting new members in order to integrate those who have joined since the beginning of this year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
BRICS will use the pause to draw up a list of categories for BRICS partner countries that will serve as stepping stones toward full membership, Lavrov said. Russia will promote Belarus and other "like-minded countries," he added.
On June 4, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Ankara would like to join BRICS and would monitor the developments in the organization. Several other countries, including Thailand and Bolivia, have also voiced their interest in joining the organization.
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"By an overwhelming majority of votes in ‘the ten’ it was decided to take a pause on new members and ‘digest’ the newcomers, who have doubled its ranks," Lavrov said after hosting the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting in Nizhny Novgorod on June 10-11.
BRICS will use the pause to draw up a list of categories for BRICS partner countries that will serve as stepping stones toward full membership, Lavrov said. Russia will promote Belarus and other "like-minded countries," he added.
On June 4, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Ankara would like to join BRICS and would monitor the developments in the organization. Several other countries, including Thailand and Bolivia, have also voiced their interest in joining the organization.
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European leaders bid on Estonia’s Kallas to lead EU diplomacy
EU leaders have reportedly made the European Parliament an offer it can't refuse: Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, known for her Russophobia and wanted by the Russian justice system for criminal prosecution, will head the European Union's diplomatic service.
According to Politico, the decision to choose Kallas and leave Ursula von der Leyen in the role of European Commission president was made by six leaders of European countries representing the three biggest factions in the parliament.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk represent the conservative European People’s Party. Spanish premier Pedro Sánchez and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz represent the center-left Socialists and Democrats bloc, and French President Emmanuel Macron with Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte are the official representatives of the previously third-largest Renew faction, a liberal grouping.
The candidacy of Kaja Kallas is seen as a concession to liberals as she heads the liberal Reform party of Estonia. But this faction in the European parliament is already outnumbered by the Conservatives and Reformists headed by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Her appointment does not portend any improvement in relations with Russia. Kallas is wanted by Moscow for the destruction of more than 200 monuments to Soviet soldiers who died freeing Estonia from German Nazis. This background makes Kaja Kallas unfit for any negotiation with Russia, despite the fact that talks with Moscow and peace in Ukraine topped the list of public concerns amid a surge of opposition to mainstream parties in recent EU elections.
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EU leaders have reportedly made the European Parliament an offer it can't refuse: Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, known for her Russophobia and wanted by the Russian justice system for criminal prosecution, will head the European Union's diplomatic service.
According to Politico, the decision to choose Kallas and leave Ursula von der Leyen in the role of European Commission president was made by six leaders of European countries representing the three biggest factions in the parliament.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk represent the conservative European People’s Party. Spanish premier Pedro Sánchez and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz represent the center-left Socialists and Democrats bloc, and French President Emmanuel Macron with Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte are the official representatives of the previously third-largest Renew faction, a liberal grouping.
The candidacy of Kaja Kallas is seen as a concession to liberals as she heads the liberal Reform party of Estonia. But this faction in the European parliament is already outnumbered by the Conservatives and Reformists headed by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Her appointment does not portend any improvement in relations with Russia. Kallas is wanted by Moscow for the destruction of more than 200 monuments to Soviet soldiers who died freeing Estonia from German Nazis. This background makes Kaja Kallas unfit for any negotiation with Russia, despite the fact that talks with Moscow and peace in Ukraine topped the list of public concerns amid a surge of opposition to mainstream parties in recent EU elections.
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❗️ The judge said Assange's case was officially terminated and he could leave the room a free man, the Guardian reported.
A federal prosecutor said that US barristers in the United Kingdom are “forthwith” withdrawing their extradition request for Assange, the report added.
The court took into account the time served by the founder of Wikileaks, deciding that no further imprisonment is required.
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A federal prosecutor said that US barristers in the United Kingdom are “forthwith” withdrawing their extradition request for Assange, the report added.
The court took into account the time served by the founder of Wikileaks, deciding that no further imprisonment is required.
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❗️ The judge said Assange's case was officially terminated and he could leave the room a free man, the Guardian reported. A federal prosecutor said that US barristers in the United Kingdom are “forthwith” withdrawing their extradition request for Assange…
The US court ruled that no harm was caused by Wikileaks founder Assange's publications, Assange’s lawyer told media.
"WikiLeaks's work will continue and Mr. Assange, I have no doubt, will be continuing force for freedom of speech and transparency in government," chief US lawyer Barry J. Pollack said outside court, the Australian news agency ABC reported.
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"WikiLeaks's work will continue and Mr. Assange, I have no doubt, will be continuing force for freedom of speech and transparency in government," chief US lawyer Barry J. Pollack said outside court, the Australian news agency ABC reported.
"The prosecution of Julian Assange is unprecedented in the 100 years of the espionage act," Pollack added.
"It has never been used by United States to pursue a publisher, a journalist, like Mr Assange,” the lawyer emphasized.
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The US court ruled that no harm was caused by Wikileaks founder Assange's publications, Assange’s lawyer told media. "WikiLeaks's work will continue and Mr. Assange, I have no doubt, will be continuing force for freedom of speech and transparency in government…
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❗️ Wikileaks founder Julian Assange left the courthouse to cheering and applause. He did not make any statements, media reported.
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❗️ Wikileaks founder Julian Assange left the courthouse to cheering and applause. He did not make any statements, media reported. 📌 Subscribe to @SputnikInt
The US Justice Department confirmed in a statement after Assange's guilty plea that the criminal prosecution against him is over.
As part of the plea deal, Assange is barred from returning to the US without special permission.
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As part of the plea deal, Assange is barred from returning to the US without special permission.
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Germans' objection to backing Ukraine reflected in poor election performance – Scholz
Many Germans oppose anti-Russian sanctions and the country’s billions of euros in aid to Ukraine, which was “reflected in the election results,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz admitted in an interview with German media outlet ARD. Despite the clear message, Scholz is apparently unwilling to reconsider the current policy as he believes there is “no alternative.”
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto touched on Europe’s divisive rhetoric on the matter. “The European Union continues indulging in military hysteria while ignoring the will of its citizens. It is starting to cross red lines,” he told journalists after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxemburg.
The ruling Social Democratic Party led by Scholz came in third in recent EU legislative elections with about 14% of the vote. The opposition CDU/CSU bloc took first place with 30% of the vote, followed by the anti-establishment AfD with 16%.
Eurosceptic victories in EU elections demonstrate people's discontent with Brussels' agenda, particularly its warmongering and infusions of money to Kiev. Macron’s hawkish rhetoric of sending troops and Mirage 2000 warplanes to Ukraine cost his centrist Renaissance party in the recent elections, with Marine Le Pen's National Rally 15 percent ahead of Macron’s bloc.
The German Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, known for its anti-Ukraine sentiments, secured 15.9% of the vote nationwide with 15 seats in the European Parliament, second only to the Christian Democrats.
Similar trends are seen in Austria, where the right-wing populist FPO party prevailed, in Belgium, with the right-wing party Vlaams Belang securing 14% of the vote, in the Netherlands, and in Spain.
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Many Germans oppose anti-Russian sanctions and the country’s billions of euros in aid to Ukraine, which was “reflected in the election results,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz admitted in an interview with German media outlet ARD. Despite the clear message, Scholz is apparently unwilling to reconsider the current policy as he believes there is “no alternative.”
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto touched on Europe’s divisive rhetoric on the matter. “The European Union continues indulging in military hysteria while ignoring the will of its citizens. It is starting to cross red lines,” he told journalists after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxemburg.
The ruling Social Democratic Party led by Scholz came in third in recent EU legislative elections with about 14% of the vote. The opposition CDU/CSU bloc took first place with 30% of the vote, followed by the anti-establishment AfD with 16%.
Eurosceptic victories in EU elections demonstrate people's discontent with Brussels' agenda, particularly its warmongering and infusions of money to Kiev. Macron’s hawkish rhetoric of sending troops and Mirage 2000 warplanes to Ukraine cost his centrist Renaissance party in the recent elections, with Marine Le Pen's National Rally 15 percent ahead of Macron’s bloc.
The German Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, known for its anti-Ukraine sentiments, secured 15.9% of the vote nationwide with 15 seats in the European Parliament, second only to the Christian Democrats.
Similar trends are seen in Austria, where the right-wing populist FPO party prevailed, in Belgium, with the right-wing party Vlaams Belang securing 14% of the vote, in the Netherlands, and in Spain.
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The US Justice Department confirmed in a statement after Assange's guilty plea that the criminal prosecution against him is over. As part of the plea deal, Assange is barred from returning to the US without special permission. 📌 Subscribe to @SputnikInt
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A plane with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on board has departed for Australia's capital, Canberra, from the Northern Mariana Islands, Australian broadcaster ABC reported.
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🇷🇺🇮🇷 Russia expects to sign a comprehensive cooperation agreement with Iran in the nearest future, as the work on the text of the agreement is almost complete, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko told Sputnik. "We expect that this agreement will…
🇷🇺🇮🇷 The content of an agreement on comprehensive cooperation between Russia and Iran is ready, and there are no obstacles to signing the agreement, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Safari said in an interview with Sputnik.
On Tuesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko told Sputnik that Russia expects to sign a comprehensive cooperation agreement with Iran "in the nearest future," as the work on the text of the agreement was nearly complete.
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On Tuesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko told Sputnik that Russia expects to sign a comprehensive cooperation agreement with Iran "in the nearest future," as the work on the text of the agreement was nearly complete.
"[Regarding] the agreement on comprehensive cooperation between Russia and Iran, I think that the content of this agreement is finished; there are no issues in this regard. I have a feeling that [it] soon will be signed by the leaders of the two states ... There are no obstacles to signing it," Safari said.
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Pursuit of Assange shows ‘every citizen on the planet’ subject to US persecution (Part 1)
Various governments throughout history have violated their citizens’ rights, but few global powers have possessed the ability to bend the entire planet to their will. By the 2010s the United States had become just such a power, with political, technological, and economic might that could be imposed on any person at any place in the world.
“The thing that I found most surprising about all of this is the way that the plea deal was written, mostly because it’s a charge that we’ve historically only seen for government contractors or employees,” he added. “If they're charging him as a private citizen for mishandling classified information, and that’s something that before this they could only charge an employee or a contractor with, then doesn’t that put the rest of us under even more of a hot seat than we were before?”
The United States’ pursuit of Assange was frequently justified under the pretense that his activity endangered the lives of American citizens or service members. Similar claims were made decades prior against Pentagon Papers leaker Daniel Ellsberg, who former Secretary of State Henry Kissenger dubbed “the most dangerous man in America.”
But no concrete details ever emerged of anyone targeted, or even placed under threat, by Julian Assange’s journalism. On the contrary, Assange worked meticulously with sources and partnered media outlets to redact information that could’ve endangered or exposed anyone referenced within the leaked documents.
👉 Follow the link for more details
Various governments throughout history have violated their citizens’ rights, but few global powers have possessed the ability to bend the entire planet to their will. By the 2010s the United States had become just such a power, with political, technological, and economic might that could be imposed on any person at any place in the world.
🗣 “It sounds like they’re now saying every citizen on the planet is susceptible to being charged under the US Espionage Act,” said independent journalist Steve Poikonen on Sputnik’s The Critical Hour program.
“The thing that I found most surprising about all of this is the way that the plea deal was written, mostly because it’s a charge that we’ve historically only seen for government contractors or employees,” he added. “If they're charging him as a private citizen for mishandling classified information, and that’s something that before this they could only charge an employee or a contractor with, then doesn’t that put the rest of us under even more of a hot seat than we were before?”
🗣 “He never should have been charged,” insisted cartoonist and syndicated columnist Ted Rall of Assange’s 12-year struggle against the US government. “He never committed a crime. He was never an American citizen and, therefore, not subject to American law. The Espionage Act is disgusting and probably unconstitutional and shouldn't be on the books, and certainly never should apply to journalists.”
The United States’ pursuit of Assange was frequently justified under the pretense that his activity endangered the lives of American citizens or service members. Similar claims were made decades prior against Pentagon Papers leaker Daniel Ellsberg, who former Secretary of State Henry Kissenger dubbed “the most dangerous man in America.”
But no concrete details ever emerged of anyone targeted, or even placed under threat, by Julian Assange’s journalism. On the contrary, Assange worked meticulously with sources and partnered media outlets to redact information that could’ve endangered or exposed anyone referenced within the leaked documents.
👉 Follow the link for more details
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Sputnik International
Pursuit of Assange shows ‘every citizen on the planet’ subject to US persecution (Part 1) Various governments throughout history have violated their citizens’ rights, but few global powers have possessed the ability to bend the entire planet to their will.…
Pursuit of Assange shows ‘every citizen on the planet’ subject to US persecution (Part 2)
Desai sharply criticized mainstream media outlets who often played a role in vilifying Assange even as they produced journalism based on his work.
🗣 “It's also an irony that the newspapers that are now reporting his march towards freedom… published the very things that he was accused of, the very national security secrets that he was accused of having exposed,” said host Wilmer Leon.
Desai insisted that future generations would value the journalist’s significant sacrifice made in order to inform the world of government abuses.
👉 Follow the link for more details
🗣 “This idea that Julian Assange was putting lives in danger, etcetera, is completely fabricated in order to give a fig leaf of respectability to the war that has been conducted by the US government against this man who has been, by the way, let free not because suddenly Joe Biden decided to act out of the milk of human kindness,” said economist Radhika Desai.
Desai sharply criticized mainstream media outlets who often played a role in vilifying Assange even as they produced journalism based on his work.
“The [Washington Post] story is just so completely hypocritical,” she said of an article in the Washington DC-based newspaper that reported that “reactions were divided” over Assange’s release from prison. “The only people criticizing Julian Assange are the US government and all the mainstream media who seem to be taking their cues from them for whatever reason best known to them.”
🗣 “It's also an irony that the newspapers that are now reporting his march towards freedom… published the very things that he was accused of, the very national security secrets that he was accused of having exposed,” said host Wilmer Leon.
🗣 “It stinks to high heaven,” agreed author and academic Gerald Horne. “I take it that's a veiled reference to organs like the New York Times, for example, The Guardian… Mr. Assange's reputation has been dragged through the mud. He has suffered unduly, and I wish him only the best.”
Desai insisted that future generations would value the journalist’s significant sacrifice made in order to inform the world of government abuses.
“Alongside Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden, Julian Assange is one of the heroes of our time. They are a small band of people who have spoken truth to power and they have believed in the truth, they have fought for the truth, they have sacrificed for the truth,” Desai emphasized.
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The radiation control post in the settlement of Velikaya Znamenka, in the Zaporozhye region, was completely destroyed as a result of shelling by Ukrainian forces, the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant's press service reported.
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The pranksters, pretending to be former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, were told that there is no need to argue about this decision since a facade of friendship needs to be maintained.
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Hamas mulls relocating to Iraq due to ‘US pressure on Qatar' – expert
If Hamas relocated its political leadership to Iraq from Qatar, it would be related to the “mounting pressure on Doha from Washington,” military expert Yuri Lyamin told Sputnik.
Iraq might offer a convenient new location for Hamas’ political HQ, Lyamin noted. The Iraqi authorities could potentially act as a mediator in negotiations with the US and other Western countries, said the pundit. That said, owing to Iran's powerful influence, the US would not be able to exert as much pressure on the Iraqi authorities like they do with Qatar, he underscored.
Amid stalled Gaza ceasefire talks mediated by the US, Egypt, and Qatar, Hamas is said to be making arrangements to relocate its political leadership from Qatar to Iraq, as reported by The National on Monday. However, Izzat Al-Rishq, a member of Hamas's political bureau, reportedly denied the plans to relocate on his Telegram account.
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If Hamas relocated its political leadership to Iraq from Qatar, it would be related to the “mounting pressure on Doha from Washington,” military expert Yuri Lyamin told Sputnik.
“The American leadership is trying to use its leverage on Qatar in order to exert influence on the Hamas politburo and force it to agree to very vague terms of a truce with Israel, which the US is pushing for. Therefore, Hamas might be considering a backup site should pressure on Qatar becomes too strong,” said the senior researcher at the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST).
Iraq might offer a convenient new location for Hamas’ political HQ, Lyamin noted. The Iraqi authorities could potentially act as a mediator in negotiations with the US and other Western countries, said the pundit. That said, owing to Iran's powerful influence, the US would not be able to exert as much pressure on the Iraqi authorities like they do with Qatar, he underscored.
Regarding Hamas insisting that Russia should be one of the guarantors of the ceasefire, the pundit added: "Hamas rightfully does not trust the United States, since the latter actively supports Israel. Accordingly, Hamas wants independent guarantors in the form of Russia, China and Turkiye."
Amid stalled Gaza ceasefire talks mediated by the US, Egypt, and Qatar, Hamas is said to be making arrangements to relocate its political leadership from Qatar to Iraq, as reported by The National on Monday. However, Izzat Al-Rishq, a member of Hamas's political bureau, reportedly denied the plans to relocate on his Telegram account.
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The "Primakov Readings" International Forum is an annual gathering that brings together top-notch experts in the fields of international relations and world economics from around the globe.
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At this stage, the absolute priority for us is to prevent any threats to Russia's security from Europe, where non-Europeans hold the reins of power, he added.
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