2020-08-27: News Headlines

Andrew Korybko (2020-08-27). India's Island Bases Might be a Game-Changer in Its Regional Competition with China. globalresearch.ca India's plans to construct full-fledged fighter bases in the union territories of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands (below) as well as Lakshadweep (2nd map below) might prove to be game-changers in its regional competition with China by enabling New Delhi …

Gareth Porter (2020-08-27). After Beirut Blast, Israel Revives Tales of Hezbollah Ammonium Nitrate Terror Plots. globalresearch.ca Israeli intelligence is polishing off a dubious propaganda campaign to suggest Hezbollah was to blame for the recent catastrophe in Beirut. But the factual record either contradicts Israeli claims or reveals a complete dearth of evidence. | *** | Israeli officials have …

Kathryn Shihadah (2020-08-27). Decades of Land Grabs Betray Israel's "Terror Balloon" Justification for Latest War on Gaza. mintpressnews.com Just as with the last three major Israeli incursions into Gaza, Israel's stated motive — to stop incoming projectiles — conceals a long-term ambition: to seize more land with fewer Palestinians on it.

Roger Harris (2020-08-27). Belarus's Options in the Midst of a Color Revolution. counterpunch.org A "color revolution" is a media term for a movement based on legitimate grievances only to be co-opted into a regime change operation backed by the US and confederates. There have been so many — Georgia in 2003, Ukraine in 2004, Kyrgyzstan in 2005 — that they have run out of colors. Belarus is amidst

David Mattson (2020-08-27). The Sturgis and Standing Rock Protests. counterpunch.org I grew up in the Black Hills of western South Dakota on a small ranch roughly 30 miles away from the small city of Sturgis and between 100 and 200 miles away from the sprawling Pine Ridge and Cheyenne River Indian Reservations. David Taylor, who homesteaded our ranch, created a sinuous inholding within the newly created Black Hills Forest Reserve, laid out to capture as much bottomland pasture as possible along aptly named Hay Creek.

Tony Cartalucci (2020-08-27). Spies or Journalists? Western Media Deliberately Covers Up US Meddling in Thailand. globalresearch.ca The Western media functions more as lobbyists or even foreign intelligence agencies rather than real journalists by deliberately omitting facts, fabricating others, and all to ensure maximum momentum of what is verified US political interference in a foreign country. | ***…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-08-27). The pandemic has severely weakened US credibility. peoplesdispatch.org In the third part of our conversation with Charles Xu from the Qiao Collective, Xu talks about the rising Sinophobia in the US, particularly after the COVID-19 outbreak. While this has been fueled by the current conditions and the rhetoric mounted by the present US administration, Xu discusses how these anti-China sentiments are strong across the political spectrum.

Scott Ritter (2020-08-27). US Is Willing to Dismantle the UN Security Council to Put Pressure on Iran. globalresearch.ca In a world where American exceptionalism and unilateralism has become common currency, the brazenness of Secretary of State Pompeo's bid to impose "snap back" inspections of Iran takes the cake. Moreover, it's doomed to fail. | When it comes to …

Gershon Baskin (2020-08-27). Judaism, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and me. zcomm.org Our life together in Israel requires us to know each other, to respect each other, and to live and let live without coercion and without violence…

Ty Joplin (2020-08-27). Teachers inspire revolt against austerity in Jordan. zcomm.org Jordan, known for its relative stability compared to its war-torn neighbors, is erupting following a government crackdown on the teachers' union…

Max Parry (2020-08-27). HBO's Welcome to Chechnya is Latest Anti-Russian Cold War Propaganda. dissidentvoice.org In 2017, explosive allegations first emerged that the authorities of the Chechen Republic were reportedly interning gay men in concentration camps. After a three year period of dormancy, the accusations have resurfaced in a new feature length documentary by HBO Films entitled Welcome to Chechnya. Shot between mid-2017 and early last year, the film has …

Max Parry (2020-08-27). HBO's 'Welcome to Chechnya' Is Latest Anti-Russian Cold War Propaganda. globalresearch.ca In 2017, explosive allegations first emerged that the authorities of the Chechen Republic were reportedly interning gay men in concentration camps. After a three year period of dormancy, the accusations have resurfaced in a new feature length documentary by HBO …

Mike Walter (2020-08-27). The Heat: China-U.S. ties. america.cgtn.com China and the United States say they're making progress on trade, despite ongoing tensions. Can the world's two largest economies set aside their differences?

Staff (2020-08-27). Headlines for August 27, 2020. democracynow.org Hurricane Laura Hits Louisiana with 150 MPH Winds, "Unsurvivable" 20-Foot Storm Surge, Mike Pence Tells Republican National Convention, "We Will Have Law and Order", Kenosha Police Officer Who Shot Jacob Blake ID'd as Rusten Sheskey, 17-Year-Old Trump-Supporting Militia Member Charged with Murdering 2 Protesters, NBA, WNBA, MLS and MLB Games Postponed as Players Protest Police Shootings, Trump Administration Officials Pressured CDC to Weaken Coronavirus Guidelines , Coronavirus Cases Hit Record High in Burma; Doctors Strike in South Korea Amid Outbreaks, Just Two States Are Distributing Trump's Promised Unemploym…

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-27). IRCS announces readiness to help flood-hit Afghan people. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 27 (MNA) — Head of Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) said that the body is ready to help flood-stricken people in Afghanistan.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-27). China welcomes Iran-IAEA agreement: FM. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 27 (MNA) — China welcomed and applauded that the IAEA and Iran reached an agreement on the resolution of the safeguards implementation issues after friendly consultations.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-27). Army marks Government Week with issuing a statement. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 27 (MNA) — Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran called on all governmental officials to take revolutionary steps in solving economic problems overshadowing the country.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-27). Iran, Turkmenistan stress expanding trade, transit coop. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 27 (MNA) — Islamic Republic of Iran and Turkmenistan called for broadening and developing trade and transit cooperation.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-27). Trade activity in Mehran Border Crossing increases. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 27 (MNA) — Spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) on Thu. revealed that trade and business activity at Mehran Border Crossing increased to four days a week.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-27). Developing Iran only oceanic port, JCPOA salient achievement. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 27 (MNA) — The Director General of Sistan and Baluchestan Ports and Maritime Department General said that development of Iran's only oceanic port "Chabahar" is the salient achievement of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

_____ (2020-08-27). Israel's Crimes Must Be Met With Arms Embargo. popularresistance.org Israel's bombing of the besieged Gaza Strip must be met with an "urgent and comprehensive military embargo," the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee stated on Sunday. | Israel has bombed Gaza every night for the past 12 days in response, or so it claims, to incendiary balloons flown from the territory. Those balloons have caused fires on agricultural land in southern Israel. | Two-thirds of Gaza's population of 2.1 million are refugees, some of them from the lands just on the other side of the Gaza boundary fence. Israel denies them their right to return, enshrined in international la…

_____ (2020-08-27). The Eurasian Century Has Already Begun. popularresistance.org India, China and ASEAN are the greatest market opportunities, with the greatest potential for growth in nominal terms if the dollar declines. | China, India and ASEAN also account for about 45% of the global population versus less than 5% for the US. All Eurasia accounts for more than 60%. No matter who wins the election in November, the US is not returning as the engine of global economic growth. Instead, it is adopting the mercantilist import-substitution policies that built the "miracle" economies of East Asia. Recent studies from sources such as the Pew Research Center and the University of Washington have ra…

_____ (2020-08-27). Lebanon: Inconvenient Truths About Syria, Iran, Hezbollah And The Shia 'Street'. popularresistance.org There's been a lot of nonsense passing as truth in post-blast Lebanon reporting. Most centers around alarmism about Hezbollah's nefarious influence, the West's "opportunity" to destroy it, and the supposed struggle with Russia, China, and Iran for paternalist-preeminence in a country that isn't ours (or theirs) to preside over in the first place. There's little discussion in most mainstream reporting on the minor matter of why Hezbollah gained influence in the first place. Shia Muslims are difficult to provoke and almost impossible to suppress once aroused. Long led by a more "quietist" strand of conservative, ap…

sputniknews (2020-08-27). Indian Prime Minister's Home State Top-Ranked in Export Readiness in Gov't Think Tank Report. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): India's exports have been badly hit by the ongoing global pandemic with major economies in the world completely shutting down operations. According to Trade Ministry data, overall exports in April-July are estimated to be $141.82 billion, showing a negative growth of minus 21.99 percent over the same period in 2019.

sputniknews (2020-08-27). Malicious Propaganda: Pakistan Rejects India's Claim Pulwama Attack Executed at Islamabad's Behest. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): On 25 August, India's top investigative agency filed its first charge sheet in the deadly February 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing case, naming 19 people for carrying out the attack at "Pakistan's behest".

sputniknews (2020-08-27). Teenage Indian-American Girl Designs Vibrating Cap That Beeps, Alerts to Maintain Social Distance. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): The COVID-19 pandemic has taken the world by surprise in the last few months, however people have now come to terms with the difficult life that has become the new normal due to restrictions introduced in the wake of the outbreak.

sputniknews (2020-08-27). Twitterstorm as India's Apex Court Disallows Muharram Processions, Saying Muslims Could Be Targeted. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Shia Muslims observe Muharram by mourning the death of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Hussein Ibn Ali, on the 10th day of the first month of the Islamic calendar, falling on 29 August. People gather in streets for processions with decorated "Tazia" – a replica of a coffin – and perform ceremonial chest-beating.

Ramzy Baroud (2020-08-27). Netanyahu vs Gantz: Gaza Escalation as Reflection of Israel's Political Rivalry. dissidentvoice.org Only recently, the Palestinian group, Hamas, and Israel seemed close to reaching a prisoner exchange agreement, where Hamas would release several Israeli soldiers held in Gaza while Israel would set free an unspecified number of Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons. Instead of the much-anticipated announcement of some kind of a deal, on August 10, …

South Front (2020-08-27). Video: Russian, Syrian Forces Operation against ISIS Terrorists. globalresearch.ca Russian and Syrian forces eliminated 327 ISIS militants during a joint security operation that took place in the desert areas of Homs and Deir Ezzor from August 18 to August 24. | According to the Russian side, strikes of the Syrian …

South Front (2020-08-27). Houthis' War on Terror in Yemen. globalresearch.ca Since the start of the Saudi intervention in Yemen in March 2015, the official Saudi propaganda, Western diplomats and mainstream media outlets have been arguing that the coalition is somehow combating terrorists there. | As a part of this narrative, Saudi …

sputniknews (2020-08-27). French Foreign Minister Warns Lebanon May Disappear as State Unless Urgent Reforms Made. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Lebanon should form a new government and implement a series of urgent reforms, as it is currently on the verge of distress and disappearance due to the consequences of both the Beirut blast and a political crisis in the country, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Thursday.

sputniknews (2020-08-27). Video: Three US Officers Raid Wrong Home, Point Gun at Innocent Woman. sputniknews.com Three Nashville, Tennessee, police officers have been decommissioned after raiding the wrong home on August 18.

sputniknews (2020-08-27). Observers: US Sanctions on Russian Institute Working on Sputnik V Caused by Fear to Lose Leadership. sputniknews.com As Moscow announced the beginning of post-registration trials of anti-COVID vaccine Sputnik V on 26 August, the US added a group of Russian research institutes, including the one testing the anti-coronavirus drug, to its sanctions list. International observers have discussed the US move unveiled amid the global effort to curb the pandemic.

sputniknews (2020-08-27). Vladimir Putin Reveals His Daughter Developed COVID Antibodies After Taking Russian Vaccine. sputniknews.com Following the announcement of the world's first COVID-19 vaccine on 11 August, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that one of his daughters had been inoculated with it.

sputniknews (2020-08-27). Russian Prosecutors Launch Pre-Trial Probe Over Alexei Navalny's Hospitalisation in Omsk. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Transport police prosecutors in the western Siberian region have launched a pre-trial probe over the hospitalisation of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny in the city of Omsk.

_____ (2020-08-27). UK's Johnson Reprises Skripal Saga for Navalny 'Poisoning'. strategic-culture.org Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson is the latest Western leader to wildly jump on the bandwagon claiming that Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny was poisoned, and by implication insinuating the Kremlin had a sinister hand in it. | "The poisoning of Alexei Navalny shocked the world,"

yenisafak (2020-08-27). 'Turkey, Ukraine should pursue joint tech production'. yenisafak.com "From now on, we should focus on getting quick results in the work we've initiated towards joint project and product development and joint technological research," Mustafa Varank said in a meeting with Oleh Urusky, Ukraine's vice prime minister for strategic industries.This would transform the countries' "strategic cooperation into a more systematic and institutionalized structure," he said in the Turkish capital Ankara.Varank said the countries' close historical, cultural, and geographical ties were strengthened by a strategic partnership announced in 2011.Calling the Ukrainian official's visit a milestone in fo…

yenisafak (2020-08-27). US' Pompeo pays surprise visit to Oman. yenisafak.com US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Oman Thursday for an unannounced stopover."Arrived in Oman and will meet with Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said," Pompeo wrote on his Twitter account.Before Oman, Pompeo paid a visit Israel, Sudan, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during his Mideast tour."I look forward to discussing efforts to build unity among the Gulf Cooperation Council and build on the momentum to advance regional peace and prosperity," Pompeo added.Although his visit was not announced by the State Department, some media reports revealed that Pompeo is visiting two countries within…

yenisafak (2020-08-27). India's daily virus cases soar over 75,000. yenisafak.com India reported over 75,000 new coronavirus cases and more than 1,000 fatalities on Thursday.At least 75,760 more people tested positive for COVID-19, the country's highest daily figure to date, taking the total past 3.31 million, according to the Health Ministry's latest data.The nationwide death toll increased by 1,023 in the past day and now stands at 60,472.With 718,711 infections, the western state of Maharashtra remains India's worst-hit region.At least 106 members of the state police force tested positive for COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, the Maharashtra police said.A total of 14,295 police personnel hav…

yenisafak (2020-08-27). Mauritius provides aid to fishers affected by oil spill. yenisafak.com Mauritius announced on Thursday that it had started distributing food supplies to over 400 fishers whose livelihoods were hit when a Japanese ship ran aground on July 25, causing an oil spill.In a statement, the East African island nation announced that food supplies were distributed "among 400 fishermen from the regions of Riviere des Creoles and Deux Freres, who have been affected by the ecological crisis which resulted from the grounding of the MV Wakashio."The food distribution drive organized by the National Insurance company and the State Insurance Company of Mauritius happened at the Bambous Virieux Social…

yenisafak (2020-08-27). Jordan to hold elections on Nov. 10 amid COVID-19. yenisafak.com Jordan is preparing for general elections scheduled for Nov. 10 in line with the guidelines issued by the country's election board due to coronavirus. | Taking into account the health and safety of the public, the Jordanian Election Board took a series of decisions to prevent the spread of the virus across the country. As part of the restrictions, authorities banned election rallies and gatherings of more than 20 people. | Zahir Amr, former secretary general of Jordan's Al-Hayat Party, said that he supports the board's instructions in principle as they play an important role in preventing violations by candidate…

yenisafak (2020-08-27). Putin says alleged mercenaries were lured to Belarus by foreign spy operation. yenisafak.com President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that a group of Russians who were detained in Belarus prior to its Aug. 9 election and accused of being mercenaries had been lured to Belarus by a Ukrainan-U.S. intelligence operation.Belarus had accused the men of seeking to destabilise the country ahead of its election, marking an unusual diplomatic row with close ally Russia. At the time, Russia had said the men were private security workers on their way to a third country."These people, I repeat, were travelling for work to a third country. They were lured there, dragged across the border… It was an operation of Ukr…

David Hearst (2020-08-27). Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Pulls Out of Planned Meeting in Washington with Netanyahu. globalresearch.ca The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, pulled out of a planned visit to Washington DC next week to meet the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after he feared that the news had leaked and that his …

Anya Parampil (2020-08-26). Israel bombs Gaza every day since UAE normalization announced. thegrayzone.com Red Lines host Anya Parampil speaks with Ali Abunimah, co-founder of the Electronic Intifada, about the recent announcement that Israel and the United Arab Emirates plan to normalize relations. They discuss the conditions which led to the deal as well as what the agreement will mean for Palestinians, particularly those in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Chris Hedges (2020-08-26). How Corporate Tyranny Works. commondreams.org Oil sludge from one of the hundreds of waste pits that Chevron left in the Ecuadorean Amazon. (Photo: via Indian Country News) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/ecuador-oil-sludge_0.jpg

Andrew Korybko (2020-08-26). The China-US Trade Deal, Uncertainty and Instability of the Global Economy. globalresearch.ca Everything is so uncertain around the world that the international community craves some semblance of structural stability around which they can rebuild their economies. China and the US' reaffirmation of their trade deal fulfills this much-needed role, which in turn …

Andrew Korybko (2020-08-26). Can the US Stop Russia from 'Pulling a Crimea' in Belarus? globalresearch.ca US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun is rushing to Moscow from 25-26 August in a desperate attempt to stop Russia from "pulling a Crimea" in Belarus after the ongoing Color Revolution there has thus far failed to depose Lukashenko …

F. William Engdahl (2020-08-26). China's Growing Agriculture Crisis. Devastating Shocks: Swine Fever, Floods, Droughts. globalresearch.ca For the past months the Peoples' Republic of China has been subject to one after the other devastating shocks to its agriculture sector. A deadly outbreak of African Swine Fever that halved China's huge pig herds in 2019, was followed …

_____ (2020-08-26). Over 40 Protests Across The UK On #StopArmingIsrael Day Of Action. popularresistance.org Hundreds have taken to the streets in dozens of towns and cities to call for an end to the UK's complicity in Israel's oppression of the Palestinian people, on the 6 year anniversary of the end of Israel's aerial bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza. The protests come as Israel has conducted a renewed bombardment of Gaza, which remains under a crippling land, air and sea blockade. | The 2014 attack killed over 2,200 Palestinians in 51 days, nearly a quarter of whom were children. The UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza conflict found credible allegations that Israel committed war crimes throu…

Ramzy Baroud (2020-08-26). Netanyahu vs Gantz: Gaza Escalation as Reflection of Israel's Political Rivalry. commondreams.org An explosion goes off during an airstrike carried out by Israeli warplanes. (Photo: Mohammed Talatene/picture alliance via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gazaairstrike.jpg