(2020-08-16). The Green New Deal Just Won a Major Union Endorsement. zcomm.org Union support for the Green New Deal is growing. It's time for America's largest labor federation, the AFL-CIO, to get on board.
(2020-08-16). Weaponized Social Media Fuels "Youth" Protests. thealtworld.com 
US-based social-media tools are being used to reward participation in regime change with likes and shares. | Young protesters in Thailand are out demanding "human rights" and "democracy" — and for the current government to step down. | Should their demands be met — the opposition — headed by billionaire fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra and his Pheu Thai Party will take power. Thaksin Shinawatra and his political party represent neither human rights nor democracy. In fact, Thaksin Shinawatra is the worst human rights abuser in Thai history. | So how does one explain the paradoxical nature of young peopl…
(2020-08-16). Revolutionary Black resistance has a long tradition. liberationnews.org 
Repression will always breed resistance: against this barbaric, systemic exploitation has continued a long tradition of Black liberation struggles.
(2020-08-16). Saul Williams on Trump & the politics of fear. mronline.org 
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(2020-08-16). Dear Future Generations: Sorry. mronline.org 
An Apology Letter to Future Generations. Sorry.
(2020-08-16). Israeli-Emirati Peace Deal Is a Major Blow to Turkey's Regional Ambitions. globalresearch.ca Yesterday, one of the most unexpected geopolitical manoeuvres took place that no one was expecting. U.S. President Donald Trump went
(2020-08-16). The United Arab Emirates and Israel Join Hands: Great for Trump but More Bad News for the Middle East. globalresearch.ca The decision made this week by the United Arab Emirates and Israel to establish full diplomatic relations as part of a commitment to normalize the interaction between the two countries was characteristically announced by President Donald Trump because he is, …
(2020-08-16). Turmoil in Belarus, Another US Color Revolution Attempt? globalresearch.ca Time and again, the CIA, National Endowment for Democracy (NED), International Republican Institute (IRI), National Democratic Institute (NDI), and USAID have been involved in US schemes to replace independent governments with pro-Western puppet ones. | Tactics include violent and non-violent labor …
(2020-08-16). Trump Vows Unilateral Imposition of Snapback Sanctions on Iran. globalresearch.ca On Friday, the Trump regime was dealt a humiliating Security Council defeat. | Bullying, bribes, and threats failed this time, perhaps indicative of more US setbacks ahead. | Its attempt to extend an arms embargo on Iran indefinitely was supported by only …
(2020-08-16). Hoopla Over Harris VP Selection Obscures Many Young People of Color Who Are Winning Offices Nationally. zcomm.org The debate over Biden's running mate obscures a far more exciting development in American politics: that young people of color with clearly progressive values are running for office and winning…
(2020-08-16). Lockdowns, Coronavirus, and Banks: "Following the Money". Devastating Economic and Social Impacts. globalresearch.ca It usually makes sense to follow the money when seeking understanding of almost any major change. The strategy of following the money in our current convergence of crises in late summer of 2020 leads us directly to the lockdowns. The …
(2020-08-16). Distance Learning Plan (DLP) Destroys Education, Based on Flawed Covid Figures: Letter to Superintendents of Public Schools in Minnesota. globalresearch.ca Minnesota's superintendents of public schools have been placed in a difficult position, one that the folks at the CDC and the Minnesota Department of Health (DOH) have put them in with their Distance Learning Plan 2.0. | I would like to …
(2020-08-16). Video: 'Do Not Trust the Medical or the National Security Establishment!": Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. globalresearch.ca Nephew of President John F. Kennedy, son of Robert F. Kennedy, and tireless crusader against the tyranny of the mainstream medical establishment, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. joins today's Liberty Report to discuss his startling discoveries about who really killed his …
(2020-08-16). Financing Drug Development: What the Pandemic Has Taught Us. zcomm.org If we want to have serious policy discussions, and not just protect existing patterns of inequality, government-granted patent and copyright monopolies have to be on the table…
(2020-08-16). Residents in East Brighton, UK demand affordable housing. peoplesdispatch.org Residents are protesting plans by a private company to build up to 700 homes for the ultra-rich. They have demanded that at least 40% of the homes be affordable for common people…
(2020-08-16). Real Life Heroes: delivering aid under fire. news.un.org Working from a field office in Yemen, Sonia Almassad ensures that UN relief aid reaches those who need it, in the war-torn country. She was previously posted in her home country, Syria, where she negotiated with armed groups on both sides of the conflict, sometimes at great personal risk.
(2020-08-16). 'Boycott Sandals'?: Holiday resort chain cancelled by Twitter users over sponsorship of Sean Hannity's 'racist' Fox News show. rt.com 
A holiday resort chain which sponsors Sean Hannity's Fox News show has found itself in the crosshairs of cancel-happy Twitter users after the host convinced the platform to mark a critical video of him as "manipulated media." | The video which sparked the latest social media drama showed Hannity making comments critical of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, juxtaposed with footage of Donald Trump, which made it appear as though Hannity was targeting the president, whom he staunchly supports. | After getting the footage flagged as "manipulated media" by Twitter, MeidasTouch, the liberal group who put the video togeth…
(2020-08-16). Portland protesters hurl rocks at police on 80th night of BLM demonstrations, riot declared & 2 officers hospitalized (VIDEOS). rt.com 
The 80th night of Black Lives Matter protests in Portland turned violent, with police declaring yet another riot as demonstrators threw rocks and projectiles at officers and their vehicles. Police said two cops were hospitalized. | More than 200 people showed up to an anti-police brutality protest in East Portland on Saturday night. What began as peaceful demonstration later turned violent as protesters began moving into residential areas, throwing rocks and projectiles at police property and officers. | Portland Police eventually declared the demonstration a riot early on Sunday, arresting several people as t…
(2020-08-16). 'This is who you are now, GOP': Obama security advisor Rice freaks out over Snowden pardon idea, is roasted for right-wing stance. rt.com 
The fact they are even considering a pardon for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden shows how low the Republican party has sunk under Donald Trump, believes Susan Rice, former national security advisor in the Obama administration. | The possibility that criminal charges against Snowden may be dropped was floated by the US president this week. The idea triggered an outpouring of public support,
(2020-08-16). 'Seems to be a split decision': Trump says he'll take 'a very good look' at idea of pardoning Snowden. rt.com 
For the second time in a week, US President Donald Trump has indicated that he might be considering pardoning former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, noting that the issue has long transcended party lines. | Asked if he wants to pardon Snowden at a press conference in Bedminster, New Jersey on Saturday, Trump responded that while he was "not that aware of the Snowden situation," he would "start looking at it." | Trump, who once labelled the former CIA contractor turned-whistleblower a "traitor," argued that there is no consensus within the American political establishment on the matter. | "There are many people.
(2020-08-16). 'Worse than CNN': Trump blasts Fox News' weekend coverage as 'unwatchable' and advises supporters to change the channel. rt.com 
Donald Trump has taken his sporadic criticisms of Fox News to a new level, calling the network "worse than Fake News CNN" when it comes to its weekend programming and advising his supporters to switch over to a minor competitor. | Trump said Fox News is simply "not watchable" during weekend afternoons. "It is worse than Fake News," the president tweeted, on a day when his timeline was mostly filled with condolence messages about the passing of his younger brother Robert the night before. | Not only did Trump slam Fox News' coverage, but he also offered supporters advice about what they should be watching inste…
(2020-08-16). Lebanon: Pearl on the New Silk Road or Zone of Dark Age Chaos. strategic-culture.org 
Many voices have been quick to enter the chorus of commentators hypothesizing the manifold possible causes of the devastating explosions which occurred on the afternoon of August 4 in Beirut which has led to mass anarchy and the surprising While I have no great novel contribution to offer in that growing array of hypotheses (which are slowly turning into noise), I would like to share an insight which addresses a too-often-overlooked aspect of the role of…
(2020-08-16). What Would a President Harris Mean for Whites? strategic-culture.org 
Sen. Harris is not particularly extreme by today's standards, but her life is about acquiring power. Once she has it, she would surely wield it against us. She is likely to restrict freedom of speech and other constitutional rights. Even those who have criticized her in the past would cheer it on.
(2020-08-16). After launching air strikes in the strip, Israel shuts Gaza fishing zone. thecanary.co 
Israel has closed the Gaza Strip's offshore fishing zone after the most intense show of aggression in recent months.Israeli air strikes targeted sites allegedly belonging to Gaza's Hamas rulers, after which Palestinian fighters in Gaza fired two rockets into southern Israel. However, the military said Israel's Iron Dome aerial defence system intercepted the two rockets.Police said rocket fallout caused damage to a house in the town of Sderot, and paramedics treated a 58-year-old man for minor wounds.Meanwhile, aerial bombing from Israel has caused considerable damage so far, including in the Buriej refugee camp i…
(2020-08-16). Teenagers taking legal action against Ofqual amid A-level results anger. thecanary.co 
A-level students who feel let down by a "ridiculous and insane" marking system are launching legal action against England's exam regulator Ofqual.Thousands of teenagers were left angered after almost 40% of predicted grades were downgraded by the regulator's "moderation" algorithm, leaving many missing out on their first-choice universities."The Government is playing politics with our futures": Student Curtis Parfitt-Ford has launched a legal bid against Ofqual to "force them to come up with a fairer system".Despite getting the grades he was predicted, he said he couldn't stand by and watch his friends and…
(2020-08-16). Top Dems Demand DeJoy Testimony, Citing 'Grave Threat' to 'Our Very Democracy'. commondreams.org The "Postal Service is a public institution that both serves and belongs to every person in our nation." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/dems-demand-dejoy-testmony.jpg …
(2020-08-16). Dems Urged to Say, 'Yes, Snowden Should Be Pardoned' After Trump Floats Possibility. commondreams.org The comment from the president prompted fresh praise for the former intelligence contractor who "blew the whistle on illegal government activity kept secret for years." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/snowden-trump-pardon-suggestion.jpg …
(2020-08-16). No Longer Leader of the Free World: Trump Admin. Humiliated at UN over Iran Arms Embargo. commondreams.org U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attends Security Council meeting at U.N. Headquarters in New York on September 20, 2019. (Photo: Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/iran-resolution-fail.jpg …
(2020-08-16). Video: Israeli-UAE Peace Deal Marks Tectonic Shift in Middle Eastern Balance of Power. globalresearch.ca The Middle East is on the brink of the new tectonic shift in the regional balance of power. The previous years were marked by the growth of the Iranian and Hezbollah influence and the decrease of the US grip on …
(2020-08-16). Evolution of US-Israel Relations During Trump Presidency. globalresearch.ca Preferential treatment for Israel has long been a prerequisite for success in the corridors of power in Washington, where ambitious politicians long ago learned to fear the wrath of 'the Israel lobby', and at the same time yearn for the …
(2020-08-16). Freedom, Responsibility, and Alienation. zcomm.org What is freedom? We all speak of it. We all want it. We all celebrate it. But what, really, is it? Not some deep hieroglyphic, academic definition, but what is freedom as we do or don't live it in our daily lives?>
(2020-08-16). Why We Can't Wait: Statement in Support of HR-40. zcomm.org The passage of HR-40 will be one of the milestone achievements of the International Decade for People of African Descent. I pledge to work side by side with all people of good will who are committed to achieve this righteous objective. Reparations Now…
(2020-08-16). Urgent for the Moment and the Long Haul. zcomm.org The more U.S. movements are infused with internationalism, the more we will be able to contribute to getting Washington's bloody hands out of other countries affairs…
(2020-08-16). Iran COVID-19 update: 2,133 new cases registered. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry announced 2,133 new cases of infection with the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, putting the total number of cases in the country at 343,203.
(2020-08-16). Russia's proposal on UNSC summit with Iran remains on table. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Despite Trump's refusal to support Moscow's proposal for an online conference of leaders of the UNSC states, Germany, and Iran, the Russian deputy foreign minister stressed that the proposal remains on the table.
(2020-08-16). Iran oil production at 1.93mn bpd in July. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — In its latest report, OPEC announced that Iran's oil production volume stood at 1.936 million barrels per day (bpd) in July 2020.
(2020-08-16). Tehran-Vienna flights resumed on Sat. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Abbas Bagherpour, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Austria, announced on Saturday the resumption of flights from Tehran to Vienna by Iran Air.
(2020-08-16). Trump has committed worst crimes against Iranian nation. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Donald Trump, the current US President, has committed the 'worst crimes and hostilities' against the noble Iranian nation.
(2020-08-16). Yazd earns $103 million in exports during four months. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — More than 860,000 tons of non-oil commodities worth $103 million were exported from Yazd province, central Iran, during the first four months of the current fiscal (March 20- July 21), a senior official said.
(2020-08-16). History will record such betrayal to Palestinians: envoy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Referring to UAE-Israeli tie normalization, Iranian Ambassador to Islamabad Seyyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini said that history will record such betrayal to Palestinians.
(2020-08-16). Altruism, patience key to overcome threats, pressure: Zarif. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a message on Sunday said that culture of altruism, fortitude and martyrdom have been the keys to protect the country against threats and pressures.
(2020-08-16). US cannot trigger its 'snapback' plan: Zarif. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the Americans are aware that they are not able to trigger 'snapback' mechanism as it is illegal and not acceptable.
(2020-08-16). Top General warns UAE against normalizing ties with Israelis. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — A top Iranian commander denounced the United Arab Emirates' decision to normalize ties with the Israeli regime, calling on Abu Dhabi to reconsider its move.
(2020-08-16). UAE summons Iran's chargé d'affaires. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — The UAE summoned Iran's chargé d'affaires to Abu Dhabi on Sunday and criticized President Rouhani's remarks on Israeli-UAE relations.
(2020-08-16). Tehran-Tashkent direct flights to be launched. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Uzbekistan has welcomed Iran's suggestion for launching a direct flight between Tehran and Tashkent.
(2020-08-16). Minister of Defense attends press conference on Sunday. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — Iranian Minister of Defense Brigadier General Amir Hatami attended a press conference on Sunday due to the upcoming occasion of Defense Industry Day on August 21.
(2020-08-16). Iran-Iraq fights resumes under health protocols conditions. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — An Iranian airliner announced that the flights to Iraqi international airports including Najaf, Basra, Sulaymaniyah, Erbil, and Baghdad have resumed under some health protocol conditions.
(2020-08-16). Ghalibaf congrats Lebanon victory in 33-day war anniversary. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — In messages to his Lebanese counterpart and Secretary General of Hezbollah Resistance Movement, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf offered congratulations on the anniv. of Lebanon victory in the 33-day war.
(2020-08-16). UAE to suffer severely for normalizing ties with Zionists. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Secretary-General of the International Conference in Support of the Palestinian Intifada said that the United Arab Emirates will sustain severe damage for its normalizing ties and compromise with the Israeli regime.
(2020-08-16). Trump and US presidential election. en.mehrnews.com …
(2020-08-16). Rockets hit US embassy in Baghdad: report. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Sources reported a rocket attack on the US embassy in Baghdad on Sunday night.
(2020-08-16). VIDEO: Oil tanker breaks in half off Mauritius coast. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — A Japanese bulk carrier that struck a coral reef last month off the Mauritius coast broke apart Saturday afternoon. Spilling 1,000 tons of fuel oil, the ship is feared to create a marine ecological disaster around Mauritius.
(2020-08-16). "They're Trying To Boot Us Out" Unite-Here 2 Concession Workers Protest Owner Of Giants. indybay.org Hundreds of Giants Unite Here Local 2 concession workers protested the union busting tactics of Giant's billionaire owner Howard Johnson.
(2020-08-16). All across America elected officials urge Congress to take on a clean energy stimulus plan. indybay.org COVID-19 has had a detrimental effect on the national economy. In order for the nation to recover quickly and efficiently, Congress must issue a stimulus package for clean energy sectors. Elected Officials to Protect America is urging Congress to take action to ensure our national recovery.
(2020-08-16). Friday 8/21: Online Event: Covid's Hidden Toll with Filmmakers Daffodil Altan and Andrés Cediel. indybay.org Revolution Books, 2444 Durant Ave. Berkeley CA 94704…
(2020-08-16). Monday 8/17: Call to Action: Demand McConnell & Senate Return to Pass COVID Relief, Fund USPS & Voting! indybay.org Online via Livestream…
(2020-08-16). Saturday 8/22: Swing Left SF Phone Bank Training for Introverts (& Friends). indybay.org Online Event…
(2020-08-16). Saturday 9/5: Strike Debt Bay Area Book Group: Modern Monetary Theory. indybay.org Online via Zoom | EMAIL STRIKE.DEBT.BAY.AREA@GMAIL.COM FOR ZOOM INFO A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE MEETING.
(2020-08-16). Sunday 8/23: The Oakland Greens present "The People's Education System" indybay.org ZOOM Event…
(2020-08-16). Friday 8/28: 2020 Black National Convention Livestream (M4BL). indybay.org Online via livestream…
(2020-08-16). Campus Workers Sue UNC System Over Unsafe Working Conditions. popularresistance.org North Carolina university employees are suing the UNC System, saying working conditions are unsafe as tens of thousands of students return to campuses during the coronavirus pandemic. | "Essential workers across UNC System campuses continue to report to work with inadequate protective equipment to ensure their safety," the UE150, NC Public Service Workers Union said in a statement Monday. | Some university employees, including housekeepers and other campus workers, are provided one or two masks per week and many don't have access to face shields or gowns, according to the union.
(2020-08-16). Belarus: Imperialists Run The Same Tired Old Script. popularresistance.org The Western establishment narrative managers always follow the same patterns. Just like they fixated on Hong Kong protests, while ignoring those in US-aligned France or Israel, now they're cheering on protests in Belarus. | Imperialist pundit and Obama administration Cold Warrior Michael McFaul recently tweeted the following: | "Belarusians, inside and outside of the country, have reached out to me this week to ask why the West is so indifferent to their courageous fight for democracy. I can't explain. Can you?" | I am not highlighting this tweet because it is remarkable…
(2020-08-16). Protesters Make Noise At Postmaster General's Home Over Cuts. popularresistance.org Protesters filled the streets outside the head of the U.S. Postal Service's home in Northwest Washington, D.C., on Saturday, some carrying signs that read "Don't mess with the USPS" and "Don't stamp out our democracy." | The demonstrators blew airhorns and banged pots as a few of them walked to the front door of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's building and pinned fake ballots to his front door, as protesters accused him and the White House of working together to undermine main-in ballots and the election. | "Hey hey, Louis DeJoy,…
(2020-08-16). Beirut Explosion: It Is Late, But It Is Early Morning If We Insist. popularresistance.org Nothing happens in Beirut and Lebanon that is transparent; plots of all kinds unravel against the ordinary hopes of the population. After the deadly explosion, it was impossible to imagine that the most reasonable explanation would be accepted. Rumors flew around, except the rumors did not have their impact. It was clear to the people that this time — unlike so many times previously — it was their own political system that had to be held accountable for the enormous explosion, which came in the midst of a pandemic, a currency and economic crisis, and a long-standing and unresolved political quagmire.
(2020-08-16). US Sanctions Are Strangling A Lebanon In Crisis. popularresistance.org The Lebanese econ ≠o ≠my crashed into the equiv ≠a ≠lent of a brick wall some ≠time in the last few months of 2019. The Lebanese pound (or lira), which was pegged to the dol ≠lar and appeared to be sta ≠ble for well over two decades, start ≠ed to decline at a rate that threat ≠ened the com ≠plete col ≠lapse of the econ ≠o ≠my. In the mean ≠time, the Trump admin ≠is ≠tra ≠tion had been busy build ≠ing a "Great Wall" of sanc ≠tions around Lebanon, even as the coun ≠try as a whole was drown ≠ing in a moun ≠tain of debt. | The firs…
(2020-08-16). 'BlueLeaks' Publishers Pursued As 'Criminal Hacker Group' By DHS. popularresistance.org The dump of the damning "Blue Leaks" files in late June provided the public with over 250 gigabytes of video, audio, and other data from a broad range of law enforcement agencies across the US. Yet, the organisation behind it insists it is not responsible for the hacking itself. | The US Department of Homeland Security is persecuting Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoSecrets), the group that was the first to publish the "BlueLeaks" trove of hacked police files in June, as a "criminal hacker group", similar to WikiLeaks, as follows from a bulletin circulated to fusion centres around the country earlier this summer…
(2020-08-16). Does the CIA Actually "Control" the Mainstream Media Like Some Claim? strategic-culture.org The CIA could never (and doesn't) regulate every movie, video game and YouTube video. But influencing and observing certain VIPs is a much easier potential task. Watch the video and read more in the
(2020-08-16). The Real Meaning of the Gettysburg Battlefield. strategic-culture.org Streetwise Professor | After Trump's suggestion that he would give his nomination acceptance speech at the White House triggered potential legal objections, his campaign mooted the possibility of giving the speech at the Gettysburg battlefield. This triggered paroxysms of insanity that are remarkable even against the background of repeated paroxysms of insanity that have been playing on a loop for almost 4 years now. | Leading the Stupid Parade was CNN's Jerry Diamond: "This is a President who has consistently positions himself as a defender of Confederate symbols and monuments to Confederate generals." He was so…
(2020-08-16). Powerful stories from care home staff on the front line of the pandemic. thecanary.co Care home staff are drained and daunted by the highs and lows of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, one NHS worker has said. Carers were drafted in from the public sector to support privately-run institutions which bore the brunt of last spring's surge in cases. They described an emotional rollercoaster punctuated by grief at losing residents but also immense celebration as a 99-year-old first sat up in bed after defeating the virus. | One said: The past few months have definitely been a draining, sometimes, and challenging period. The circumstances and some events we have seen have been unfortunate. To see some…
(2020-08-16). China's local COVID-19 cases fall as Xinjiang cluster recedes. yenisafak.com China's new locally transmitted cases of the novel coronavirus fell to a one-month low as a cluster in the western region of Xinjiang receded, data released by the country's health authority showed on Sunday.The number of locally transmitted cases in China dropped to four on Aug. 15, all of which were in Xinjiang, the National Health Commission said in a statement. That compares with eight cases nationwide a day earlier and is the lowest since July 16.No new locally transmitted cases were recorded on Aug. 15 in the city of Shenzhen in southern Guangdong province after provincial authorities there reported fresh i…
(2020-08-16). Virus claims 6 lives in Libya, 2 in Sudan. yenisafak.com Health authorities in Libya and Sudan on Sunday confirmed additional fatalities due to the coronavirus pandemic.In a statement, Libya's National Center for Disease Control said six people had died from COVID-19 and 411 others tested positive.The country's tally now rose to 7,738 confirmed cases, including 145 deaths, and 894 recoveries.In Sudan, the Health Ministry recorded two deaths along with 103 infections and 10 recoveries.The country's total infections now stand at 12,314, including 798 deaths, and 6,350 recoveries.The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed nearly 769,000 lives in at least 188 countries and regions…
(2020-08-16). Iran says to export arms once UN embargo lifted. yenisafak.com "Iran will export and sell weapons" once the UN-mandated embargo is lifted, Defense Minister Gen. Amir Hatami told reporters on the sidelines of the National Defense Industry Day in Tehran.He said Iran will "use all its capacities to meet its arms requirements" by exporting weapons after the 13-year embargo expires in October.On Saturday, the UN Security Council turned down a US draft to extend an arms embargo on Iran.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who had urged the UNSC members to vote for the move, said the Council's "failure to act decisively" was "inexcusable".US officials accuse Iran of supplying weapons…
(2020-08-16). One killed in bomb blast in Iraq's Kirkuk. yenisafak.com One person was killed and two others were injured in a bomb explosion in Iraq's northern Kirkuk province on Sunday, according to an Iraqi police officer.The blast took place in al-Riyadh, a town west of Kirkuk city, the officer said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.There was no claim of responsibility for the blast, but the officer suggested that the Daesh/ISIS terror group was behind the attack.Since the start of the year, suspected Daesh/ISIS terrorists have stepped up attacks, particularly in the area between Kirkuk, Saladin (north), and Diyala (east), known as the…
(2020-08-16). Putin tells Belarusian leader Lukashenko Russia ready to help militarily if necessary. yenisafak.com Russian President Vladimir Putin told Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko in a phone call on Sunday that Moscow stood ready to provide help in accordance with a collective military pact if necessary, the Kremlin said in a statement.The Kremlin said in the same statement that external pressure was being applied to Belarus. It did not say by who.Belarus has been rocked by a week of street protests after protesters accused Lukashenko of rigging a presidential election last Sunday.
(2020-08-16). India sends team to Mauritius to assist in oil spill. yenisafak.com India has sent technical equipment and a team of specialists to Mauritius to help local authorities deal with an environmental crisis after an oil spill from a Japanese ship, a government official said on Sunday.A Japanese bulk carrier struck a coral reef off the Indian Ocean island nation on July 25, spilling about 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil and triggering a state of "environmental emergency".The carrier split on Saturday, and the oil spill spread over a vast area of endangered corals, fish and other marine life in what some scientists called the country's worst ecological disaster.Scientists say the full impact o…
(2020-08-16). UAE phone lines to Israel open after accord to normalise relations. yenisafak.com Telephone lines between the United Arab Emirates and Israel were open on Sunday, calls made by Reuters reporters showed, after the two countries moved to normalise diplomatic relations last week.It was not clear when exactly a block on telephone calls made from the UAE to Israel was lifted, but historically calls were not possible.The UAE's Telecoms Regulatory Authority did not immediately respond to a request to comment.More Israeli news websites that were previously blocked in the UAE were also now able to be viewed on UAE internet connections on Sunday.An official in Israel's Communication Ministry told Reuter…
(2020-08-16). Screen addiction causes children to lose ability to draw. yenisafak.com The normalization of technology has rendered some children incapable of drawing a simple picture, and the number keeps rising daily, according to a Turkish child development specialist.The new school year in Turkey will begin with remote classes Aug. 31. Aysenur Bekaroglu believes screen addiction in children is much more pronounced when learning is primarily dictated by a device."But this is the best of a bad lot," she said. "Rather than children being left uneducated, online education is the best option."Bekaroglu said schools are not only a center for education but a place to socialize, where children have pee…
(2020-08-16). In Denial: Australia, Human Rights and Climate Change. dissidentvoice.org When the complaint was lodged in May 2019, there was a sense of the audacious about it. Eight Torres Strait Islanders had taken the trouble to petition the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Committee, citing climate change and Australian violations as their main concern. Australia, they claimed, had violated their fundamental rights under the International Covenant …
(2020-08-16). The Basic Case for a Wealth Tax. commondreams.org People participate in a "March on Billionaires" event on July 17, 2020 in New York City. (Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/basic-case-wealth-tax.jpg …
(2020-08-16). Coronavirus: Have We Already Missed the Opportunity to Build a Better World? commondreams.org A wind farm in Rochale in the UK. (Photo: Robin Mulligan/CC BY 2.0) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/covid-opportunity-change.jpg …
(2020-08-16). Solidarity Forever: Essential Workers, Public Goods, and How We Are in This Together. commondreams.org "As we build our way out of the COVID-19 crisis, we need to amplify the narratives that are emerging about who the real heroes are in our society," the author writes. (Photo: Giles Clarke/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/essential-expendable.jpg …
(2020-08-16). Our Race Against the Clock to Affirm Water as a Human Right. commondreams.org A demonstrator holds a sign during a Detroit water shutoffs rally in 2014. (Photo: uusc4all/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/ten-years-water-human-right.jpg …
(2020-08-16). Military Recruiters Don't Belong in High Schools. commondreams.org There's a group of outsiders in schools we should be wary of: the U.S. military. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/recruiters-schools.jpg …
(2020-08-16). An escape route for Brazil. zcomm.org The only possible escape route for Brazil is to make sure that, in 2022 at the latest, the hellish nightmare of Bolsonarismo is democratically brought to its end…
(2020-08-16). How the Israel-UAE Deal puts the Bogus Peace Industry Back in Business. dissidentvoice.org If there is one conclusion to draw from the agreement this week between Israel and the United Arab Emirates — with Israel temporarily "suspending" its threat to illegally annex parts of the West Bank, in return for "full normalisation" with the Gulf state — it is this: The peace industry is back in business. But this …
(2020-08-15). Sanders Warns of Trump Effort to 'Destroy the Post Office to Sabotage This Election'. commondreams.org The warning from the Vermont senator follows a USPS announcement that it's halting its collection of mailboxes in multiple states—which voting rights advocates rebuked as evidence of "massive voter suppression." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/election-sabotage-mailboxes.jpg …
(2020-08-15). The show trial of Julian Assange: A cruel and pseudolegal farce. wsws.org Yesterday's hearing in London made clear, if any further proof was needed, that the prosecution of Assange is a shameful and degrading show trial, intended to railroad an innocent man to prison or death.
(2020-08-15). How the U.S. helped push Lebanon to the brink of collapse, and now threatens more sanctions. mronline.org 
While the media blames the crisis in Lebanon solely on corruption, the U.S. government unleashed a "maximum pressure" campaign to push regime change and crush Lebanese resistance with sanctions and aggressive hybrid warfare.
(2020-08-15). COVID-19 Coronavirus "Fake" Pandemic: Timeline and Analysis. globalresearch.ca On January 30, a far-reaching decision was taken by the WHO without the support of expert opinion at a time when the coronavirus outbreak was limited to Mainland China. 150 confirmed cases outside China, when the decision was taken, 6 in the US, 3 in Canada, 2 in the UK, etc. In early March, 430 cases in the US.
(2020-08-15). Michel Chossudovsky: Biographical Summary. globalresearch.ca There are a number of deliberate "errors" and omissions in Michel Chossudovsky's wikipedia entry. Defamatory statements. | The same applies to the wikipedia entry for Global Research which has been merged with Chossudovsky's entry. The objective is to smear GR. …
(2020-08-15). [Editorial] Humanitarian crises in a global pandemic. thelancet.com On Aug 19, the world will mark a UN World Humanitarian Day very different from any other. But while COVID-19 captures the world's focus, other humanitarian crises also need attention, as evidenced most recently by the tragic aftermath of the explosion in Beirut.
(2020-08-15). [World Report] Lebanon faces humanitarian emergency after blast. thelancet.com The explosion in Beirut is further straining the health system and food supplies, as well as risking the country's COVID-19 response. Sharmila Devi reports.
(2020-08-15). Refinery Shutdown, Santa Barbara Co. Staff Report Jeopardize ExxonMobil Offshore Drilling. indybay.org However, opponents of offshore drilling say two unrelated developments that took place yesterday could undermine these plans. A coalition of conservation, environmental justice and indigenous groups is calling on the oil company to abandon this project and decommission its offshore rigs.
(2020-08-15). Maduro Hails Russian COVID-19 Vaccine as Comms Minister Tests Positive. venezuelanalysis.com The South American nation has a 70 percent COVID-19 recovery rate.
(2020-08-15). Eight years on from the Marikana massacre and protesters remind us 'the lives of African mineworkers matter'. thecanary.co On
(2020-08-15). The Plight of Refugees and Migrant Workers under Covid. dissidentvoice.org In a world where nationalism and social division is increasing, bigotry growing, are the words refugee, asylum seeker, migrant worker, derogatory labels triggering prejudice and intolerance? Such terms create an image of 'the other', separate and different, strengthening tribalism, feeding suspicion, our common humanity denied. Under the shadow of Covid-19 those living on the margins …
(2020-08-15). Journalists in Malaysia persecuted for exposing treatment of migrant workers. wsws.org The government's investigation into seven Al Jazeera journalists, including a police raid of their offices, is part of a broader crackdown on press freedom.
(2020-08-15). ICE Guards 'Systematically' Sexually Assault Detainees. popularresistance.org Guards in an immigrant detention center in El Paso sexually assaulted and harassed inmates in a "pattern and practice" of abuse, according to a complaint filed by a Texas advocacy group urging the local district attorney and federal prosecutors to conduct a criminal investigation. | The allegations, detailed in a filing first obtained by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, maintain that guards systematically assaulted at least three people in a facility overseen by Immigration and Customs Enforcement — often in areas of the detention center not visible to security cameras.
(2020-08-15). U.S. mercenaries sentenced to 20 years for invasion attempt in Venezuela. workers.org 
Telesur published the following report Aug. 8. Venezuela's Attorney General Tarek William Saab reported Friday [Aug. 7] that the two former U.S. military officers, Luke Denmnan and Airan Berry, who participated in the failed invasion attempt in Venezuela [May 4], were sentenced to 20 years in prison. Former members of . . . |
(2020-08-15). Critical hours in Bolivia. mronline.org 
These are critical hours in Bolivia. The protests have been going on nationally for more than a week; the de facto government has deployed police, military and armed civilian groups. The escalation has not ceased and the demand for Jeanine àÅñez's resignation has been established, but what will be the consequences?>
(2020-08-15). Palestinian Liberation Movement marks global day of action. workers.org 
The Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network called for global Days of Resistance from Aug. 7 through 9 to protest the ongoing conquest of Palestinian land by Israeli occupation forces. In a statement announcing the action, the organization said, "Today, the program of Israeli annexation continues to threaten Palestinians in the . . . |
(2020-08-15). On right-wing violence in Texas, media's silence sends message. mronline.org 
Hank Gilbert, the Democratic challenger to Rep. Louie Gohmert in Texas' 1st congressional district, held a rally in Tyler, Texas, on July 26 against federal law enforcement agencies' recent intervention in Portland, Oregon. But armed participants of a "Back the Blue" counter-protest crashed the event, beating and robbing attendees in the park.
(2020-08-15). Tear Gas Ted has a Tantrum. dissidentvoice.org 
If the Portland Police decide they need to start killing protesters, the mayor has just justified it in advance. The liberal landed gentry dripping with multi-generational wealth and entitlement, as represented by Tear Gas Ted Wheeler, has made a pronouncement: the good folks trying to burn down the police station there in outer east Portland …
(2020-08-15). Face to Face with Mumia in a historic interview in 1996. workers.org 
On March 28, 1996, Workers World Party leading members Monica Moorehead and Larry Holmes traveled to a remote rural township in central Pennsylvania to pay a visit to the dungeon within a dungeon, death row. For at least two hours, they interviewed a shackled Mumia Abu-Jamal from across a thick . . . |
(2020-08-15). In honor of Negro National Leagues: Only the ball was white. workers.org 
This year, 2020, is the 100th birthday of the Negro National Leagues. Not Major League Baseball's National League, but the Negro National Leagues. I'd like you to meet some of my heroes: Cool Papa, Peach Head, Double Duty, Satch, Buck and Peanut. Even if you are a sports fan, you . . . |
(2020-08-15). The Heat: U.S. presidential politics. america.cgtn.com 
The U.S. presidential race heats up as Democrats prepare to formally anoint Joe Biden in the race for the White House. As Democrats take center stage next week to formalize their party's ticket for November's national election, gone will be the mass gathering of party …
(2020-08-15). 'Muscular liberalism': Washington Post columnist roasted after using strange label to describe Biden/Harris strategy. rt.com 
A piece on how the Biden and Harris ticket sticks it to the Democrats has drawn an outpouring of mockery after describing the duo's foreign policy platform as 'muscular liberalism'. | A Washington Post column penned by political commentator Josh Rogin heaped praise on Joe Biden's Vice President pick, Kamala Harris. Together they would usher a "return to the way world politics used to work, with a strong America leading a strong multilateral system," he argued. Once they take the White House, the centrist dream team would firmly oppose the vision of the likes of Bernie Sanders, who want "smaller defense budgets…
(2020-08-15). 'Come on, don't do this': Yahoo slammed for shoddy story accusing RUSSIA of antifa.com prank of Joe Biden. rt.com 
The latest chapter in the conspiracy theory blaming Russia for 'meddling' in US elections accuses Moscow of somehow redirecting the website Antifa.com to Joe Biden's website, thanks to some major internet illiteracy at work. | On Wednesday, Republican activist Matthew Foldi pointed out that typing Antifa.com in one's browser redirected to Biden's campaign page, just as the Democrat candidate and his freshly chosen running mate Kamala Harris were about to do their first joint public appearance. | | üö®ü…
(2020-08-15). Radical? Inspirational? A token choice? What's the truth about Kamala Harris? rt.com 
Kamala Harris's appointment as Joe Biden's vice-presidential running mate has sparked myriad opinions from all along the political spectrum. But what's true and what's myth? | After much rumour and debate, Joe Biden has announced his running mate for this year's presidential election and… it's no great surprise. Kamala Harris was named on Tuesday, months after it was known that Biden would pick a female VP candidate. | The choice of Harris, who unsuccessfully ran for the presidential nomination, has triggered a huge reaction from all areas of the political playground. From dangerously radical to disappointin…
(2020-08-15). Holiday at home? Irish tourism boss resigns after getting caught on vacation in Italy. rt.com 
The head of Ireland's tourism development authority (Fáilte), Michael Cawley, has resigned after ignoring his own agency's advice to opt for domestic 'staycations' and heading off on holiday to Italy instead. | The resignation was announced on Saturday by Cawley himself, who said he decided to step down because he didn't want to "allow this issue to become a distraction from the important work of Fáilte Ireland in rebuilding the Irish tourism industry." | Cawley's sojourn to Italy ignores government advice to avoid non-essential travel abroad during the Covid-19 pandemic. Quite ironically, Cawley's agen…
(2020-08-15). Trump supporter Bill Mitchell, with over half a million followers, permanently booted from Twitter for 'opposing masks'. rt.com 
Conservative pundit Bill Mitchell has been kicked off Twitter, saying his opposition to face masks first earned him a suspension, which became permanent after he unwittingly violated the rules by tweeting from a second account. | Mitchell announced his ban in a post on Parler on Friday, laying his Twitter handle to rest after accumulating more than 600,000 followers. Earning regular retweets from President Donald Trump, the account was a source of controversy, at times backing 'QAnon' conspiracy theories and voicing skepticism toward Covid-19, among other things. | "Twitter just suspended me for opposing masks…
(2020-08-15). Deal with Israel won't give UAE more security, only benefits Trump — Iran's Rouhani. rt.com 
The leadership of the United Arab Emirates have made a "huge mistake" by sealing a deal with Israel, the president of Iran has said. He believes they win nothing from it and are only helping Donald Trump on his campaign trail.
(2020-08-15). Rockets fall inside Iraq's Taji camp housing US-led coalition troops — reports. rt.com 
At least two unguided rockets fell inside Iraq's Taji military base that houses US troops, local media has reported, citing the country's military. No information on damage or potential casualties was immediately available. | Camp Taji, located some 27km (17 miles) north of the Iraqi capital, came under rocket fire late on Saturday. At least two projectiles fell inside the base, Iraqi military confirmed to local media. | While no reports on damage or casualties were readily available, unconfirmed imagery circulating online suggested the attack might have sparked a fire at the base. | Unconfirmed reports of a f…
(2020-08-15). Navalny's regional organizer arrested as Khabarovsk protests enter sixth week. rt.com 
The Khabarovsk regional coordinator for Moscow protest leader Alexey Navalny has been detained for participating in an unapproved demonstration, as crowds rallied for a sixth weekend in a row. | Alexey Vorsin, a regular fixture at Khabarovsk protests, was Khabarovsk residents have been protesting every day since July 11, after hugely popular regional governor Sergey Furgal was arrested on suspicion of ordering t…
(2020-08-15). Protesters gather at postmaster general's DC home over Trump support and mail-in voting, demand his firing (VIDEOS). rt.com 
Protesters gathered outside of US Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's home in Washington DC to give him a "wake up call" and object to his support for President Donald Trump, as well as recent changes made within…
(2020-08-15). Belarus' Lukashenko to move air assault brigade to country's western border amid protests & NATO activity in Poland, Lithuania. rt.com 
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said an air assault brigade will be moved to the country's border, amid massive anti-government protests that the leader has dubbed a "color revolution" directed by foreign agents. | Speaking to state media on Saturday, Lukashenko said he was "worried" that NATO was carrying out military exercises in Poland and Lithuania, regarding it as an arms build-up on Belarus' borders. | The president said that Belarus "cannot calmly observe this" and do nothing, adding that he has ordered the transfer of an airborne brigade from Vitebsk to Grodno. | Lukashenko also slammed f…
(2020-08-15). Proud Boys march devolves into violence as group clashes with counter-protestsers in Michigan (VIDEOS). rt.com 
Members of the right-wing group Proud Boys were met with angry counter demos at a march in Michigan, with the clashes between the two sides growing so heated that riot police stepped in to clear the area. | Videos from the event show a large group of Proud Boys marching in Kalamazoo on Saturday, most holding American flags and being confronted by counter-protesters who tried to break up the march. As the two groups start mixing, several fistfights and pushing matches can be seen breaking out. | Hell has broken loose
(2020-08-15). Chuck Norris appears in bizarre YouTube video threatening to make Belarusian President Lukashenko 'cry'. rt.com 
Hollywood star Chuck Norris has filmed himself making a thinly veiled threat against Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko, who is facing intense protests following accusations of election fraud. | Update: The original video is no longer available on YouTube due to a copyright claim. | In the clip, posted on YouTube, Norris did not mention Lukashenko by name. Instead, he referred to him as "Sasha Zero-Percent," which is a play on 'Sasha Three-Percent', the nickname opposition activists used to mock the president for his supposedly low approval rating. | Norris also used the phrase "Mister Cockroach," a term…
(2020-08-15). 'We won't allow banditry on our continental shelf': Erdogan says Turkey won't back down amid Mediterranean standoff. rt.com 
Turkey will not bow to international pressure and "banditry" in the contested waters of the eastern Mediterranean, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said, promising to continue oil and gas exploration as planned. | Turkey's Oruc Reis survey vessel will continue its work between Cyprus and the Greek island of Crete until August 23 despite mounting pressure and threats of sanctions, Erdogan said on Saturday. | We will never bow to banditry on our continental shelf. We will not back down against the language of sanctions and threats. | Ankara's goal is to protect its "rights and interests," Erdogan stressed, add…
(2020-08-15). Joe Rogan lambasts Alyssa Milano and other woke celebs, says they become activists 'as soon as the calls stop coming'. rt.com 
Joe Rogan has thrown major shade at Alyssa Milano, after she cursed the world over the fact he had more podcast listeners than her. The comedian said Hollywood celebrities want to appear "super woke" to keep their careers. | In the latest episode of 'The Joe Rogan Experience', the eponymous host and comedian Tim Dillon discussed people's current obsession with airing political takes on absolutely every subject. At this point, Rogan appeared to suggest he was aware of Milano's recent tweets, in which she complained that his podcast was so much more popular than her own. | We live in a world WHERE JOE ROGAN's PO…
(2020-08-15). South Korean leader offers olive branch to Japan on liberation day. thecanary.co 
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has offered talks with Japan to resolve a bitter feud over wartime grievances, as the nation celebrated the 75th anniversary of its liberation from Japanese colonial rule at the end of the Second World War.In a nationally televised speech, Moon said that his government has "left the door of consultations wide open" for Japan to settle a long legal and diplomatic dispute over compensation for Koreans who'd been subjected to forced labour at mines, factories and other sites.Tensions: Relations between the two countries sank to their lowest point in decades last year, as the…
(2020-08-15). 'Most successful breeding year in decades' for rare bird of prey at nature reserve. thecanary.co 
At least a dozen marsh harrier chicks have successfully fledged at a nature reserve in the "most successful breeding year in decades" for the species there.It's thought that lockdown helped the birds at the National Trust's Wicken Fen Nature Reserve in Cambridgeshire.Rangers witnessed four nests of chicks successfully fledge and believe there may have been a fifth, but its location meant staff were unable to fully monitor numbers.Two juvenile marsh harriers (Richard J Nicoll/National Trust/PA)A positive outcome of lockdown: There are only 400 nesting pairs of marsh harriers in the UK, but the species has m…
(2020-08-15). Protesters gather at site of activist's death amid calls for Belarus leader to quit. thecanary.co 
Thousands of demonstrators in Belarus gathered at the spot in the capital where a protester died in clashes with police, calling for authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko to resign after 26 years in power.It was the seventh consecutive day of large protests against the results of the 9 August presidential election, in which election officials say Lukashenko won a sixth term in office. Opposition supporters believe the figures have been manipulated.Despite harsh police action against the protesters, including the detention of some 7,000 people, the demonstrations have swelled into the largest and most susta…
(2020-08-15). Uphold Palestinian Struggle In All Its Forms. popularresistance.org Fifty years ago, Palestinian intellectual Ghassan Kanafani put forward a clear position about the boycott of Israel. Kanafani was, at the time, not only an esteemed novelist and short story writer. He was also one of the leading spokespeople of the Palestinian armed revolution, representing the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. | "Our boycott of Israel is not based on an emotional position, but rather, it comes from the nature of our confrontation against this enemy. Boycott is in itself a statement," Kanafani wrote. | His remarks came in response to a debate between Israeli and Palestinian students…
(2020-08-15). UAE, Israel deal against democracy in Arab world: Experts. yenisafak.com The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel made a deal earlier this week to forestall Tel Aviv's controversial plans to annex large swathes of the occupied West Bank and start a new era of normalization.Although the deal was supported by the West and regional countries namely, Egypt, Oman and Bahrain, the agreement sparked uproar in Palestine and on Arab streets.The Emirates became the third Arab country to recognize Israel after Jordan and Egypt, in a move touted as doing the Palestinians a favor.Palestinian groups, however, denounced the agreement, saying it does nothing to serve the Palestinian cause and ignore…
(2020-08-15). Needed: Indicators for Measuring Injustice and Societal Decay. commondreams.org A demonstrator holding a "People Over Profit" sign at a protest in Brooklyn on June 5, 2020. (Photo: Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/new-indicators.jpg …
(2020-08-15). Activists in Denmark demand a consent based law against rape. peoplesdispatch.org Hundreds of people demonstrated in Copenhagen on August 14, Friday, to demand that the government draft a consent law to ensure proper legal protection for rape victims. The gathering was organised by around 24 groups including Everyday Sexim Project, Women's Council, Denmark's Social Democratic Youth (DSU), Socialist Youth Front (SUF), Red Green Youth etc. The participants in the march wore masks and gloves adhering to COVID-19 safety protocol. | According to Arbejderen.dk (The Worker), the demonstrators demanded that the government should immediately announce and submit proposals for a new consent-based rape la…
(2020-08-15). Brazilian teachers report 36 COVID-infected schools after one week of classes in Manaus. wsws.org Virtually all Brazilian states and capitals have ongoing plans to reproduce the homicidal model of school reopenings in Manaus.
(2020-08-15). Amid mounting political crisis, Colombia faces world's highest COVID-19 death rate. wsws.org Over the past weeks, the country has registered the highest per capita COVID-19 death rate in the world, 43.1 deaths per million people, compared to 32.9 per million for Brazil and 24.4 for the US.
(2020-08-15). China's Message to Donald: What Do You Want from Us? globalresearch.ca Translated from Chinese for Global Research; first published in January 2020. | Enough is enough. Enough hypocrisy for this one world. | What do you want from us, anyway? What Do You Really Want from Us? | When we were the sick man …
(2020-08-15). Big oil faces mounting legal battles over climate threats to its New England Oil terminals. nationofchange.org The communities surrounding these terminals are constantly at risk of being inundated with a stew of oil and toxic materials."
(2020-08-15). For a general strike against the reopening of German schools! wsws.org By demanding a return to face-to-face teaching amid rising coronavirus infection rates, German state governments of all stripes are putting the health and lives of countless teachers, students and parents at risk.
(2020-08-15). INSIGHT: The Simple Fix For Corporate Income Tax—Tax Stock Returns. cepr.net Bloomberg Tax See article on original site It is time for a major and simple overhaul of the corporate income tax system. The main problem with the current system is that it is focused on the wrong target. Instead of taxing corporate profits, we should be taxing stock returns. Before explaining how this alternative would …
(2020-08-15). Modi government intensifies repression one year after its constitutional coup against Kashmir. wsws.org The Modi government's illegal abrogation of Kashmir's semi-autonomous status and imposition of a state-of-siege in the Muslim-majority region have been conspicuously ignored by the US and other major imperialist powers.
(2020-08-15). Fauci warns against herd immunity: "the death toll would be enormous" wsws.org Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of world's leading experts on infectious disease, warned against the relaxation of efforts to combat COVID-19, declaring, "The death toll would be enormous and totally unacceptable."
(2020-08-15). Workers denounce cover-up and intimidation around COVID-19 infections at Fiat Chrysler Belvidere plant. wsws.org Belvidere workers continue to speak out against management and UAW concealing information and shaming workers for stating concerns as Boone and Winnebago counties launch investigation into the spread of disease at the plant.
(2020-08-15). Evans-Frantz: Sen. Leahy Should Lead on Global COVID Response. cepr.net Brattleboro Reformer See article on original site While Vermont has had the lowest death rate from COVID, most of us have heard how this pandemic is killing tens of thousands of our fellow Americans. However, we have heard less about the toll this pandemic is taking in developing countries. On July 31, the U.S. House …
(2020-08-15). High-tech workplace surveillance: New report warns of dystopian mass surveillance amid COVID-19. nationofchange.org "The speed at which these new privacy-shredding technologies have been unleashed is alarming, especially given that none of them have been proven to be effective at mitigating the spread of COVID-19."
(2020-08-15). Powerful windstorm leaves 4 dead, 1.5 million without power across US Midwest. wsws.org Workers, who have lost everything in the storm, will be crowded into shelters and aid centers where social distancing will prove to be very difficult, putting thousands more at needless risk of contracting COVID-19.
(2020-08-15). Uganda looks online for answers to COVID economic crisis. news.un.org From banking, to food delivery, and taxi bookings, Uganda is rapidly becoming accustomed to many of the online tools that are commonplace in developed economies, and which don't rely on face-to-face interactions. The UN is supporting this shift, as a way to help developing economies recover from the global economic crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2020-08-15). UAW announces COVID outbreak at the Ford Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville with 32 new cases. wsws.org There were 32 new COVID-19 cases reported last week at Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville.
(2020-08-15). Virtual Concert unites Pacific with the world in battling COVID-19. news.un.org The first-of-its-kind televised and digitally streamed Pacific Unite: Saving Lives Together concert called on regional leaders and citizens to unite in the global fight against COVID-19, the United Nations said on Saturday.
(2020-08-15). The Democrats and Republicans: Two wolves hunting the United States Postal Service. wsws.org While they posture as defenders of postal workers, the Democrats have played a critical role in the privatization of the USPS and the decay of American democracy.
(2020-08-15). US elections could call into question fundamentals of democracy. peoplesdispatch.org Eugene Puryear of BreakThrough News talks about the nomination of Kamala Harris as the vice-presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, as well as issues around voter suppression and fraud…
(2020-08-15). Tensions rise in Bolivia as far-right groups mobilize against national strike. zcomm.org Over 140 major highways and roads have been blocked by protesters across Bolivia to demand that the general elections be held on September 6 and for the de facto president, Jeanine àÅñez, to resign immediately…
(2020-08-15). Prisoners' Justice Day in Canada, The Rights of Prison Inmates. The Prison Reform Movement. globalresearch.ca "Solitary is used against prisoners who continue to resist against the oppressive environment within the system, and it is used to extremes that are hard for anyone to believe possible in a modern-day society. It is used to wear us …
(2020-08-15). Prisoners' Justice Day in Canada. globalresearch.ca "Solitary is used against prisoners who continue to resist against the oppressive environment within the system, and it is used to extremes that are hard for anyone to believe possible in a modern-day society. It is used to wear us …
(2020-08-15). Lebanon's oligarchs and imperialist backers seek to exploit outrage over Beirut port blast. wsws.org Amid mass anger over the port explosion, a campaign against Hezbollah is bound up with the US aggression against Iran.
(2020-08-15). Turkey, Syria, and the Kurds. zcomm.org For over two decades, Kurdish leader Abdullah àñcalan has been held in the Turkish prison on ƒ∞mralƒ± Island. In this op-ed for Jacobin, he calls for a "democratic nation project" able to unite citizens of different ethnic backgrounds and cultural traditions.
(2020-08-15). Don't Forgive Bastards: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix. thealtworld.com A lot of evil hides behind the irrational assumption that there is a limit to the amount of evil your government would be willing to perpetrate. | "Forgiveness" is a concept that is constantly exploited by manipulative abusers. If anything our world suffers from an overabundance of forgiveness: toward murderous power structures, toward lying news media, toward rapacious oligarchs and cronyistic politicians. Don't forgive them. | I'm distrustful of anyone who prattles on about the importance of forgiveness, because those who do so tend to do it because they have a vested interest in the concept. They're usually ei…
(2020-08-15). Infiltration of US protests against police brutality used to delegitimize demonstrations, undermine democratic rights. wsws.org Police infiltration of protests has a renewed significance at a time when democratic rights have been stretched to the point of breaking.
(2020-08-15). India's Independence Day 2020 — distressed people, indifferent rulers. peoplesdispatch.org Just a few days before this 73rd anniversary of India gaining Independence, on August 9, hundreds of thousands of workers, employees, agricultural laborers, farmers, and other laboring people The protest captures the essence of these difficult times that India is passing throu…
(2020-08-15). White Allies For Black Lives Matter. dissidentvoice.org We're now emerging from an intense period of racial justice protests that began after the killing of George Floyd. It was exhilarating and pride-inspiring to witness the multitudes in the Lehigh Valley (Pa) who "took it to the streets" on behalf of racial equality, especially the waves of Black and white young people. According to …
(2020-08-15). Minneapolis Police Sweep West Powderhorn Encampment, Pepper Spray Defenders. unicornriot.ninja Minneapolis, MN — On August 14, 2020, Minneapolis Police along with the Park Police pepper sprayed houseless advocates while doing a sweep of the West Powderhorn Sanctuary tent encampment. Tents were bulldozed in scenes reminiscent of July 20 clearing of East Powderhorn. | Hours before severe…
(2020-08-15). Dissecting the Beirut coverup: Ammonium nitrate not explosive and Lebanon was nuked before. thealtworld.com We start with the text below in response to a RT cleaned this off, which reports the Israeli bombers at 30 seconds onward: | We also burn Rick Sanchez as a fake anti-Zionst who went to RT because of equally fake media prosecution. We recognize the "OP…
(2020-08-15). $6.3bn of non-oil products exported in Q1. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 15 (MNA) — According to the announcement made by the Iranian ministry of industry, the country could manage to export $6.3 billion of non-oil products in the first 3 months of the present Iranian calendar year (March 21-June 21, 2020).
(2020-08-15). Iran produces over 9.4mn tons of steel ingot in four months. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 15 (MNA) — Islamic Republic of Iran produced 9,483,000 tons of steel ingot in the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year (from March 21 to July 22), showing a nine percent hike as compared to the same period of last year.
(2020-08-15). US should thank Dominican for saving it from total isolation. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 15 (MNA) — Referring to the failure of US bid to extend an arms embargo on Iran, Ambassador to Pakistan Seyyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini said that the US should be so thankful of the Dominican Republic that saved it from total isolation.
(2020-08-15). Russia showed its seriousness on defending intl. law: envoy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 15 (MNA) — Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali said that Russia's vote against the unprincipled and destructive US resolution shows its determination to uphold international law and oppose unilateralism.
(2020-08-15). Police bust 357kg of opium in Yazd province. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — The police forces of Yazd province in central Iran have seized 357 kilograms of opium in three separate operations.
(2020-08-15). Rouhani meets with new Iranian envoys. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 15 (MNA) — Iran's new ambassadors to six countries met with President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran before embarking on their new missions.
(2020-08-15). Twitter against Trump: It's all about truth. indybay.org Trump's track record in the summer of the 2020 pandemic is disastrous, 1K deaths every day with a total of around 150K. More than 30 million Americans are receiving unemployment benefits. Trump is trying to turn Biden into the destroyer of America. Trump is deliberatively working on the image of a dystopia that he claims only he can prevent.
(2020-08-15). Fisher KIPP Malcom X Academy Room & Land Grab To Bust Up Public School. indybay.org The KIPP charter run by Doris Fisher and her family who own the GAP corporation are suing the San Francisco Unified School District to grab more rooms from the Malcom X Academy in Hunters Point/Bay View for their KIPP privately run school. These white corporate billionaires and millionaires on the KIPP board want to destroy the Malcom X Academy public School.
(2020-08-15). Leaking Fossil Fuel Wells: An Economic, Health, and Climate Crisis. indybay.org Leaking oil and gas wells in California are a health, economic, and climate crisis. The government needs to hold fossil fuel companies responsible to protect their citizens.
(2020-08-15). Friday 8/21: San Francisco: March for the Dead, Fight for the Living. indybay.org San Francisco: meet at Crissy Field Warming Hut, 983 Marine Drive, San Francisco, CA 94129; | then march across Golden Gate Bridge…
(2020-08-15). The Pandemic Revealed That Child Care Is Vital Work. popularresistance.org The COVID-19 pandemic has created several shifts across the labor landscape while exposing how piecemeal family care policies have left workers in precarious situations. The closure of schools at the end of the spring semester and uneven plans for reopening this fall have prompted questions about how a society and economy can function without sustainable care work. In this interview with M.A.R.CH. co-founder Phuong Nguyen, we discuss what the Memphis-based organization has meant within the vibrant social justice scene and how developing care policies in a right-to-work state could impact the future of childcare m…
(2020-08-15). Largest Private-Sector Strike Of The Year Is Headed For Union Victory. popularresistance.org Bath, Maine – It's no coin ≠ci ≠dence that the first strike in 20 years at Bath Iron Works (BIW) began months into the Covid-19 pan ≠dem ≠ic. While Maine has one of the low ≠est Covid trans ≠mis ≠sion rates in the coun ≠try, the spread of the dead ≠ly virus helped spark the strike that has large ≠ly shut down the ship ≠yard at BIW — one of Maine's largest employers. | In June, when around 4,300 Machin ≠ists Local S6 union mem ≠bers at BIW vot ≠ed over ≠whelm ≠ing ≠ly to strike, many had already soured on man ≠age ≠ment over its han ≠dling of the pa…
(2020-08-15). Iranian President Denies US Statements On Tankers Seizures. popularresistance.org Iran's President Hassan Rouhani Saturday announced that the U.S. lied about the seizure of four Iranian gasoline tankers headed towards Venezuela. | On Friday, the U.S. Justice Department announced that the country's authorities had confiscated four Iranian fuel tankers bound for Venezuela. | "We have successfully executed the seizure of four vessels, that were carrying a total of 1.116 million oil barrels. With the assistance of foreign partners, this seized property is now under U.S. custody," the U.S. Justice Department stated. | However, "non of the seized tankers were Iran-flagged. It was all just fake news,…
(2020-08-15). Minneapolis: Anti-Racism Uprising Infiltrated By Extreme Right. popularresistance.org The city of Minneapolis is where it all began. It is where the last drop fell on the surface of a proverbial overflowing lake, causing the dam to burst, consequently starting to destroy the foundations of the empire. | A death of just one single man can, under certain dreadful circumstances, put into motion the entire avalanche of events. It can smash the whole regime into pieces. It can fully rewrite history, and even change the identity of a nation. It can… although it not always does. | George Floyd's death became a spark. The city of Minneapolis is where the murder occurred, and where the ethnic minorities…
(2020-08-15). Protesters Block Logging Road Near Port Renfrew. popularresistance.org About 20 protesters have blocked a logging road near Port Renfrew, vowing they will stay until old-growth forests in a critical watershed area of the San Juan River are protected. | The protesters say they want the provincial government to prevent Teal Jones from building a road into the Fairy Creek headwaters. They say the logging company has already cut trees and blasted and bulldozed rock for the road, and are cresting a ridge into an area that contains old-growth yellow cedar, hemlock, Douglas fir and cedar. | The area is part of Tree Farm Licence 46, which is held by Surrey-based Teal Jones.
(2020-08-15). UAE, Israeli Companies Sign 'Strategic Commercial Agreement' to Cooperate On Coronavirus Research. sputniknews.com On Thursday, US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had reached a "historic peace agreement" on establishing full diplomatic ties. Under the deal, expected by the US president to be signed in three weeks, Tel Aviv has agreed to postpone its plans on sovereignty extension over the West Bank.
(2020-08-15). 'Tribute in Light' Display in NYC Commemorating 9/11 to Take Place Despite Cancellation Plans. sputniknews.com On Thursday, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in charge of organizing a 'Tribute in Light' memorial display in New York City honoring the victims of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attack announced cancelling the installation over coronavirus (COVID-19)-related concerns, as the US experiences the highest number of infections and deaths in the world.
(2020-08-15). Netanyahu Slams UNSC Decision Not to Allow Extension of Arms Embargo on Iran as 'Scandalous'. sputniknews.com On Friday, the United Nations Security Council rejected a draft resolution submitted by the United States to indefinitely extend the arms embargo on Iran, originally envisioned by the Iran nuclear deal ahead of its expiration in October, saying the draft did not obtain the necessary support to be adopted.
(2020-08-15). Trump Says US Will Trigger UN 'Snapback' Sanctions Mechanism Against Iran Next Week. sputniknews.com Earlier, the Trump administration voiced its opposition to the UN Security Council rejection to extend an arms embargo against Iran. Despite the UNSC decision, Washington asserted that it would stick to its promise to "stop at nothing" to prevent Iran from buying and selling weapons on the international market.
(2020-08-15). Graham: UNSC Rejection of Iran Arms Embargo Extension 'Makes Major Conflict Much More Likely'. sputniknews.com The US resolution, envisaging an extension of an arms embargo against Iran, was rejected by the UN Security Council, drawing disappointment from Washington, as the Trump administration claimed that it would nonetheless continue its attempts to prevent Iran from buying and selling weapons on the international market.
(2020-08-15). Morocco Could Become Next Arab Country to Normalise Relations With Israel, Report Suggests. sputniknews.com Since its creation after the Second World War out of the British-controlled Palestinian Mandate, Israel has received little to no recognition from the Arab world, including refusals to recognise international travel.
(2020-08-15). Trump on Pardoning Edward Snowden: 'I'm Going to Look at It'. sputniknews.com Edward Snowden, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employee who became a whistleblower, revealing the illegal spying practices conducted by US intelligence agencies, has been living in Russia since 2013. He is wanted in the United States on charges of espionage and treason.
(2020-08-15). How Billionaires Took Over Liberalism and Destroyed It. strategic-culture.org They've done it via the 'news'-media — their propaganda-operations. So, this is about how billionaires do that; how they've done it. | Ever since at least the time of
(2020-08-15). October Surprise: Will War With Iran Be Trump's Election Eve Shocker? strategic-culture.org Bob DREYFUSS | Was Donald Trump's January 3rd
(2020-08-15). Community-Based Farms Rise to the Occasion as Big Food Supply Chains Stall. truthout.org The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed deep craters in the U.S. food supply chain. Dairies that supply milk and food products to restaurants have had the heartbreaking task of
(2020-08-15). Confederate Monument Protests Gain Momentum in Small Alabama Town. truthout.org This year cities across the nation erupted in outrage as the stories of police brutality garnered national attention. News coverage of nationwide demonstrations forms a grim mosaic, documenting the trials and tribulations of protesting oppressive institutions: streets flooded with protesters, seas of signs with harrowing messages, street brawls among opposing protesters, and police retaliation, complete with tear gas and rubber bullets. The national conversation surrounding the U.S.'s roots in systemic…
(2020-08-15). Trump Seeks to Trash Endangered Species Act by Redefining "Habitat" truthout.org In what prominent conservation group WildEarth Guardians (Guardians) is calling "death by a thousand cuts," the Trump Administration is at it again, with another proposed change that would weaken the overwhelmingly popular Endangered Species Act (ESA/the Act). This go-round features an attempt to define the word habitat — literally — in an effort to affect what can be classified as critical habitat. If successful, the effort is one that Guardians, and the Center for Biological Diversity (the…
(2020-08-15). Bernie Sanders and Barack Obama agree: Trump's attack on Postal Service a direct assault on 2020 election. nationofchange.org "Democracy must be saved. Trump must be defeated."
(2020-08-15). Harris not likely to change Indo-US relations; Experts. yenisafak.com The first American of Indian origin to be featured on a major US national ticket as a vice presidential candidate will not change US-Indian relations if Democrats take the White House, according to experts. | Kamala Harris, whose mother was Indian, and was born and raised in the US, was named as the running mate to presumptive US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. | The decision delighted those in India and experts see her nomination as important. | "The Indian American community feels being represented," Sylvia Mishra, a Washington-based researcher and expert on India and US relations told Anadolu Agen…
(2020-08-15). [Correspondence] Donation and transplantation activity in the UK during the COVID-19 lockdown. thelancet.com As of May 14, 2020, over 11‚Äà000 patients with COVID-19 in the UK were admitted to intensive care units (ICUs), with a median length of stay of 9 days.1 The COVID-19 pandemic had the immediate effect of severely reducing living and deceased organ donation and transplantation activity, as happened in other countries.2 On March 23, 2020, the same day that the UK Government announced lockdown restrictions, National Health Service (NHS) Blood and Transplant altered the age acceptance criteria for deceased donors to protect ICU bed capacity and maximise use of organs available for transplantation.
(2020-08-15). Russia starts production of 1st coronavirus vaccine. yenisafak.com Russia has started production of its first COVID-19 vaccine, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.Initial batches of the vaccine will be earmarked for immunizing doctors and health workers, before going to the general public.Russia officially registered the world's first coronavirus vaccine, developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, on Tuesday.The announcement drew skepticism worldwide as Russia plans to continue the third phase of trials along with the vaccine's production and use.However, Alexander Gintsburg, head of the Gamaleya Research Institute, defended the approach, s…
(2020-08-15). Iran, Hamas discuss UAE-Israel normalization deal. yenisafak.com Iran's foreign minister and the political head of Hamas discussed on Friday a recent deal between the UAE and Israel to normalize relations.In a phone call, Iran's Jawad Zarif said Tehran stood by Palestinians and that the agreement was unacceptable, according to a statement by Hamas."We're confident that the heroic Palestinian people, Arab and Muslim worlds are strong enough to foil this agreement," Zarif said. Ismail Haniyeh, for his part, thanked Iran for defending Palestinians' rights."Palestinian people stand up for their cause and resistance," Haniyeh stressed.The deal to normalize UAE-Israeli ties was anno…
(2020-08-15). Who is the spymaster suing Saudi crown prince? yenisafak.com He obtained a BA in the Arabic language and literature from Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University, a bachelor of science in security sciences in 1979 from King Fahd Security College, and a Master of Science in computer science from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals.He also obtained a PhD in computer engineering and artificial intelligence in 1998 from the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom.He is a former Saudi minister and intelligence officer who currently lives in exile in Canada and Riyadh is seeking to arrest him over charge of wasting public money.- CareerWhen King Salman bin Abdu…
(2020-08-15). 'Israel-UAE deal null and void for Turkey'. yenisafak.com Turkey again lambasted on Friday a recent deal between the UAE and Israel to normalize ties between the two countries, saying the agreement is null and void for Turkey."This step, which ignores the rights of Palestinians, has already been condemned in the conscience of the peoples of the region, especially the Palestinians," Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said on Twitter.Altun stressed that the agreement had clearly shown "those who are behind the wave of instability that took the region for a long time," as well as those who had been "using the Palestinian people's righteous cause for their own interes…
(2020-08-15). Report highlights super-exploited conditions of Australia's casual university staff. wsws.org Agreements imposed by the trade unions have led to soaring casualisation, underpayment and unpaid work, now worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2020-08-15). [Correspondence] COVID-19's impact on Australia's health research workforce. thelancet.com The COVID-19 pandemic has seen health and medical research promoted as countries establish resilient health systems and rapidly responsive prevention, detection, and treatment methods. However, the pandemic will probably negatively affect the capacity and outcomes of the health and medical research sector itself.1…
(2020-08-15). Letters from Melbourne: A 'Ghost Town Police State' Under Brutal COVID Lockdown. globalresearch.ca The citizens of Australia's second most populous city are suffering under the harshest lockdown conditions of all Western democracies. Their voices need to be heard. | In the last several weeks, Melbourne has introduced shockingly draconian anti-Covid measures, imposed on the …
(2020-08-15). 'Go Home, Racists!': BLM Counterprotesters Shout Down White Nationalists in Stone Mountain, Georgia. commondreams.org "Hundreds of workers from across Georgia took a stand against racism and won." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/blm-stone-mountain.jpg …
(2020-08-15). The Trouble with Disparity. commondreams.org "Because racism is not the principal source of inequality today," argue Reed and Benn Michaels, "anti-racism functions more as a misdirection that justifies inequality than a strategy for eliminating it." (Photo: Kena Betancu/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/unemployment_coronavirus_0.jpg …
(2020-08-15). Don't Let Big Oil Open a New Front in Its War on Environmental Defenders. commondreams.org In the Pozo Aguarico region of Ecuador, lawyer Maria Cecilia Herrera shows the oil pollution that remains in the ground 30 years after oil production ceased. Photograph by Enrico Aviles, 2020. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/donziger-environmental-defenders.jpg …
(2020-08-15). Profiteering off the Pandemic. commondreams.org A demonstrator holds a "Tax the Rich" sign during a protest in New York on June 27, 2020. (Photo: Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/profiteering-pandemic.jpg …
(2020-08-15). [Correspondence] Interference in scientific research on COVID-19 in Turkey. thelancet.com Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), as it was later named, was first identified in Wuhan, China, on Jan 7, 2020.1 Over the following months, the virus rapidly spread throughout the world. The disease, COVID-19, was characterised as a pandemic by WHO on March 11, 2020. On the same day, the Turkish Ministry of Health reported the first case in Turkey.2 According to the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data platform, which analyses the genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2, the disease reached Turkey mainly through Iran, with whom Turkey has strong commercial and touristic ties, and…
(2020-08-15). [Correspondence] COVID-19 is an opportunity for reform in dentistry. thelancet.com The COVID-19 global pandemic continues to have devastating health, economic, and social effects, and is profoundly affecting the delivery of health services. Because of the infection risks associated with aerosol generated procedures, such as the use of high-speed drills, dental services across much of the world have been essentially closed since late March, 2020. During this period there was limited access to emergency dental care. Consequently, many desperate people with excruciating dental pain and acute oral infections have resorted to do-it-yourself dentistry, including the extraction of molar teeth without…
(2020-08-15). [Correspondence] COVID-19 trial co-enrolment and subsequent enrolment. thelancet.com The COVID-19 pandemic has led to many clinical trials around the world assessing all stages of infection, from prophylaxis to the treatment of severely ill patients who are dependent on a ventilator. In our experience, if the patient's medical condition deteriorates despite the intervention of one clinical trial, the attending physician, patient, or family members might request that the patient be enrolled in a second or third clinical trial.
(2020-08-15). [World Report] COVID-19 worsens Zimbabwe's health crisis. thelancet.com Years of neglect and doctors' strikes have pushed the Zimbabwean health system to the brink. Munyaradzi Makoni reports.
(2020-08-15). [Correspondence] COVID-19 combination prevention requires attention to structural drivers. thelancet.com Richard Horton draws parallels between the colliding pandemics of COVID-19 and HIV, observing that both "exploit and accentuate inequalities".1 He and others2 advocate that responses to COVID-19 learn from HIV combination prevention approaches. However, it is key that in doing so, prevention measures go beyond the behavioural interventions they call for, to include interventions that are structural and systemic in nature.
(2020-08-15). [Articles] Trajectories of childhood adversity and mortality in early adulthood: a population-based cohort study. thelancet.com Almost half of Danish children in our study experienced some degree of adversity, and this was associated with a moderately higher risk of mortality in adulthood. Among these, a small group of children had multiple adversities across social, health, and family-related dimensions. This group had a markedly higher mortality risk in early adulthood than that of other children, which requires public health attention.
(2020-08-15). [Commentary] Leverage of genetic variants proxying smoking intensity to explore the broad health consequences of smoking. thelancet.com The recent explosion in large-scale genetic association study data and genotyped biobanks offers an unprecedented opportunity to leverage natural genetic variation for inferring causal effects using the Mendelian randomization paradigm [1, 2]. In this approach, genetic variants are used to proxy modification of an exposure and study its effect on an outcome [1]. The random allocation of genetic variants means that such associations are relatively devoid of the confounding and reverse causation bias that can hinder causal inference in observational research [1].
(2020-08-15). [Commentary] Understanding the vulnerability of people with disabilities to HIV: Who is at risk? thelancet.com The latest Lancet HIV paper by Pierre De Beaudrap and colleagues illustrates why we need disability-focused research to address vulnerabilities of those who have been left behind in the response to HIV and AIDS [1].
(2020-08-15). [Perspectives] The caregiver's dilemma: in search of sustainable medical empathy. thelancet.com In 2015, our daughter Alma was delivered by emergency caesarean section at a local children's hospital. I listened for her cries, but she was silent. The medical team, too, was eerily quiet, gripped with concern. Alma struggled to live. We learned later that during her birth she had suffered a stroke. In those first moments as a parent, I realised two things. First, I wanted to protect my daughter more than anything I'd ever wanted. Second, I had already failed.
(2020-08-15). [Comment] Childhood adversity and death of young adults in an affluent society. thelancet.com Adversity in childhood can induce health, social, and economic problems that persist throughout the adult years and might be fatal. Systems for child protection, poverty alleviation, and family support are designed to minimise harm, and it is reasonable to expect that the impact of adversity should be lowest in affluent countries that have comprehensive social services. However, research from high-income countries has shown startling links between childhood adversity and premature death. Brown and colleagues1 in the USA, for example, followed up 17‚Äà000 adults who self-reported multiple adversi…
(2020-08-15). Real Life Heroes: the Syrian film-maker cleaning COVID wards in the UK. news.un.org Hassan Akkad, an award-winning Syrian film-maker, fled the war in his country four years ago and now lives as a refugee in the United Kingdom. Following the outbreak of COVID-19, he decided to help those affected by the pandemic, by becoming a cleaner at a London hospital.
(2020-08-15). Volkswagen South Africa reinstates shop-stewards after pressure from union. peoplesdispatch.org On August 11, Tuesday, Volkswagen South Africa announced that it will reinstate 14 shop-stewards who were suspended for exposing COVID-19 protocol violations at the company's Uitenhage plant. | The German automobile giant agreed to reinstate the shop-stewards in a meeting after the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) — which represents close to 2,600 of Volkswagen's roughly 3,900 workers nationwide — threatened to take the company to labor court over the issue. | NUMSA alleges that workers of the Volkswagen plant at Uitenhage, an industrial town in the Eastern Cape Province, were expo…
(2020-08-14). Julian Assange Court Case Delayed Again in Bizarre Circumstances. mintpressnews.com "I have never in my career faced so much difficulty attempting to trial monitor as in Julian Assange's case." — Rebecca Vincent, Director of International Campaigns for Reporters Without Borders.
(2020-08-14). Discussion of Wikileaks or any "Hacked Information" Banned Under New YouTube Rules. mintpressnews.com YouTube's decision to ban discussion of hacked information on its platform is unlikely to improve election integrity in the US, it will, however, continue to tilt the balance in favor of established corporate-funded outlets like Fox News and CNN.
(2020-08-14). Bolivia Headed for a Showdown as Mass Protests Erupt Against US-backed Anez Administration. mintpressnews.com Clashes between protesters and government-backed paramilitaries are growing increasingly violent as tensions in Bolivia reach a boiling point following the US-backed Anez administration's decision to cancel elections for the third time this year.
(2020-08-14). Venezuelan Guaidó coup regime pledges to restore relations with Israel, decade after Hugo Chávez broke ties. thegrayzone.com The US-backed Venezuelan coup regime of Juan Guaidó is reestablishing ties with Israel and has opened a "virtual embassy" in…
(2020-08-14). Jail Took My Mom: Filmmaker on How His Mother Broke the Cycle of Incarceration & Shaping DNC Policy. democracynow.org 
The coronavirus crisis and the movement for racial justice have magnified the challenges faced by people released from prison, whose criminal record makes it hard to find a job and even housing, especially women. We feature a new AJ+ series by Messiah Rhodes, whose mother was in and out of jail throughout his childhood and was able to break the cycle of incarceration. Rhodes says his work serves as a response to calls to defund police. "Instead of giving law enforcement agencies tanks and sci-fi-level weaponry, we should be funding … housing, education, family reunification, mental health support," he says. We…
(2020-08-14). Headlines for August 14, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Records 1,000+ Daily Coronavirus Deaths Again as 2,000+ Quarantined at Schools, Georgia Governor Drops Lawsuit over Atlanta Mask Mandate, CDC Director Warns U.S. Risks Worst Fall in Public Health History, Senate Adjourns Without Deal on New Coronavirus Aid as Millions Face Hunger and Eviction, Coronavirus Cases Surge in India, Peru, Spain, France and Elsewhere, Israel to Normalize Relations with United Arab Emirates Despite Palestinian Protest, Unexploded Missile Found at U.N.-Run School as Israel Attacks Gaza Strip, Trump Admits He's Undermining the U.S. Postal Service to Thwart Mail-in Voting, USPS Confirm…
(2020-08-14). Rashid Khalidi: Israel & UAE Deal to Normalize Relations Is New Chapter in 100-Year War on Palestine. democracynow.org 
In a deal brokered by the United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to fully normalize relations after years of secretly working together on countering Iran and other issues. Under the deal, Israel has also agreed to temporarily halt plans to annex occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank, which had already been on hold due to international condemnation. We speak with Rashid Khalidi, the Edward Said professor of modern Arab studies at Columbia University, who says the agreement is being falsely characterized as a peace deal. "I don't see that it has anything to do with peace," he say…
(2020-08-14). Learning from Harry Haywood in the fight for Black freedom and socialism. fightbacknews.org Anyone doubting the relevance of Harry Haywood's writings in 2020 hasn't paid much attention to political events this year. | After success in three early Democratic primaries, Bernie Sanders' social democratic campaign for president, supported by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), ran first aground in South Carolina in February. African American voters turned out in greater numbers for his opponent, Joe Biden, even while favoring many of Sanders' policies like Medicare For All. Voter turnout was low in general, owing to the fundamentally undemocratic character of the U.S. political system, and a lot of…
(2020-08-14). Real Life Heroes: 'a simple word can mean a lot to a refugee'. news.un.org After leaving Gaza as a refugee, Shadi Mohammedali decided to dedicate himself to helping others in a similar situation. Today, he is working for an NGO in a Greek camp for asylum seekers, explaining how they can protect themselves from COVID-19.
(2020-08-14). UK must 'stop demonising people and consider its own role' in the refugee crisis, campaigners say. thecanary.co The UK must stop "demonising" refugees and consider its own role in creating the circumstances they are escaping from, campaigners say. | Many refugees have risked their lives to reach the UK this year by crossing the English Channel in everything from kayaks to a paddling pool. | The list of countries they hail from is diverse, but many have left nations wracked by conflicts the UK has played a part in. | Places like Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Libya have all seen direct British military involvement. | Meanwhile, a small number of migrants have been seen coming from Yemen. It is suffering the worst humanitarian…
(2020-08-14). Colombia: Army Kills Two Indigenous People in Cauca Valley. telesurenglish.net Colombia's Army Thursday killed two Indigenous people and injured two community members during an eviction operation in El Berraco village in the Cauca department. | RELATED: | The victims are the Indigenous journalists Abelardo Liz and Johel Rivera, who were part of the "Liberation of Mother Earth" movement. | The Foundation for the Freedom of the Press (FLIP) regretted the death of both journalists, who were shot…
(2020-08-14). Roaming Charges: It Had to be You. counterpunch.org 
Kamala Harris is the least surprising VP pick since Bob Dole tapped Jack Kemp as his running mate in 1996. Harris is as bland, safe and predictable as Kemp, but she adds little to an already boring campaign and comes with toxic baggage of her own that may repel the voters Biden needs the most. Biden is counting on Harris' reputation as a prosecutor to make a case against Trump that most people have already reached a verdict against. Yet, as a prosecutor and attorney general, Harris made a career out of punching below her weight class, sternly going after low-level drug and property crimes while largely turning a…
(2020-08-14). Lebanon: Beirut Blast Victims Call for International Enquiry. telesurenglish.net In Lebanon, the victims of the Beirut Blast called for an international investigation into what happened at the capital's port on August 4. They demand that those responsible for the explosion be charged with crimes against humanity. | RELATED: | "The victims of the massacre are asking for support from the international community to achieve justice and truth through an international trial and investigation," lawyer Nada Abdelsater said, str…
(2020-08-14). Don't be Hoodwinked by Trump's UAE-Israel "Peace Deal" dissidentvoice.org 
"HUGE breakthrough today," crowed Donald Trump on twitter as he announced the new peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The deal makes the UAE the first Gulf Arab state and the third Arab nation, after Egypt and Jordan, to have diplomatic ties with Israel. But the new Israel-UAE partnership should fool …
(2020-08-14). Over 1.500 Migrants Died on Their Journeys in 2020 So Far. telesurenglish.net The International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned on Friday that at least 1.504 people have died trying to migrate during the first half of 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | According to the latest data published by the organization ¥s Missing Migrant Project, most deaths took place in the Mediterranean region, which accounts for 443 of the total followed by North Africa and the U.S. Mexico border, wit…
(2020-08-14). Wisconsin immigrant meat packing workers fired in retaliation for protesting over unsafe working conditions. wsws.org After employing the workers for years, management suddenly informed the targeted workers that they were not authorized to work in the US.
(2020-08-14). Oregon residents block unmarked ICE buses carrying detained immigrants. wsws.org The standoff lasted around 12 hours in Bend, Oregon, until dozens of federal agents were deployed to disperse the protesters using pepper spray.
(2020-08-14). Poor People's Army To Protest At Biden's Headquarters During DNC. popularresistance.org Protestors have declared that irrespective of permits, they plan to march on Presidential Candidate Biden's national headquarters on August 17th at 4pm from the Liberty Bell. Upon arrival demonstrators will present the DNC and Biden offices with a list of demands. They include: | ‚óè Unite immigrant families and children | ‚óè Transfer the war budget to provide healthcare, housing, and food for people | ‚óè Meet with PPEHRC homeless families that are forced to live in abandoned houses…
(2020-08-14). Interception, no solution to address migrants crossing English Channel. news.un.org Intercepting boats full of migrants attempting to cross the English Channel, is not the solution to deter them from attempting to reach the United Kingdom, UN agencies have stressed, warning that deployment of large naval vessels to block small, flimsy dinghies could lead to fatal incidents.
(2020-08-14). Don't Ban TikTok and WeChat. aclu.org 
President Trump's executive orders threatening to ban TikTok and WeChat, two of the most popular messaging and social media apps in the world, are an unprecedented abuse of emergency powers. No president has ever taken actions like these against platforms that tens of millions of people in the United States use. , , Selectively banning platforms does little to protect our personal data from abuse — comprehensive surveillance reform and consumer privacy legislation would actually help accomplish that goal. Instead, the bans could cut off the flow of information, art, and communication that social media pr…
(2020-08-14). 'Magical Thinking' has Always Guided the US Role in Afghanistan. counterpunch.org 
"Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." — The Queen of Hearts from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland The best way for us to understand Afghanistan is to look at the record of American involvement going back four decades and to look at the record requires a reexamination of
(2020-08-14). Unions demand Trump invoke Defense Production Act for PPE. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON —Eight unions, the AFL-CIO, the Labor Network for Sustainability and another green group formally demanded the GOP Trump regime invoke the Defense Production Act to force factories to switch to making personal protective equipment (PPE) for workers to wear against the coronavirus. Trump's government has refused to do so so far, and the result …
(2020-08-14). Private prison companies shower campaign cash on Trump and Republicans. peoplesworld.org 
HOUSTON (AP)—Executives at the nation's two largest private prison companies have been donating large sums to President Donald Trump and Republican candidates with an eye toward the November elections that one of the corporations believes will lead to a rebound in its stock price. The fortunes of private prison companies have become increasingly intertwined with …
(2020-08-14). Whispers in the Asylum (Seven Days in August). counterpunch.org 
Hollow Resistance: The Antidote to Obama Nostalgia Syndrome The deadly ObamaLust Virus is ironically intensified by the fascist Amerikaner presidency the corporate-imperial Barack Obama helped hatch and empower. Here is an antidote that has passed with flying colors through all the testing trials: Paul Street, Hollow Resistance: Obama, Trump, and the Politics of Appeasement, now
(2020-08-14). Lights! Camera! Kill! Hollywood, the Pentagon and Imperial Ambitions. counterpunch.org 
There's a sickness that comes with the certainty of those who view the world in so black and white, so good and bad, so us versus them terms, that killing is often a morally defensible act. More so, such killing often goes beyond just simple self defense, to a level of retributive necessity, a preventive
(2020-08-14). Science Does Not Support the Claims About Grizzly Hunting, Lethal Removal. counterpunch.org 
As the Montana Governor's Grizzly Bear Advisory Council (GBAC) works to finalize its recommendations regarding the future of grizzly bear management in Montana, it would be well-advised to follow its own guiding principle: "the best available science should inform decisions in all aspects of grizzly bear management and conservation." A close look at what that
(2020-08-14). Bloody Chicken: Inside the American Poultry Industry During the Time of COVID. counterpunch.org 
One effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. is the momentary spotlight it shined on the meatpacking industry. Working conditions inside packing plants were exposed in the sheer number of workers who were infected with the virus. Exact numbers are elusive but thousands of cases have been confirmed along with up to 100 deaths. Meanwhile, meatpacking workers were deemed 'essential.'
(2020-08-14). Business as Usual Equals Many Extra Deaths from Global Warming. counterpunch.org 
Is it already too late to stop global warming? That question is not asked with thoughts of throwing up hands in despair and giving up. Rather, that question must be asked in the context of mitigating future damage to whatever degree might yet be possible. The context here is that the carbon dioxide, methane and
(2020-08-14). Trump's Plan: Gut Social Security, Bankrupt the States. counterpunch.org 
Trump's economic policy is simple: gut social security and bankrupt the states. He made this clear when he announced his executive orders on August 8. By suspending the payroll tax, he chokes off funding for social security and Medicare; he says he'll ditch that tax completely if reelected. That means in about 10 years the
(2020-08-14). Predatory Capitalism and the Nuclear Threat in the Age of Trump. counterpunch.org 
Daniel Falcone: You recently stated that it has never been more urgent that we repudiate nuclearism in all forms. What rationales do proponents of this put forth? Richard Falk: It is important to view with some skepticism the justifications offered by the governments of nuclear weapons states for retaining the weaponry, and to articulate the
(2020-08-14). August 12-22, 1945: Washington Starts the Korean and Vietnam Wars. counterpunch.org 
August 14, 1945. The day Japan surrendered. I was eleven year old. I was crammed in the back of a pickup packed with other boys and girls, all yelling our hearts out as loud as we could to be heard over the cacophony of honking horns and howling air raid sirens. We were part of
(2020-08-14). The Criminology of Global Warming. counterpunch.org 
Some — like Exxon since 1957 — have been aware that the world is facing global warming that has all the signs to render earth uninhabitable. At least with United Nations' IPPC and NASA reporting on global warming, others have realised that we also face an unprecedented threat. Potentially, all of this is an issue
(2020-08-14). People's World to co-sponsor Sunday town hall forum on unemployment crisis. peoplesworld.org 
Unemployment is at Depression levels, and with the new surge in COVID-19 infections, joblessness may grow still worse. The important HEROES Act, if passed over GOP objections in the Senate, will relieve only the crisis' most severe symptoms. Meanwhile the Trump administration, when not declaring the country "pandemic free" and attempting to bully workers back …
(2020-08-14). Thai PM Right to Question Protest Funding. thealtworld.com 
The notorious US National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is funding virtually every aspect of Thailand's current "student protests" aimed at removing current government. | Only through repetitive propaganda across the Western media and their local partners in Thailand can current protests appear "student led," "leaderless," and "organic." | An article published by the Bangkok Post titled, "PM: Who is financing student rallies?," would repeat Thailand's elected prime minister's questions, but Bangkok Post's reporters themselves have categorically failed to either ask or answer the same question. | Despite claiming…
(2020-08-14). What is the US National Endowment for Democracy (NED)? thealtworld.com 
Who sits on the current NED board of directors and how do such people get away with claiming to promote democracy abroad when they are directly involved in circumventing it at home? | When US-backed regime change begins in a targeted nation, many — particularly those supporting protests — will deny the US is involved. | When US involvement is no longer deniable — many will finally admit it — but backpedal and claim there is nothing wrong with the US supporting "freedom" and "democracy" abroad. | With virtually every aspect of ongoing protests in Thailand funded by the US — from the leader…
(2020-08-14). Imperialists Run The Same Tired Old Script Day After Fucking Day. thealtworld.com 
Imperialist pundit and Obama administration cold warrior Michael McFaul recently "Belarusians, inside and outside of the country, have reached out to me this week to ask why the West is so indifferent to their courageous fight for democracy. I can't explain. Can you?" | I am not highlighting this tweet because it is remarkable (except for the extremely dubious claim that anyone ever reaches out to Michael McFaul). I am highlighting it because it is completely unremarkable. | New on…
(2020-08-14). Writing at a time of plague: Boccaccio, Dante, Petrarca, Chaucer. peoplesworld.org 
The Black Plague was the most devastating pandemic ever recorded, resulting in the deaths of between 75-125 million people. It peaked in Europe between 1347 and 1351, having come on Italian merchant ships from Asia via the Silk Road. In fact, the idea of quarantine originates in plague-stricken 14th-century Italy, when ships arriving in Venice …
(2020-08-14). Movement in Geneva, NY, continues daily protests despite threats, repression. liberationnews.org 
On July 19, Geneva City Councior Frank Gaglianese said he wished that he "could have got a gun and shot the squares on my computer screen and killed everybody" who participated in a recent virtual forum on police accountability. .
(2020-08-14). Dead Zones: Industrial agriculture versus ocean life. mronline.org 
Worldwide, there are now over a thousand coastal areas where fish can't breathe. The nitrogen that makes crops grow is also destroying offshore ecosystems.
(2020-08-14). The Heat: UAE-Israel agree to normalize relations. america.cgtn.com 
The UAE and Israel announce an historic peace deal establishing diplomatic relations after more than four decades.
(2020-08-14). Australian paper invokes wrath of woke Twitter by quoting Biden's own words in allegedly 'racist' cartoon about him and Harris. rt.com 
The Australian is under fire for publishing an allegedly racist cartoon that depicts US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden referring to his running mate Kamala Harris as "this little brown girl." | The cartoon by artist Johannes Leak was published in Rupert Murdoch's The Australian newspaper earlier this week, in an apparent attempt to deride the US Democratic party for perceived tokenism and racially motivated pandering, according to the paper's editor-in-chief, Christopher Dore. | Here's your little reminder of how ludicrously racist Australian commercial media are. This is in the country's only nat…
(2020-08-14). Trump says he HOPES Russian Sputnik V vaccine works, but US will soon roll out one too. rt.com 
President Donald Trump has expressed the hope that the world's first registered Covid-19 vaccine from Russia will work, but he says the US could have its own ready very soon, after a lengthier trial process. | Production of Russia's Covid-19 vaccine has already begun, and 500 million doses are expected to have been made within the next 12 months. The jab, dubbed 'Sputnik V', is supposed to offer protection from the coronavirus for up to two years. | Asked about the rapidly developed vaccine at a Friday press conference, Trump said he hoped the vaccine would be effective, but claimed the US may soon have good n…
(2020-08-14). More than a third of Americans would not want a Covid-19 vaccine if offered — poll. rt.com 
According to a new poll, 35 percent of Americans will choose not to get vaccinated for the novel coronavirus when the option becomes available — and that number turns out to be similar along all major demographics. | Only 60 percent of US citizens want to get the vaccine, a Friday NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist The numbers don't seem to shift dramatically when breaking the statistics down by political af…
(2020-08-14). 'Health risks far too great': Iconic 'Tribute in Light' display to honor 9/11 victims 'put out' over CORONAVIRUS fears. rt.com 
Towering beams of light representing the Twin Towers will not be part of this year's 9/11 commemoration, with event organizers saying that a highlight of the anniversary is now canceled due to coronavirus concerns. | The memorial said that it had made "an incredibly hard decision" to cancel the spectacle, but since "a large crew" is required to make it happen, the event entails "far too great" of a risk amidst the coronavirus pandemic. | Instead of the annual display that first pierced the skies over New York City in 2002 — visible all the way to Northern New Jersey and Long Island — the museum said…
(2020-08-14). Spain bans OUTDOOR smoking and shuts nightclubs & discos as Covid-19 cases spike. rt.com 
Madrid has rolled out a new set of anti-coronavirus measures, shutting down some public venues and banning smoking in the street without social distancing. It comes as some 3,000 new cases of Covid-19 are being reported daily. | The new nationwide restrictions were announced on Friday by Spain's Health Minister Salvador Illa. The official didn't give a precise timeframe for when the restrictions would come into force, saying only that it would be within the next few days. | Young people must be particularly careful, Illa stressed, urging them to show "discipline" and follow "the measures, just like older peopl…
(2020-08-14). Infowars reporter Millie Weaver 'arrested' mid-premiere of her whistleblowing investigation into 'shadow government'. rt.com 
Investigative reporter Millie Weaver and her husband have reportedly been arrested at the same time her documentary on the US "shadow government" was being screened on YouTube, sending Conservative Twitter into theory overdrive. | Weaver's "arrest" at the couple's home — which has yet to be confirmed by authorities — was initially reported by Infowars on Friday, shortly after the YouTube premiere of her documentary film "ShadowGate." The film purports to expose the secrets of the massive 'Deep State' intelligence apparatus manipulating politics within the US and beyond its borders, based on the repor…
(2020-08-14). Megachurch sues California, challenging state over ban on large religious services while allowing massive protests. rt.com 
A California church has sued the state, arguing it was hypocritical to restrict religious services because of the Covid-19 pandemic while allowing political gatherings, such as Black Lives Matters protests, to rumble on. | Grace Community Church in suburban Los Angeles filed the suit on Thursday, saying Governor Gavin Newsom and other state and city officials have violated California's constitution by applying pandemic regulations unequally. | "It is time for California to explain how it can justify banning worship to prevent the spread of a disease (with an overall mortality rate of 0.02 percent) while it is…
(2020-08-14). DOJ confirms 'largest-ever US seizure of Iranian fuel' on 4 ships bound for Venezuela. rt.com 
The US has seized some 1.116 mn barrels of Iranian fuel aboard 4 ships headed for Venezuela, the Justice Department has confirmed, hinting at "assistance" from "foreign partners" and declining to reveal where the grab took place. | The agency hailed what it called the largest-ever US seizure of Iranian fuel in a The statement appeared to…
(2020-08-14). CNN finally 'pressured' into covering story of Cannon Hinnant, five-year-old 'executed' by black neighbor. rt.com 
The death of Cannon Hinnant, a white 5-year-old allegedly killed by a black man, was finally given brief coverage by CNN — after nearly a week of accusations that mainstream media was burying the story to fit a narrative. | Hinnant's death has been a hot topic on Twitter for almost a week, with thousands drawing attention to his story, but attracting little to no mainstream media coverage. | Darius Sessoms, 25, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder after allegedly killing the five-year old who was playing in the front yard of his North Carolina home on Sunday. The incident was witnessed by Hi…
(2020-08-14). Oregon State Police withdraw from Portland as DA declines to prosecute rioters & looters arrested during protests. rt.com 
Oregon state troopers have pulled out of Portland, leaving local police to handle ongoing protests in the city soon after the county district attorney said he would not prosecute most of those apprehended amid the unrest. | The move was confirmed late on Thursday by Oregon State Police (OSP) spokesman Tim Fox, who said the department had left Portland after its two-week commitment to defend a federal courthouse in the city ended on Wednesday night. | "At this time we are inclined to move… resources back to counties where prosecution of criminal conduct is still a priority. [Wednesday] night was our last nigh…
(2020-08-14). EU does not accept Belarus election results, preparing sanctions — Foreign policy chief Borrell. rt.com 
The European Union is refusing to recognize election results in Belarus and is preparing sanctions over the 'rigged' vote and the heavy-handed police response to protests, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has confirmed. | The EU "doesn't accept election results" in Minsk, Borrell tweeted on Friday evening, adding that work has begun on "sanctioning those responsible for violence [and] falsification" of the vote. | Concluded good and constructive Eastern Med: Full solidarity w/ Greece&Cyprus; calling Turkey for immediate dee…
(2020-08-14). Thousands of workers march to Belarus parliament from Minsk tractor factory as protests intensify (VIDEOS). rt.com 
Demonstrators left the protest-hit Minsk Tractor Works and headed towards government facilities in the center of the capital shortly after the country's prime minister arrived at the factory to talk to workers. | The march on Friday comes amid a wave of anti-government protests in Belarus. The plant, also known by the abbreviation MTZ, is one of the biggest employers in the Belarus capital, giving jobs to some 15,000 people. A significant part of the staff took to the streets of Minsk chanting "Leave" to incumbent President Aleksandr Lukashenko and calling on workers from other plants to join them. | The march…
(2020-08-14). 'You're being used as cannon fodder': Lukashenko urges people to STAY HOME, blames protests on foreign meddling. rt.com 
President Aleksandr Lukashenko has called upon Belarusian citizens to not "go into the streets" and to avoid protests, blaming foreign agents for stoking the unrest that has gripped the country after the controversial election. | "Don't go out into the streets now! Understand that you and your children are being used as cannon fodder," Lukashenko said Friday, during a meeting with the country's National Security Council. | They've already come here in large numbers from Poland, the Netherlands, Ukraine, from this 'Open Russia' — [Russian opposition figure Alexey] Navalny and so on and so forth. The aggres…
(2020-08-14). 'Stop 2020 from becoming 1984': Fortnite developer sues Apple & Google after game YANKED from stores in in-app payment row. rt.com 
The company behind Fortnite has all but declared war on big tech after the game was pulled from Apple's App Store and Google Play, thanks to a recent update that skirted mandatory fees for in-app payments. | The popular title was scrubbed from the App Store following a major update on Thursday, which allowed players to make direct payments to Fortnite developer Epic Games, circumventing a 30 percent fee required on the platform. In response, Epic has
(2020-08-14). US Postal Service struggles to explain DISAPPEARING mailboxes as Trump declares war on mail-in voting. rt.com The US Postal Service has given conflicting reasons why mailboxes are being removed from Portland, as a vicious partisan tug-of-war over mail-in voting comes to a head, with President Trump vowing to block funding to the agency. | After several images of USPS trucks being loaded up with street-side mailboxes in Portland and nearby Eugene went viral, Postal Service spokesman David Rupert told local media his agency was merely replacing old, vandalized post boxes with "newer, more secure models." | Insisting "every location that had a collection box will keep a collection box," Rupert consoled nervous locals tha…
(2020-08-14). 'Not treated fairly'? Trump appears to soften on 'Snowden a traitor' stance, as supporters renew calls for pardon. rt.com 
Despite having called National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden a "traitor" numerous times in the past, President Donald Trump now acknowledges that the former CIA contractor may have been "treated unfairly." | "There are a lot of people that think that he is not being treated fairly. I mean, I hear that," Trump told The New York Post, in an
(2020-08-14). With Harris Pick, Dems Cede Election to Trump. strategic-culture.org 
We haven't even reached the DNC convention in Milwaukee next week and the election season is already over. Former Vice President and (presumptive) Democratic Party Nominee Joe Biden picked Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate. | She is the first non-white woman to be so 'honored.' | But that's not a pick designed to win an election, that's a white flag of surrender. | Harris ran one of the worst primary campaigns in recent memory, trying desperately to be the 'black' Hillary Clinton. She crashed out in spectacular fashion. If there is a better example of being tone-deaf to what voters want in a woman candida…
(2020-08-14). Belarus authorities free hundreds detained after election protests. thecanary.co 
Belarusian authorities have released hundreds of people who were detained amid demonstrations contesting the results of the presidential election, in an attempt to assuage public anger over a brutal crackdown on peaceful protests.Scores of detainees were seen walking out of a jail in the capital, Minsk, at around midnight on 13 August. Early on 14 August, volunteers also saw at least 119 detainees being released in the nearby сity of Zhodino.Ambulances arrived to carry those who were apparently unable to walk on their own.Relatives and friends greet people released from a detention centre where protesters w…
(2020-08-14). Pressure over A-level grades mounts as Gavin Williamson faces calls to resign. thecanary.co 
Pressure is mounting on the government over its handling of the exams system after thousands of pupils in England had their results downgraded.It comes as protesters gathered outside Downing Street on 14 August calling for education secretary Gavin Williamson to be sacked.Prime minister Boris Johnson has insisted that he has confidence in Williamson and described the system as "robust".Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has faced calls to resign (Stefan Rousseau/PA)On 14 August, Robert Halfon, the Conservative chairman of the Commons Education Committee, expressed concern that the model used by Ofqual to modera…
(2020-08-14). How the Guardian Betrayed Not Only Corbyn But the Last Vestiges of British Democracy. counterpunch.org 
It is simply astonishing that the first attempt by the Guardian — the only major British newspaper styling itself as on the liberal-left — to properly examine the contents of a devastating internal Labour party report leaked in April is taking place nearly four months after the 860-page report first came to light. If you are a Labour party
(2020-08-14). Yanis Varoufakis in Conversation with Daniel Denvir. counterpunch.org 
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(2020-08-14). The Politics of War: What is Israel's Endgame in Lebanon and Syria? counterpunch.org 
On August 4, hours before a massive explosion rocked the Lebanese capital, Beirut, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, issued an ominous warning to Lebanon. "We hit a cell and now we hit the dispatchers. I suggest to all of them, including Hezbollah, to consider this," Netanyahu said during an official tour of a military facility
(2020-08-14). The "Lesser-Evil" Syndrome: Noam Chomsky's Fall Into Self-Contradiction. dissidentvoice.org In a recent interview Noam Chomsky declared that there "was a big difference" between Hubert Humphrey and Richard Nixon in the 1968 presidential elections, a difference "you could count in several million corpses in Indochina." But, Chomsky added, "a lot of the young people on the left said, "I'm not going to vote for Humphrey. …
(2020-08-14). Turkey may suspend ties with UAE, withdraw ambassasdor. yenisafak.com After the United Arab Emirates' controversial deal to normalize ties with Israel, Turkey may downgrade its relations with the UAE, Turkey's president has said."We may take steps to suspend diplomatic ties with the UAE or withdraw our ambassador," Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul after Friday prayers.On Israel, Erdogan called its recent solidarity with Egypt and Greece and steps towards Palestine unacceptable.In signing a maritime pact last week, Athens and Cairo continued efforts to box in Ankara's territory in the Mediterranean based on small islands near Turkish shores, violating the interests of…
(2020-08-14). Trump Targets TikTok Social Media Platform, Escalates Trade War Between the U.S. and China. globalresearch.ca U.S. President Donald Trump has issued an executive order that could ban TikTok from the U.S. if it is not purchased by an American company. On August 6, Trump's executive order banned U.S. financial transactions with Chinese company ByteDance, owner …
(2020-08-14). The Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic: The Real Danger is "Agenda ID2020" globalresearch.ca WHO has most likely received orders from "above", from those people who also manage Trump and the "leaders" (sic) of the EU, European Union. The final decision to go ahead NOW with COVID-19 pandemic, was taken in January 2020 at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos – behind very much closed doors.
(2020-08-14). IMF and WEF — From Great Lockdown to Great Transformation. The Covid Aftermath. globalresearch.ca The World Economic Forum's (WEF) Great Global Reset is being
(2020-08-14). Bill Gates and the Depopulation Agenda. Robert F. Kennedy Junior Calls for an Investigation. globalresearch.ca Robert F Kennedy Jr, an avid Defender of Children's Rights and anti-vaccination activist, has launched a petition sent to the White House, calling for "Investigations into the 'Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation' for Medical Malpractice & Crimes Against Humanity"
(2020-08-14). Foreign Correspondent: Is Kamala Harris a Hawk? progressive.org Biden's veep pick has at times embraced militarism and even attacked Trump from the right.
(2020-08-14). Scheer Intelligence: Questioning Corporate Media's Thirst For Scandal In The Age Of #MeToo. popularresistance.org The Times Literary Supplement in a rave review of JoAnn Wypijewski's provocative new book states: "It is thrilling and cathartic to watch Wypijewski slice through our culture's flabbiest orthodoxies." On this week's installment of "Scheer Intelligence," Wypijewski talks to host Robert Scheer about the "haste to castigate" that has led to shoddy reporting of the true meaning of trials she has covered, ranging from the media frenzy trial of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein to the framing of five teenagers known as the Central Park Five on rape charges, which she offers as a shocking example of a "scandal media" lynchin…
(2020-08-14). Venezuela: Caracas Mayor Dario Vivas Dies From COVID-19. telesurenglish.net Caracas Mayor Dario Vivas Friday passed at the age of 70, after 20 days hospitalized with COVID-19. | RELATED: | On July 19, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) president had said on Twitter that he had tested positive for the virus and was going into self-isolation. As reported, he died after respiratory and cardiac complications. | Venezuela's Prosecutor General Tarek William Saab announced the news and confessed being…
(2020-08-14). All Vaccines Are Unsafe. Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 Vaccine Now Available. globalresearch.ca On August 11, Russia registered the first vaccine for use against COVID-19, named Sputnik V. More on this development below. | *** | Toxins in vaccines make them hazardous to human health. | Time and again, they cause diseases they're promoted as protection …
(2020-08-14). Chile: Mapuche Leader on Hunger Strike Will Stop Drinking Water. telesurenglish.net On Thursday, the Mapuche's spiritual advisor (machi) Celestino Cordova, who has been on a hunger strike for 103 days, announced that he will stop drinking water in rejection of the violation of his rights. | RELATED: | Cristina Romo, his spokeswoman, released the decision shortly after the Supreme Court rejected Cordova's request to serve part of his sentence at home. | "The Sebastian Piñera administration will have…
(2020-08-14). USPS warns Pennsylvania over delivery of mail ballots. yenisafak.com The US Postal Service (USPS) has warned battleground state Pennsylvania that its election deadlines are "too tight" for its standards and might cause delays in delivery of mail-in ballots, according to a report.USPS' letter dated July 29 made public late Thursday as a motion filed to the state's Supreme Court in which officials are asking approval to continue counting mail ballots received up to three days after Nov. 3, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.Thomas J. Marshall, general counsel and executive vice president of the USPS, warned in the letter that "certain deadlines for requesting and casting mail-in bal…
(2020-08-14). North Carolina Supreme Court Reinstates Life Sentence for Marcus Robinson. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-08-14). Thailand Prime Minister Questions Protest Funding. globalresearch.ca Only through repetitive propaganda across the Western media and their local partners in Thailand can current protests appear "student led," "leaderless," and "organic." | An article published by the Bangkok Post titled, "PM: Who is financing student rallies?," would repeat Thailand's …
(2020-08-14). The Black Women Behind the Ongoing Fight for Suffrage. aclu.org The 19th Amendment inked women's suffrage into American history, a culminating moment in an effort to win political power. But as the 100th anniversary of its ratification fast approaches, it's essential to reflect on who the 19th Amendment excluded in practice if not on paper, and what the popular historical record of this movement leaves out. , , "Black women know as 1920 unfolds that many of them are still going to be disenfranchised," professor and author Martha S. Jones tells At Liberty. "That's not a secret. That's an open premise of the 19th Amendment., , Jones joined…
(2020-08-14). Afghanistan: More action needed to stop killings of human rights defenders. news.un.org The death of nine human rights defenders since the beginning of this year marks "the emergence of a truly alarming trend", an independent UN rights expert said on Friday, calling on Afghanistan to prevent any further killings.
(2020-08-14). Will Biden be Less Belligerent Than Trump? counterpunch.org The only Democrat nominee in the presidential contest is former vice-president Joe Biden, and he has chosen a non-white running-mate who Trump calls "extraordinarily nasty", so it looks like we'll be in for four years of the man known to Trump as "Sleepy Joe." In a bizarre series of allegations on August 7, William Evanina, the director of the
(2020-08-14). What Trump and the Republican Party Teach Us. counterpunch.org "Tis now the very witching time of night, When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out. Contagion to this world; now could I drink hot blood, And do such bitter business as the day." — Hamlet Both teach us or should have taught us by now many, many things but foremost for a Biden administration to consider is that
(2020-08-14). We Do Not Live in the World of Before. counterpunch.org Following the announcement of US presidential candidate Joe Biden picking Kamala Harris for VP, I have seen many social media posts. US American liberal friends seem thrilled and some have already started the "vote shaming." Biden and Harris have been forgiven or, better yet, not even noted for their centrist, rightwing past. And I have
(2020-08-14). US health insurance companies reap billions as COVID-19 pandemic inflicts death and destitution. wsws.org The largest healthcare chains, including Anthem, Humana, and UnitedHealth Group, have reported second-quarter earnings at double the rate from the same period last year.
(2020-08-14). Trump says congressional relief deal 'is not going to happen'. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – With the additional $600 in unemployment benefits gone along with federal eviction protection, President Trump announced that a deal to restore the benefits and protect renters and home buyers "is not going to happen." With tens of millions of people getting government aid, tens of thousands of evictions underway, and record numbers of people short on food, Trump's statement may seem so beyond uncaring as to be almost senseless. | But his opposition to a deal makes sense from the privileged point of view of a man born to wealth who grew up to be a billionaire. The stock market, one of Trump's favor…
(2020-08-14). Brazil's national government has undermined COVID-19 containment measures. peoplesdispatch.org Matheus Falcà£o of Brazilian Center for Health Studies and the Peoples Health Movement Brazil talks the COVID-19 situation in Brazil and how the government's decisions got the country to where it is today.
(2020-08-14). Brazil: Health Minister Admits Lack Of COVID-19 Medicines. telesurenglish.net President Jair Bolsonaro's administration Friday acknowledged a lack of drugs to fight COVID-19 in Brazil, a country that has reported 3,229,621 cases and 105,564 deaths so far. | RELATED: | Acting Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello said that several municipalities and hospitals had a lack of medicines and that his Ministry did everything within his power to ease that situation. | "States and municipalities never refused to do their part in the fight, with…
(2020-08-14). China Calls to Reject US Interference in 5G Cooperation. telesurenglish.net China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, has called on the international community to reject U.S. hegemonic interference in other countries' 5G cooperation and uphold a fair, just, open, and non-discriminatory business environment. | RELATED: | The pronouncement came after the United States (U.S.) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo signed with the Slovenian foreign minister a joint declaration on 5G security durin…
(2020-08-14). Why 5G is the First Stage of a Tech War Between the U.S. and China. counterpunch.org The U.S. tech war on China continues, banning Chinese equipment from its network, and asking its Five Eyes partners and NATO allies to follow suit. It is a market and a technology denial regime that seeks to win back manufacturing that the U.S. and European countries have lost to China. International trade assumed that goods
(2020-08-14). US Hospitals Getting Paid More to Label Cause of Death as 'Coronavirus'. globalresearch.ca First published on April 15, 2020 | Senator Scott Jensen represents Minnesota. He's also a doctor. He appeared on Fox News with Laura Ingraham where he revealed a very disturbing piece of information. | Dr. Scott Jensen says the American Medical Association …
(2020-08-14). How the Covid-19 Crisis Affects Individual Rights and Freedoms. A New Crisis in International Law? globalresearch.ca One of the direct impacts of the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 is challenging human rights. The pandemic not only created and still creating health issues, economic challenges, political crises and social conflicts around the world, it also affects individual …
(2020-08-14). Trump's EPA finalizes rollback of methane emissions rules. nationofchange.org "This damaging new rule won't save fossil fuel corporations, it won't bring the U.S. closer to energy independence, and it won't protect people from dangerous air pollution."
(2020-08-14). Toppled Monuments and the Struggle For Symbolic Space. counterpunch.org Outrage and anger directed at monuments, religious imagery and art itself is nothing new in humankind's chequered history. Usually we think of iconoclasm as the smashing of religious images, relics and stained glass windows. The Tudor period in English history epitomizes this state-administered intention to smash the icons. Tabitha Barber and Stacy Boldrick (Art Under
(2020-08-14). Compromise & the Status Quo. counterpunch.org Life is all about compromise, people say. Don't I know it. That is, don't I know that people say it. Personally, I don't think it's true. When people say this, they are conflating "life" with "society" and even then, they are limiting the concept of "society" to how the powerful define it, not to how
(2020-08-14). As Politicians Play With Our Lives, It's Hard to Imagine a Future Beyond COVID. zcomm.org For the first time in my life, there often seems to be no future, not really. The sense that there is little to hope for or look forward to but the end of this thing, and not dying before that end comes, can be staggering…
(2020-08-14). School That Suspended Student Documenting Lack of Social Distancing Goes Virtual. zcomm.org In spite of President Donald Trump's errant assurances that children are "almost definitely" immune from COVID-19, at least 97,000 kids in the United States tested positive for the disease in the last two weeks of July…
(2020-08-14). Massive Evictions Will Compound the Public Health Crisis. globalresearch.ca Since March of this year the United States has been plunged into the worst outbreak of an infectious viral disease since the influenza pandemic of 1918-1920. | The impact of the COVID-19 outbreaks beginning in February and March has resulted in …
(2020-08-14). Battleground Beirut: Western Colony or Back to the East? globalresearch.ca This article was originally published on As much as Covid-19 has been instrumentalized by the 0.001% to social engineer a Great Reset, the Beirut tragedy is already being instrumentalized by the usual suspects to keep Lebanon enslaved….
(2020-08-14). Open Letter to Dr. Anthony Fauci Regarding the Use of Hydroxychloroquine for Treating COVID-19. globalresearch.ca By George C. Fareed, MD Brawley, California Michael M. Jacobs, MD, MPH Pensacola, Florida Donald C. Pompan, MD Salinas, California | August 12, 2020 | Anthony Fauci, MD | National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases | Washington, D.C. | Dear Dr. Fauci: | You were …
(2020-08-14). Millions 'on the edge' in DR Congo, now in even greater danger of tipping over: WFP. news.un.org Millions of lives could be lost to hunger in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), amid escalating conflict and worsening COVID-19 transmission, the UN emergency food relief agency has warned, urging the international community to step up support for the African nation.
(2020-08-14). How the American oligarchy profited on death. wsws.org The United States set two milestones on Wednesday: 1,503 people died from COVID-19, and the S&P 500 stock index reached a new high.
(2020-08-14). COVID-19 Brakes Down The 2020 Cycling World Championships. telesurenglish.net The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Wednesday announced that the cancelation of the 2020 Road World Championships due to COVID-19 measures taken in Switzerland, the host country. | RELATED: | The Swiss Federal Council ordered that events with over 1,000 visitors or involving over 1,000 people are prohibited until September 30. | Given these preventive measures, the Championships could not be carried out. Besides, the citizens of 45 coun…
(2020-08-14). Argentina Extends COVID-19 Restrictions Until August 30. telesurenglish.net Argentina's government announced on Friday the extension of restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic until August 30. | RELATED: | During an address to the nation, President Alberto Fernández also said that cities with increasing COVID-19 infections were returning to a more restrictive phase, the cities of Santiago del Estero and La Banda. | On the other hand, the Metropolitan Area of ‚Ä&atil…
(2020-08-14). First two weeks of US school reopenings lead to massive spread of COVID-19. wsws.org Schools across the US continued to reopen for in-person classes this week, leading to the exposure of thousands of teachers and students to the deadly virus.
(2020-08-14). "Our lives don't matter to Ford": Tragic COVID-19 death of young contract worker covered up by management and the UAW. wsws.org The death of a young worker at the Ford Van Dyke transmission plant from COVID-19 is the inevitable outcome of the brutal profit drive of the car companies, aided by the United Auto Workers.
(2020-08-14). Covid-19: past, present and future. dissidentvoice.org The current pandemic continues to have a large negative impact on most aspects of our lives. Over 20.6 million have been infected and almost 750,000 have died worldwide (about 5.3 million infections and over 168,00 deaths in the US) due to this pandemic. Besides these horrific impacts, this pandemic has also made clearer the failure …
(2020-08-14). PAHO: COVID-19 Contagions Increase in Central America. telesurenglish.net Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) authorities warned on Friday that there is a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic in Central America amid the efforts to de-escalate restrictions measures in several countries. | RELATED: | During the last two months, there has been an increment in deaths and infections in Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala; El Salvador; Honduras, and Nicaragua, taking into account official data fro…
(2020-08-14). Mexicans to Receive the COVID-19 Vaccine for Free, AMLO Vows. telesurenglish.net Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) Thursday announced that the COVID-19 vaccine, which was created by Oxford University and developed by AstraZeneca, will be distributed free of charge to all inhabitants of the country. | RELATED: | He stressed that the Constitution, which establishes the right to health care, must be respected. As a result, Mexico will not select who will receive the vaccine. | "All…
(2020-08-14). Mike Pompeo Admits COVID-19 Is a "Live Exercise," Trump Retorts "I Wish You Would Have Told Us" globalresearch.ca First published March 21, 2020 | United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had a slip of the tongue while addressing the American people from the White House when he stated that COVID-19 is a live military exercise. | "This is not …
(2020-08-14). Russia to Start the Production of Its COVID-19 Vaccine in Cuba. globalresearch.ca Russia's Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Chief Executive Officer Kiril Dmitriev announced that Cuba could begin producing the COVID-19 vaccine, the Sputnik V, in November. | "Cuba has a large capacity to produce medicines and vaccines with highly qualified staff. We could …
(2020-08-14). What Are the Truly Verifiable Facts Surrounding COVID-19? globalresearch.ca "Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less." | Those words, uttered by two-time Nobel Prize-winning chemist and physicist Marie Curie, are …
(2020-08-14). German court and state prosecutor ignore evidence of far-right terrorist network in Làºbcke trial. wsws.org The long preparation time for the murder of Làºbcke and the close connections of the defendants to the violent neo-Nazi scene strongly suggest that there were other confidants or accomplices.
(2020-08-14). Bolivia: Workers Union Headquarters Gets Hit by Molotov Bombs. telesurenglish.net The Bolivian Workers' Center (COB) headquarters in La Paz was hit by two Molotov bombs launched by far-right groups that tried to break into the building on Thursday. | RELATED: | Due to the explosion, the building's entrance was filled with broken glass from the vehicles parked at Pisagua Street. The headquarters' facade was also stained with red paint. So far, there are no casualties reported. | Police arrested six sus…
(2020-08-14). Watching the Watchers: Canadian War Technologies in the Surveillance of US Anti-Racism Protests. globalresearch.ca As Canadians look back over the 75 years since the mass murders in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we should reflect on how this country has long punched above its weight when fighting to serve and protect imperialism. This is perhaps especially …
(2020-08-14). Israel-UAE Agreement Does Not End Threat of Israeli Annexation. globalresearch.ca In light of today's normalization agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) warns that the threat of Israeli annexation remains as urgent as ever. A widely reported statement published …
(2020-08-14). Planes Heard, Seen in Skies of Beirut before Blast. globalresearch.ca Military aircraft were heard, and in some cases seen, flying in the sky in the moments before the apocalyptic Beirut explosion, war-hardened residents of the Lebanese capital told Asia Times this week. | Araz Bedros, a resident of the Metn …
(2020-08-14). Limits of Ontario's Mineral Strategy: The Magino Mine Approval. globalresearch.ca On June 11, 2020,
(2020-08-14). US claims seizure of oil supplies bound for Venezuela, Iran contests claim. peoplesdispatch.org Iranian ambassador to Venezuela stated that the US claims of seizure of ships belonging to Iran was false and an attempt at "psychological warfare"
(2020-08-14). Iran Condemns UAE-Israel Deal And Calls It Strategic Stupidity. telesurenglish.net Iran's Foreign Affairs Ministry Friday strongly attacked the agreement signed by Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and called it a "strategic stupidity." | RELATED: | Tehran called the deal an act of "strategic stupidity from Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv which will undoubtedly strengthen the resistance axis in the region." | The Ministry also warned the UAE government and the other signing parts that they "must accept…
(2020-08-14). South Korea: Doctors on Strike to Reject Training Plan. telesurenglish.net Over a quarter of South Korea's medical clinics closed Friday as physicians protest against new plan to train more doctors. | RELATED: | Moon Jae-in's administration plans to train 4,000 new medical students over the next 10 years, arguing the need to be better prepared for public health crises. | The Korea Medical Association (KMA) strongly opposed to an increase in the admission quotas…
(2020-08-14). US: Three Police Officers Indicted of Murdering a Black Man. telesurenglish.net U.S. Hinds County grand jury in Mississippi indicted three Jackson police officers for the death of a black man in 2019. | RELATED: | In January 2019, officers Desmond Barney, Lincoln Lampley, and Anthony Fox took George Robinson out of his vehicle, threw him violently against the pavement, and beat him on the chest and the head. | Robinson, a 62-years-old black man, died from encephalic hemorrhage due to head trauma…
(2020-08-14). Oil workers in Nigeria strike over withheld salaries. peoplesdispatch.org Oil workers in Nigeria's public sector began a three day strike action on Wednesday, August 12. They are protesting against the non-payment of salaries for the last three months. The striking workers, who are members of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), held a demonstration outside the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources. | The government has withheld their salaries because of their refusal to enroll on the controversial Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). IPPIS was introduced as a centralized automated platform to monitor and manage payments t…
(2020-08-14). France holds joint military exercises with Greece, threatening Turkey. wsws.org Mounting tensions between NATO powers threaten to blow up the alliance as the pandemic intensifies pre-existing conflicts over oil and strategic advantage.
(2020-08-14). Pandemic Leads to More Precarious Housing Situation. cepr.net Over 20 million people lost jobs and wages during the initial months of the pandemic. In July 2020, the economy was still down nearly 13 million jobs from its February level. The CARES Act, which was signed into law on March 27, 2020, included a number of provisions designed to replace lost income and keep …
(2020-08-14). Trump doesn't even need Israel-UAE peace deal to actually succeed — just keep it viable till election to mark up as a victory. thealtworld.com Trump announced that the US, Israel and the UAE have agreed to a plan that would trade …
(2020-08-14). Learning from the hibakushas. zcomm.org Waging peace is more complex than waging war, but we've given ourselves no choice but to take on the challenge. At long last…
(2020-08-14). Episode 102 — White Fragility, Cancel Culture, and Over Policing with Darren Kawaii. projectcensored.org On today's episode, Nicholas Baham II (Dr. Dreadlocks), Janice Domingo, and Nolan Higdon host University of Los Angeles' Jeff Share. Along The Line is a non-profit, education-based podcast that provides listeners…
(2020-08-14). Two Utah protesters face life in prison. wsws.org Madalena McNeil and Marvin Oliveros are charged with daubing the Salt Lake City district attorney's office with red paint.
(2020-08-14). Oshkosh, WI: Coalition to March on the DNC and local partners plan to protest Trump's visit. fightbacknews.org Oshkosh, WI – The people of Wisconsin learned only days ago that President Donald Trump would be making his third visit to the state since the start of 2020, this time to the city of Oshkosh. Each previous time Trump came, to Milwaukee and then to Green Bay/Marinette, he was met by protests. This visit will be no different. | The Coalition to March on the Democratic National Convention led the charge for both of those protests and is doing the same again. Several other organizations and allies have joined in the effort, including rank-and-file trade unionists and United Action Oshkosh (UAO). | UAO is a local orga…
(2020-08-14). EU Won't Accept Belarus Election Results, Sanctions Coming. telesurenglish.net The European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, announced on Friday that the block is refusing to recognize the presidential election results in Belarus, in which President Alexander Lukashenko was re-elected for a sixth consecutive term. | RELATED: | After a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, Borrell twitted: "EU doesn't accept election results…
(2020-08-14). The US Renews Travel Ban With Mexico and Canada. telesurenglish.net The United States' land borders with Mexico and Canada will remain close to all non-essential travel for another 30 days, authorities announced on Friday. | RELATED: | U.S. Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf, said that Both Canadian and Mexican partners had agreed to extend the limitation of travel until September 21. Authorities said that the measure could be extended for more time if necessary to tackle…
(2020-08-14). 'Fidel Lives in Those Saved by Cuban Doctors' Ambassador Says. telesurenglish.net Cuba's Ambassador to Canada Josefina Vidal took part in a virtual conference on the legacy of Fidel Castro, the leader of the Cuban revolution, which was held on the occasion of the 94th anniversary of his birth. | RELATED: | "Fidel Castro is still alive in each of the lives that our doctors save. He is alive in any corner of the world where people say 'Thank you Cuba'," Vidal said. | When the world is going through the COVI…
(2020-08-14). Nearly Eight Million People Affected by Floods in India. telesurenglish.net Almost eight million people are currently affected by floods in India's state of Bihar, while heavy rains worsened the situation in neighboring Nepal and discharged the Gandak dam. | RELATED: | The water level of the Nepalese river of Gandak, a tributary of the left bank of India's Ganges River, is rapidly rising. Given the deteriorating situation, authorities advised people living in low-lying areas to shift to higher places.
(2020-08-14). Uruguay: Transport Workers to Start a 48-Hour Strike. telesurenglish.net Uruguay's National Union of Transport Workers (UNOTT) Friday began a 48-hour strike to reject wage cuts and collective dismissals from the transport companies. | RELATED: | UNOTT leader Juan Arellano said they decided to suspend their services due to the lack of progress in the negotiations with the transportation companies. Up to now, they have not agreed on any term for a salary reduction.
(2020-08-14). Felony Charge Brought Against Native Organizer Over Minnesota Capitol Columbus Statue. unicornriot.ninja Saint Paul, MN — The Ramsey County Attorney's Office charged Mike Forcia with Criminal Damage to Property — 1st Degree — Value Reduced Over $1000 for the toppling of the Christopher Columbus statue on June 10 at the Minnesota State Capitol grounds. | Although Mike Forcia…
(2020-08-14). A great read for Fidel Castro's birthday. fightbacknews.org In honor of Fidel Castro's birthday, Fight Back! is circulating a speech he delivered on May 1, 2003. Castro was born on August 13, 1926. Enjoy. |
| Cuba's achievements and America's wars |
| Distinguished guests; |
| Dear fellow Cubans: |
| Our heroic people have struggled for 44 years from this small Caribbean island just a few miles away from the most formidable imperial power ever known by mankind. In so doing, they have written an unprecedented chapter in history. Never has the world witnessed such an unequal fight. |
| Some may have believed that the rise of the empire to…
(2020-08-14). Just 1 percent of the US Pentagon budget could end world hunger. nationofchange.org The war machine must go on and keep on growing or, more than likely they'll end up out of an occupation.
(2020-08-14). Guterres 'deeply concerned' over environmental threat posed by stricken oil tanker off Yemen coast. news.un.org The UN chief is "deeply concerned" about the condition of the FSO Safer oil tanker, moored off the western coast of Yemen, his spokesperson said on Friday.
(2020-08-14). Potato harvest in Hamedan province. en.mehrnews.com HAMEDAN, Aug. 14 (MNA) — Farmers of Hamedan province, west Iran, cultivate potato in some 22 to 24 thousand hectares of farms annually.
(2020-08-14). Yemen condemns UAE's 'betrayal'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 14 (MNA) — Yemen's Supreme Political Council has strongly slammed as 'betrayal' the UAE's decision to normalize ties with the occupying Zionist regime.
(2020-08-14). Top climate economists make case for US to recommit to Paris Agreement. imperial.ac.uk Recommitting to the Paris agreement would reap significant economic benefits for the US, say leading climate economists and policy experts.
(2020-08-14). Best COVID-19 vaccine 'may not be the first'. imperial.ac.uk In a week in which Russia approved its 'Sputnik V' coronavirus vaccine, a leading Imperial expert sounds a note of caution on the need for data.
(2020-08-14). Imperial researchers receive Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowships. imperial.ac.uk Two researchers working on advanced biomedical imaging and developing new lubricants have been awarded new fellowships.
(2020-08-14). Saturday 8/15: SF Chinatown Walkway Weekends. indybay.org Chinatown, Grant Avenue from California to Washington Streets…
(2020-08-14). Stimulus spending to promote clean energy as a vehicle for environmental justice. indybay.org Issues of environmental justice have been highlited in recent events, and it is high time that the nation take action. Minorities are disproportionately affected by Coronavirus, an issue which is exacerbated by environmental injustice. Low interest rates make the current hour opportune for clean energy stimulus spending, which would serve the state where fossil fuels have failed.
(2020-08-14). US Space Force Faults Russia, China For 'Militarizing Space'. popularresistance.org US defense leaders have firmly pointed the finger at Russia and China as the raison d'etre for the US Space Force (USSF), claiming the nations have "militarized space," requiring the US to respond. However, what is really threatened is US space superiority, as the Pentagon has tested space weapons for decades. US Space Command has raised warning bells about the challenging of US superiority in space since at least its 1997 "Vision for 2020," but it was only in December 2019 that the USSF was formally created by US President Donald Trump. | In February 2020, Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. "Jay"
(2020-08-14). US Seizes Iranian Oil From Four Tankers En Route To Venezuela. popularresistance.org The Trump administration has seized the cargo of four tankers it was targeting for transporting Iranian fuel to Venezuela, U.S. officials said Thursday, as it steps up its campaign of maximum pressure against the two heavily sanctioned allies. | Last month, federal prosecutors in Washington filed a civil forfeiture complaint alleging that the sale was arranged by a businessman with ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization. At the time, sanctions experts thought it would be impossible to enforce the U.S. court order in international waters. | A senior U.S. official…
(2020-08-14). Tennessee Lawmakers Pass Bill Making Some Acts Of Protest Felonies. popularresistance.org The Tennessee legislature passed a sweeping proposal on Wednesday that would increase penalties against some protesters who have camped outside the statehouse in Nashville for months demanding racial justice and an end to police brutality. | State lawmakers in the majority-white Tennessee General Assembly passed the measure in a nearly party-line vote in both chambers. The bill, which is now headed to Republican Gov. Bill Lee's desk, would punish those who illegally camp on state property — as protesters have outside the state Capitol for months — with a Class E felony rather than a misdemeanor. | Cla…
(2020-08-14). BLM Activists Hospitalized After Police Kneel On Her Neck. popularresistance.org Protesters said Jae Passmore had been leaving a demonstration in downtown Tampa on Wednesday night when she was detained by police, The Tampa Bay Times reported. | In on video shared on Instagram, Passmore is seen being pinned to the ground by several officers as protesters shout at them to free her. | "Stop! Get your knee off her neck!" A protester can be heard repeatedly yelling. Another is heard screaming: "Get off of her like that!"
(2020-08-14). Minneapolis Reneging On George Floyd Promises. popularresistance.org At the height of the Minneapolis rebellion, a majority of the city council announced they would move towards "disbanding" their police force, in response to Black Lives Matter "abolition" demands. It turned out that what the councilpersons were actually proposing was a name change, retaining a force of armed cops in a new "Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention" with a "holistic, public health-oriented" mission. But even this palliative was too much for the Minneapolis Charter Commission, which voted to delay putting the police reorganization question on the November ballot, effectively killing th…
(2020-08-14). Billie Eilish Set to Perform During Next Week's DNC Event. sputniknews.com Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the United States, the Democratic Party will stage its 2020 National Convention virtually on Monday 17 August. Expected to take place over four nights, until Thursday 20, the event will see former US Vice President Joe Biden officially accepting the party nomination for the 2020 US election.
(2020-08-14). Caracas Calls US, EU Joint Statement on Creation of Venezuelan Transitional Gov't 'Absurd'. sputniknews.com BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) – Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said on Friday that a new joint statement by a group of concerned countries, including the United States and the European Union, in which Caracas was urged to create a transitional government, was absurd and dictated by Washington.
(2020-08-14). US Formalizes Sale of 66 F-16 Jets to Taiwan Amid Heightened China Tensions. sputniknews.com Taiwan has formally signed an agreement to buy 66 of Lockheed Martin's latest F-16 jets, marking the first sale of advanced fighter jets to Taiwan since 1992, when then-US President George H.W. Bush approved the sale of 150 F-16s.
(2020-08-14). US Postal Service Warns 46 States, DC, of Possible Delay of Mail-in Ballots in November Election. sputniknews.com The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic in the United States prompted election officials to encourage mail-in voting for the upcoming US presidential election in November, with incumbent President Donald Trump voicing strong opposition against voting by mail for several months, claiming that the practice could lead to "fraud".
(2020-08-14). Pompeo Regrets UNSC Rejected 'Reasonable' Resolution on Extension of Iran Arms Embargo. sputniknews.com Iran has faced arms a United States embargo since 2007, now set to expire in two months under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, from which the US unilaterally withdrew in May 2018.
(2020-08-14). US to Follow Through on Promise to 'Stop at Nothing' to Extend Iran Arms Embargo in Coming Days. sputniknews.com Earlier in the day, the UN Security Council rejected a resolution aimed at extending the arms embargo against Iran, ahead of its expiration in October.
(2020-08-14). UAE-Israel Deal: How Breakthrough Agreement Could Help Keep Netanyahu in Power. sputniknews.com While the deal between Israel and the UAE has received mixed reaction, with Palestinians recalling their ambassador and Turkey threatening to follow suit, experts say that it is only a matter of time until more countries join the chorus for peace.
(2020-08-14). 'Self-Fulfilling Policy': US Troops Chasing 'Terrorism' in 23 African Nations Actually Foster It. sputniknews.com A shocking new report by a South African paper has revealed US Special Forces are operating in 23 different African countries. A journalist told Sputnik that while Washington says its forces aim to combat terrorism, in reality their presence fosters it.
(2020-08-14). The Great Firewall of Washington and Its Consequences. strategic-culture.org After years of calling President Trump a dictator he finally gave the people what they wanted, with his administration taking a page right out of the Communist Party textbook on how to run the internet inside of one's own country. Mike Pompeo recently rolled out a press release detailing the "
(2020-08-14). Iran brands UAE-Israel deal a stab in the back to 'all Muslims'. thecanary.co Iran has strongly condemned a historic deal establishing full diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel. It's called the move a stab in the back to all Muslims. | A statement from the country's foreign ministry, reported by state TV on Friday 14 August, called the normalising of ties between the two countries a dangerous, "shameful" measure. Moreover, It warned the UAE against Israel interfering in the "political equations" of the Persian Gulf region. The statement said: The UAE government and other accompanying governments must accept responsibility for all the consequences of this ac…
(2020-08-14). Pence Says Trump Outperformed Obama on Jobs, Forgetting 20 Million Lost in April. truthout.org Vice President Mike Pence, appearing on Fox News on Wednesday evening, made an outlandish claim about job growth under his and President Donald Trump's tenure. | While discussing with host Sean Hannity their supposed accomplishments, Pence also suggested that the Trump administration had done a better job than former President Barack Obama's administration (and by extension, former Vice President Joe Biden, who is running for president against Trump) had done when it came to job creation.
(2020-08-14). Trump's New Racist Campaign Strategy Is Tweeting Mugshots of Black People. truthout.org Donald Trump's campaign has been tweeting mugshots of Black people out on bail in an effort to instill fear in voters about a future Joe Biden presidency. | The "Donovan Boone is a vi…
(2020-08-14). Public Health Officials Are Quitting or Getting Fired in Throes of Pandemic. truthout.org Vilified, threatened with violence or in some cases suffering from burnout, dozens of state and local public health officials around the U.S. have resigned or have been fired amid the coronavirus outbreak, a testament to how politically combustible masks, lockdowns and infection data have become. | One of the latest departures came Sunday, when California's public health director, Dr. Sonia Angell, was ousted following a technical glitch that caused a delay in reporting virus test results [mda…
(2020-08-14). McConnell Adjourns Senate for Month-Long Recess Without Deal on COVID Relief. truthout.org Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell adjourned the U.S. Senate for the rest of August on Thursday after failing to come anywhere close to approving another Covid-19 relief package, leaving tens of millions of out-of-work, hungry, and eviction-prone Americans without additional financial aid as the pandemic and economic crisis continue with no end in sight. | "During the worst economic crisis since the 1930s, Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans think they can take a long vacation whil…
(2020-08-14). Expert: Israel and UAE Deal Is Being Falsely Characterized as a Peace Deal. truthout.org In a deal brokered by the United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to fully normalize relations after years of secretly working together on countering Iran and other issues. Under the deal, Israel has also agreed to temporarily halt plans to annex occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank, which had already been on hold due to international condemnation. We speak with Rashid Khalidi, the Edward Said professor of modern Arab studies at Columbia University, who says the…
(2020-08-14). Trump Rolls Back Methane Rule as Bankrupt Permian Drillers Ignore Venting Flares. truthout.org On Thursday, the Trump administration Methane emissions, which have 80 times the heat-trappi…
(2020-08-14). Are Outdoor Classrooms a Solution to the Disaster of School Reopenings? truthout.org With some districts already in the trenches of the back-to-school season — opening only to quickly
(2020-08-14). Biden Must Listen to the Demands of the Left. commondreams.org Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, the former vice president, arrives for a rally at Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, Mississippi on March 8, 2020. (Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/biden_2_0.jpg …
(2020-08-14). Critical Assessment of Kamala Harris for Vice President. globalresearch.ca The Vice Presidency has always gotten a degree of bad press in the US political system. Its ineffectuality is sometimes lost on the occupant, though not on John N. Garner, who
(2020-08-14). Extreme Moderation in the Spittoon: Kamala Harris for VP. dissidentvoice.org The Vice Presidency has always gotten a degree of bad press in the US political system. Its ineffectuality is sometimes lost on the occupant, though not on John N. Garner, who considered it "not worth a bucket of warm spit." (R. G. Tugwell in The Brains Trust suggests that the measure "quart" was used.) Two …
(2020-08-14). Centro CSO Condemns LAPD S.W.AT. Swarming BLM Leader's Home. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Centro Community Service Organization (Centro CSO). | The morning of August 12, 2020 the private residence of Black Lives Matter – Los Angeles co-founder Dr. Melina Abdullah was swarmed by an LAPD SWAT team. With their semi-automatic rifles pointed at her home, the team stood surrounding her home in tactical gear. | "We looked out the front window, and two officers stood and put their assault rifles and pointed them directly at us," Abdullah said at a Cal State L.A. press conference. "And I realized they came for me. And they called out my addre…
(2020-08-14). Iran reports 169 more virus deaths, over 2,500 cases. yenisafak.com At least 169 more coronavirus-related fatalities have raised the death toll in Iran to 19,331, the Health Ministry said Friday.Some 2,501 more people tested positive for COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, pushing the overall count up to 338,825, according to ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari.She said more than 293,811 patients have recovered so far, while 3,956 are hospitalized in critical condition. Over 2.81 million tests have been conducted in Iran to date.Iran is struggling to contain the pandemic since February, when the first cases were confirmed in the holy city of Qom.The coronavirus pandemic has claimed…
(2020-08-14). US declined Russia's help offer on vaccine: Report. yenisafak.com The US allegedly declined Russia's help offer over the coronavirus vaccine, Russian officials told CNN. | The officials, who spoke anonymously, said Thursday that they proposed "unprecedented cooperation" with the US' Operation Warp Speed, a governmental program that aims to begin delivering millions of doses of an effective virus vaccine by the end of 2020. However, they claimed the US "is not currently open" for cooperation. | The remarks came days after Russia announced Tuesday it had developed a coronavirus vaccine. | They added that Russia maintains its will to share information about the vaccine and allow t…
(2020-08-14). North Korea's Kim says no to foreign flood aid. yenisafak.com Addressing Political Bureau of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kim said: "The situation, in which the spread of the worldwide malignant [COVID-19] virus has become worse, requires us not to allow any outside aid for the flood damage but shut the border tighter and carry out strict anti-epidemic work," state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.At least 39,296 hectares of land was marooned due to the ongoing rainy season and Kangwon, North and South Hwanghae provinces and Kaesong City were hit badly.At least 16,680 houses and over 630 public buildings were destroyed or inundated beside…
(2020-08-14). Syed Ali Geelani: Adamant fighter for Kashmiri rights. yenisafak.com In recognition of his lifelong struggle for Kashmiris, Pakistan on its 74th Independence Day on Friday, awarded veteran Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Geelani Nishan-e-Pakistan — country's highest civilian honor.Nelson Mandela, Fidel Castro, Queen Elizabeth II, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are also among the recipients of the prestigious award.In late June, the 90-year-old leader stepped down from the leadership of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), a forum of more than two dozen Kashmir-based pro-freedom parties.The Nishan-e-Pakistan award, on behalf of Geelani, was received by APHC leaders from Pa…
(2020-08-14). 'Turkey will respond to any harassment in Eastern Med'. yenisafak.com Turkey will respond to any Greek harassment of its energy exploration ship Oruc Reis in the Eastern Mediterranean, the country's foreign minister warned Friday."Greece should avoid maximalist policies in the region," Mevlàºt àáavu≈üoƒülu told a joint press conference with his Swiss counterpart Ignazio Cassis in Bern.The warning came on the same day as an EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting by video link at Athens' request on the Eastern Mediterranean issue.On France declaring it would boost its military presence in the region,àáavu≈üoƒülu said: "France s…
(2020-08-14). Erdogan: Turkey may suspend ties with UAE over Israel deal. yenisafak.com President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Turkey was considering closing its embassy in Abu Dhabi and suspending diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates over its accord to normalise ties with Israel.Erdogan was speaking to reporters in Istanbul after the Turkish Foreign Ministry said history will never forgive the "hypocritical behaviour" of the UAE in agreeing such a deal.
(2020-08-14). Turks in Greece still being denied their rights. yenisafak.com For decades, the Turkish minority in Greece has faced government-imposed hurdles to exercising its fundamental rights on education, religious affairs, and the recognition of its ethnic identity. | Greece's Western Thrace region — in the country's northeast, near the Turkish border — is home to a substantial, long-established Muslim Turkish minority numbering around 150,000. | Several recent developments have cast a harsh spotlight on the problems of Turks in Greece, including a decree restricting the autonomy of the mufti Muslim clerics, land belonging to a Muslim religious foundation being sold off t…
(2020-08-14). Australia: Residents left to die as COVID-19 sweeps through Victorian aged care facilities. wsws.org Aged care workers are being denied admission to hospitals, in a policy that amounts to social murder.
(2020-08-14). Forget Your Feelings About Trump, Say Allies of NSA Whistleblower, 'Snowden Pardon Would Be a Major Win'. commondreams.org "Edward Snowden is a patriot. Our democracy is better off because of him," tweeted the ACLU. "As we said four years ago, the president should pardon him."
(2020-08-14). Denounced as Going 'Too Far' When Sanders Said It—American Bar Association Backs Full Voting Rights for Incarcerated People. commondreams.org Bolstering a proposal which was denounced by centrists and conservatives as going "too far" in the fight for voting rights when Sen. Bernie Sanders backed it, the American Bar Association announced its support for full enfranchisement for current and former prison inmates. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/voting_rights_0.jpg …
(2020-08-14). This Pandemic Brings Out the Worst in Our CEOs. commondreams.org The Covid-19 crisis has "amplified one of the worst flaws in our society, namely the 'me-first' greed of corporate chieftains," writes Hightower. (Photo: iStock) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/ceo_1.jpg …
(2020-08-14). Campaigners Warn UK's Covid-19 Vaccine Deals With Novavax and Janssen Threaten Fair Global Distribution. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-08-14). Further Escalating Tensions, Trump Administration Seizes Alleged Iranian Fuel Bound for Venezuela. commondreams.org Iran's ambassador to Venezuela, Hojad Soltani, said that neither the ships nor their owners are Iranian but did not address whether the gasoline came from his country. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bella_1.jpg …
(2020-08-14). Housing Crisis by the Numbers: Trends and Disparities in Housing Insecurity Before and During the Pandemic. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-08-14). Outrage in Oregon After Federal Agents Teargas Protesters Who 'Held the Line Against Injustice' by Blocking Bus With Deportees. commondreams.org "The actions by federal troops are all too familiar, designed for political headlines, meant to intimidate & strike fear into our communities instead of keeping us safe." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/getty_dhs_image.jpg …
(2020-08-14). Pan African Pride Focuses on LGBTQ Community Decriminalization. telesurenglish.net Pan-African Pride event started on Friday with a three-day online program to discuss ethnicity, identity, activism, and social imaginary on LGBTQ+ communities. | RELATED: | "More people are online due to the coronavirus, and so we thought it was a good time to reach out virtually to the LGBTQI people living in Africa," event organizer Kehinde Bademosi said. | The event focuses on African no-heteronormative and non-conformist…
(2020-08-14). The November Election Is About Race. thealtworld.com Everyone knows it, but few will admit it, that the election is about race. The Democrat Party and the presstitutes have set it up that way. White Americans are the target. | Years of propaganda against "white racism" have succeeded in teaching black Americans that they are victims of "white privilege." The same propaganda has instilled in white liberals and the young a strong sense of race guilt. The sense of guilt is so strong that the majority of the violent protests and threatening marches through white neighborhoods are carried out by white people under Antifa and Black Lives Matter banners. | The Democrat ma…
(2020-08-14). Has COVID-19 Paved the Way for an Independent Scotland? globalresearch.ca It has been one of the worst periods in our global history. But for Scottish Nationalists, the pandemic was the crisis needed to escalate the independence cause. In the latest poll on Scottish independence, now 53% support it, with 47% …
(2020-08-14). Sri Lankan prime minister admits US is behind Colombo Port deal with India. wsws.org The Colombo Port workers' struggle has demonstrated that the US and India want Sri Lanka tied to their strategic and military moves against nuclear-armed China.
(2020-08-13). US Military Presence: Special Forces Active in 22 African Countries. globalresearch.ca A
(2020-08-13). Amazon workers speak out against inadequate safety measures. wsws.org As the company makes money hand over fist from the pandemic's boost to online retail sales, hundreds of thousands of low-wage workers labor for long hours in unsafe conditions at Amazon's fulfillment centers.
(2020-08-13). Hong Kong Elections Postponed: And where aren't they? dissidentvoice.org Today, the Western press went absolutely mental again, radically schizophrenic. Hong Kong leader, Carrie Lam, declared that the September 6 elections in SAR would be postponed by one year. Right away, she offered a rational explanation: "We have 3 million voters going out in one day across Hong Kong, such flow of people would cause …
(2020-08-13). UN Chief: Pandemic Must Be Met With Commitment to Peace. commondreams.org "Covid-19 is a human tragedy, but we can mitigate the impacts by the choices we make." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/covid-commitment-lasting-peace.jpg …
