This week's show features stories from NHK World Radio Japan, Radio Deutsche-Welle, Radio Havana Cuba, Spanish National Radio, and Sputnik Radio.
From JAPAN- The Japanese Defense Force and the US Pacific Command have agreed to boost cooperation patrolling the South China Sea. Turkey shot down a Russian jet fighting ISIL troops in Syria near the Turkish border. The day after Turkey shot down the Russian jet, the European Commission gave Turkey $3 billion in aid to stem the flow of refugees hoping to reach Europe.
From GERMANY- Russia has deployed its most high tech air defense system to its base in Syria in response to the Turkish attack. German Chancellor Merkel pledged to help France in the fight with ISIL, though the German pacifist constitution limit their troops to so-called peacekeeping actions. Google is receiving hundreds of thousands of requests to be removed from the search engine under the EU "Right To Be Forgotten" rule.
From CUBA- The presidential election in Argentina was won by a conservative, Mauricio Marci, who many think will reestablish neo-liberalism in the country. Venezuelan President Maduro alleged that the dramatic drop in oil prices is part of an economic war against countries like his and Russia. Israel announced plans to further relocate Bedouin tribes so they can build 5 new towns in the Negev desert.
From SPAIN- The New York Times ran an article about Spanish media, including Spanish National Radio, being squeezed by the government of President Rajoy and his so-called Public Security Law. El Pais reported that France has also asked Spain to deploy troops to Mali to replace French troops. El Mundo wrote that the allied forces against ISIL, France, England, the US, and Russia, are reminiscent of the allied troops who defeated the Nazis in WW2.
From RUSSIA- Afshin Rattansi interviewed John Pilger, famed journalist for the Australian and British broadcast companies. They spoke about the origin of ISIL, the terrible events in Paris, and how the media is beating the drums for the wars in Syria and beyond.
"During the Cold War, a group of Russian journalists toured the United States. On the final day of their visit, they were asked by their hosts for their impressions. 'I have to tell you,' said their spokesman, 'that we were astonished to find after reading all the newspapers and watching TV, that all the opinions on all the vital issues were by and large, the same. To get that result in our country, we imprison people, we tear out their fingernails. Here, you don't have that. What's the secret? How do you do it?'"