2020-08-29: News Headlines

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-08-29). Dem Convention Made No Mention Of Russiagate Or Impeachment, Because Those Were Fake Things. thealtworld.com Despite their dominating mainstream news cycles for years on end, at no time during the four-day Democratic National Convention was the word "impeachment" ever uttered, nor was any mention made of the Mueller investigation into allegations of collusion between Trump and the Russian government. | Politico Eight months after Democrats mounted a historic effort to remove Donald Trump from office, not a single speaker uttered the word "impeachment" during thei…

_____ (2020-08-29). U.S. Sanctions Russian Research Institute That Developed Covid-19 Vaccine. strategic-culture.org The US Commerce Department blacklisted a Russian research institute that helped create the world's first Covid-19 vaccine. | Ben NORTON | Russia won the race to develop the first vaccine against the novel coronavirus. The United States has responded by slapping sanctions on a Russian research facility involved in creating it. | The US government has blacklisted several Russian scientific institutes, including the Russian Defense Ministry's 48th Central Research Institute, which has worked with other non-military medical centers to develop and test the world's first Covid-19 vaccine. | In the midst of the global c…

Juan Cole (2020-08-29). How Trump brought us 11.1% Unemployment, lost Manufacturing Jobs, worsened Trade Deficits and Kowtowed to China. zcomm.org Trump has the worst job creation record of any modern president and far worse than even the much maligned Jimmy Carter…

_____ (2020-08-29). CIA's Addiction to Afghanistan War. strategic-culture.org It is America's longest overseas war and shows no clear sign of ending despite a shaky peace deal underway between the Trump administration and Taliban militants. A phased withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan over the next year could yet be derailed, resulting in continued American military operations in the South Asian country — nearly two decades after President GW Bush launched Operation Enduring Freedom in October 2001. | US involvement in Afghanistan is the archetypal quagmire. Hundreds of thousands killed or maimed, trillions of dollars wasted, a failed state — despite American pretension…

sputniknews (2020-08-29). Afghan Forces Recapture Territory From Taliban, Kill 18 Militants, Local Authorities Say. sputniknews.com KABUL (Sputnik) – Afghan forces on Saturday managed to recapture an area, previously held by the Taliban* movement for years, in the eastern Nangarhar province, Ahmad Ali Hazrat, head of the provincial council, said.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-08-29). STC abandons power sharing deal with the Hadi govt in Yemen. peoplesdispatch.org The development is a serious blow to the Saudi hopes of uniting the Hadi government and the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) in order to strengthen the fight against the rebel Shia Houthis in Yemen…

Sophie Cousins (2020-08-29). [World Report] Bangladesh's COVID-19 testing criticised. thelancet.com Experts say that the government's approach to testing and surveillance, including charging patients a fee, is hampering the response. Sophie Cousins reports.

_____ (2020-08-29). Kings Bay Plowshares Sentencing Delayed. popularresistance.org The six remaining Kings Bay Plowshares defendants have had their sentencing dates moved from September to October 15 and 16. They had requested a continuance because they want to appear in open court in Georgia and the virus situation there is still too out of control to safely allow it. | Steve Kelly has now served almost 29 months in county jails since the action in April 2018 so has already met the guidelines for his likely sentence. The court may not want to grant him further extensions. (You can send a postcard to Steve to let him know you're thinking of him. Directions on writing here.) | The other defendan…

_____ (2020-08-29). Black Families Purchased Land To Build Their Own City. popularresistance.org n Toomsboro, Georgia, a group of 19 Black families banded together to create what has the potential to be the next Black Wall Steet. | Black people are resilient, we've had to be to thrive under systems that weren't built for us. This resiliency has created innovative solutions to impossible problems such as racial injustices, food insecurity, and a lack of secure and safe communities. | Ashley Scott, a realtor living in Stonecrest, Georgia, was reaching her breaking point after watching the murder of Ahmaud Arbery in her home state.

yenisafak (2020-08-29). Jordan urged to free cartoonist held over UAE drawing. yenisafak.com Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the Jordanian authorities to immediately release a cartoonist for drawing a satirical cartoon about a recent normalization deal between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel.Emad Hajjaj was arrested by Jordanian police on charges of insulting an Arab country."Calling a satirical cartoon a terrorism offense only confirms that Jordan intends to muzzle citizens who speak freely," Joe Stork, HRW's deputy Middle East director, said in a statement."This arrest sends the message that Jordanian authorities would rather abuse the rights of their own citizens than risk offending…

sputniknews (2020-08-29). 'Game of Chicken': US Risks War With Beijing by Stoking South China Sea Tensions With FONOPs. sputniknews.com Military tensions are growing between the US and China as Washington continues to pursue a policy of attempting to dominate global affairs, Mike Wong, the vice president of the San Francisco chapter of Veterans for Peace, told Radio Sputnik's Loud & Clear Friday.

sputniknews (2020-08-29). Turkey Launches Shooting Exercises in Eastern Mediterranean Amid Drilling Tensions With Greece. sputniknews.com The development comes as Ankara is engaged in a bitter territorial dispute with Greece and Cyprus. The European Union has threatened to slap sanctions on Turkey if it continues with what Brussels has called "illegal drilling".

sputniknews (2020-08-29). Seven Terrorists, One Soldier Killed in India's Jammu and Kashmir in Security Operation. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): The issue of terrorism in India's Kashmir Valley dates back to the 1990s, when demands for independence from the country began to be made in the region. The Indian government accuses neighbouring Pakistan, which also lays claim to the region, of fuelling Kashmiri secessionism…

sputniknews (2020-08-29). After 10-hour Questioning, Bollywood Actor Sushant's Ex May Face Polygraph Test, Source Says. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Three Indian federal agencies are investigating different angles into the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput. The actor was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his apartment in India's Mumbai city on 14 June.

sputniknews (2020-08-29). Venezuela Reportedly Sends Ship Full of Aluminium to Iran Following Fuel Deliveries From Tehran. sputniknews.com The two countries have been actively cooperating after unilateral US sanctions started affecting their economies. Tehran has namely delivered several shipments to help Caracas restart its massive oil refining industry.

sputniknews (2020-08-29). US President Trump Says Feels Badly About Resignation of Japanese Prime Minister Abe. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US President Donald Trump has expressed regret over Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's decision to leave his post due to deteriorating health condition.

sputniknews (2020-08-29). Russia Presents Device That Detects Toxins, Pathogens Including COVID-19 in Air in Matter of Seconds. sputniknews.com The device, which was first conceived back in 2015, has been perfected over the last five years — and the timing couldn't be better, as countries are lifting their lockdowns while trying to prevent a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

yenisafak (2020-08-29). Turkey expects 'equity' from EU amid East Med tension. yenisafak.com The Turkish vice president Saturday called on the EU for equity amid ongoing tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.In an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency, Fuat Oktay said: "Turkey expects equity from the EU, no one should expect Ankara to take a step back based on this equity."Oktay further asked: "If the Greek attempts to expand its territorial waters isn't a cause of war, then what is?" stressing that the country "will protect its rights on every cubic meter in the Eastern Mediterranean waters no matter what.""It is insincere for the EU to call for dialogue on the one hand and make other plans on the oth…

yenisafak (2020-08-29). Afghanistan flash floods kill 160, search for bodies continues. yenisafak.com Thirteen provinces, mostly in the country's north, had been affected by floods, according to the Ministry for Disaster Management.In Parwan, just north of the capital Kabul, 116 people had been killed and more than 120 injured, with 15 people still missing, national and local officials said."Rescue teams are still in the area and searching for the missing bodies," said Wahida Shahkar, a spokeswoman for Parwan's governor.Flash flooding hit Parwan early on Wednesday, washing away homes and buildings. Local police spokesman Salim Noori said that the community in the worst-affected areas were mostly farmers and infor…

yenisafak (2020-08-29). Four killed in Kashmir gunfight. yenisafak.com Three militants and an Indian army soldier were killed in a gunfight on Saturday morning in a southern district of the Indian-administered Kashmir, an army spokesman said.This was the second gunfight in the past 24 hours. Four militants were killed and another was caught alive during an operation in the southern Shopian district on Friday, according to army spokesman Col. Rajesh Kalia.Vijay Kumar, the inspector general of police, told reporters that one of the deceased in Friday's gunfight was the district commander of Al-Badr militant outfit.- Ongoing violenceDespite multiple calls for a cease-fire, violence in…

yenisafak (2020-08-29). Palestinians appeal for return of martyrs' bodies. yenisafak.com It has been almost 50 years since Palestinian Ali Abu Maliha went missing.His brother, Mahmoud Amr, accused the Israeli occupation of being behind his brother's disappearance during an interview with Anadolu Agency.Amr, a resident of Dura, south of the West Bank, said he was in prison when his brother left home for a "struggle mission" against Israeli occupation in the early 1970s. It was the last time he and his family heard any news about Abu Maliha."The occupation is responsible for the disappearance of my brother," Amr said, adding that his family has communicated with the International Committee of the Red C…

yenisafak (2020-08-29). Saudi envoy discusses Lebanon developments with Geagea. yenisafak.com Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari held talks Saturday in Beirut with the leader of the Lebanese Forces party, Samir Geagea.The discussions dwelt on the domestic situation in Lebanon and regional developments, the official Lebanese news agency said, without giving any further details.Saturday's meeting comes amid a deep political crisis in Lebanon following the Aug. 4 explosion at the Beirut port, which shook the country to its core.Saudi Arabia, along with a number of Arab and foreign countries, has refrained from providing support to Lebanon as a sign of dissatisfaction with the government of Hassan Dia…

yenisafak (2020-08-29). Over 1,250 suspects held in operations across Turkey. yenisafak.com At least 1,281 suspects were nabbed in simultaneous operations across Turkey over the past 24 hours, the Interior Ministry said on Saturday.In a statement, the ministry said 63,591 security personnel were part of the "Turkey Peace Security" operations carried out in different areas of the country.It said search operations were carried out at shopping malls, abandoned buildings, fair grounds, event and entertainment venues, bus terminals and other public transport stations, piers and ports, routes leading to airports, internet cafes, and other public places.Along with the suspects arrested for various crimes, 24…

yenisafak (2020-08-29). 'Unthinkable for Turkey to give up Aegean, East Med'. yenisafak.com It is unthinkable for Turkey to give up its "historical interests" in the Mediterranean and Aegean seas, the head of a Turkish political party said on Saturday.Greece is playing with fire and is being spurred on by France, Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), said in a written statement.He said all the countries sitting at the gambling table are familiar with each other and are trying to bet on the winner.Do not come close to a fire that will burn you, Bahceli warned the nations stoking tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.His remarks are an extension of Ankara's strong stance against…

Lucas Leiroz de Almeida (2020-08-28). China's Project to Create A "Digital Yuan" globalresearch.ca The topic of cryptocurrencies has gained prominence among specialists in international trade in recent months. With the global economic crisis generated by the new coronavirus pandemic, this need has become even more evident. The world powers enter a new race, …

Alan Macleod (2020-08-28). "This is How Armed Gangs Operate" Israel Admits its Troops Planted IEDs in a Palestinian Town. mintpressnews.com The IDF admitted that they put the explosives on the commonly used road, doing it to "create a deterrence," because "riots have regularly occurred" in the area.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-08-28). Occupation accentuates COVID-19's impact in Gaza. peoplesdispatch.org The COVID-19 lockdown, which has been in place in Gaza since Monday, was extended for three more days on August 26. Gaza has also suffered continuous attacks by Israel in the past month…

_____ (2020-08-28). Better To Launch Balloons Than Die In Silence. popularresistance.org In recent weeks, the tension between Palestinians in Gaza and Israel's forces of occupation has increased. Israel has used the launching of incendiary balloons by Palestinian youths as a pretext to bomb Gaza once again. | The release of the balloons is a gesture of protest against how the Israeli occupation has procrastinated in abiding by its previous agreements with the Palestinian resistance. Under those agreements, Israel had committed to easing the siege on Gaza. | This procrastination has caused the continued deterioration of Gaza's health and public services and its economy.

Phyllis Bennis (2020-08-28). The Israel-UAE Deal Isn't About Peace at All. commondreams.org Palestinian demonstrators burn pictures of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a protest against a US-brokered deal between Israel and the UAE to normalize relations, in the northern Gaza Strip refugee camp of Jabalia, on August 15, 2020. (Photo: Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/trumpnetanyahudemonstration.jpg

Ron Jacobs (2020-08-28). Life in the Ultra Resistance: A Tale of the Catholic Left. counterpunch.org Like many other adolescents of my generation, I attended many protests against the US war in Vietnam. Like many antiwar protesters, I was inspired by many different writers, philosophies and other protesters. Among those inspirations—amidst the youthful rebels in SDS and the Yippies, the writings of Karl Marx and Jean Paul Sartre, and the militant

Julie Varughese (2020-08-28). "Kamala Auntie": On the Vulgarity of Bourgeois Identity Politics in 2020. dissidentvoice.org Joe Biden picking Kamala Harris for his running mate kicked off a flurry of think pieces in the media. Some of these opinions have attacked the anti-Black and casteist attitudes still prevalent among South Asians in the subcontinent and in the global diaspora. The former prosecutor and attorney general-turned-2020 Democratic vice-presidential nominee has been propped …

Brian Cloughley (2020-08-28). Washington Schemes to Heat Up the Arctic. counterpunch.org One of the more bizarre indications that Trump Washington is interested in the Arctic was made a year ago when he said he would like to buy Greenland, a vast territory that is administered by Denmark. It is about the same size as Saudi Arabia, and slightly smaller than India — a big country in which there is

Muhammed Shabeer (2020-08-28). How a communist youth organization in Kerala raised USD 1.4 million for COVID-19 relief. peoplesdispatch.org Cadre of the Democratic Youth Federation of India in the State of Kerala raised USD 1.4 million by running a recycling campaign where they collected scrap from across the State and sold in to recyclers…

Anthony Cartalucci (2020-08-28). US Color Revolution in Thailand: Compromising Academics. thealtworld.com Why is a supposed "professor" lying and basic facts, accusing others of "fake news" while engaged in it himself? A look at how the US co-opts academia in a targeted country. | Associate Professor Thitinan Pongsudhirak's most recent Clearly aimed at confronting and denying growing awareness that Thailand's protests are the product of the nation's corrupt billionaire-led opposition and it…

A Guest Author (2020-08-28). On socialist Vietnam's response to COVID-19. workers.org By Dr. Ngo Thanh Nhan and Merle Ratner This slightly edited co-written article was presented as a talk by Dr. Ngo Thanh Nhan on Aug. 20 to a Workers World Party webinar on "COVID can be defeated: Cuba, China, Venezuela & Vietnam lead the way." The presentation began with a . . . |

The Canary (2020-08-28). Monsoon rain wreaks further havoc in Pakistan, killing at least 20 more people. thecanary.co Heavy rain has hit Pakistan's financial capital Karachi for a fifth straight night, bringing further flooding and killing at least 20 more people, officials said, as rescuers evacuated people from flooded neighbourhoods.About 30in of rain has fallen on the city since 23 August when monsoon rain began lashing the city, forcing authorities to use boats to evacuate people trapped in flooded streets.Downed power lines caused widespread electrical outages, adding misery to the lives of many of the city's 15 million residents.A family wades through a flooded area (Fareed Khan/AP)Some workers stayed at their offices and…

The Canary (2020-08-28). Six men due in court accused of people-smuggling over container deaths. thecanary.co Six men are due to appear at the Old Bailey accused of being part of a people-smuggling ring linked to the deaths of 39 people in the back of a container. The bodies of the Vietnamese nationals were discovered on an industrial estate in Grays, Essex, shortly after the container arrived in Purfleet on a ferry in the early hours of 23 October last year. Among the men, women and children were 10 teenagers, two of them 15-year-old boys.39 counts of manslaughter: An inquest heard that their medical cause of death was asphyxia and hyperthermia — a lack of oxygen and overheating — in an enclosed space.E…

RT (2020-08-28). US Marshals rescue DOZENS of missing children in Georgia during 'Operation Not Forgotten'. rt.com The US Marshals Service Missing Child Unit has rescued 26 children and confirmed the safety of an additional 13, while arresting nine people for child trafficking-related offenses in Atlanta and Macon, Georgia. | The children rescued were aged between three and 17 years old, and 15 were confirmed as victims of sex trafficking. | The massive sweep concluded the two-week-long Operation Not Forgotten, as officers cleared 26 arrest warrants in total, including charges for sex trafficking, parental kidnapping, registered sex offender violations, drugs and weapons possession, and custodial interference. | Also on rt…

RT (2020-08-28). White House defends military presence in South China Sea, accusing 'aggressive' Beijing of overestimating its borders. rt.com Donald Trump's national security advisor has tried to justify Washington's air and sea operations in the South China Sea by saying the US has the "freedom" to do so, and dismissing all of Beijing's objections. | "The US always reserves its right to have freedom of navigation and freedom of aviation," Robert O'Brien

RT (2020-08-28). Beijing warns of possible 'military accidents' after US carries out 'provocative' operation in South China Sea. rt.com Beijing has cautioned against further US naval operations in the South China Sea, claiming that recent activities by the American side create conditions for an unintentional military confrontation. | A spokesman for the People's Liberation Army (PLA) said on Friday that a US warship entered Chinese territorial waters without permission. | | "We urge the US to stop such provocative behavior and restrict its maritime actions to avoid possible military accidents," Senior Colonel Li Hu…

RT (2020-08-28). Black Republicans are 'SLAVES,' America 'guilty, guilty, guilty' of racism: 1,000s descend on DC for march against police violence. rt.com A Georgia pastor denounced black politicians supporting President Trump as "slaves" in his speech to marchers at the US capital protesting police violence, underlining the political message beneath an ostensibly nonpartisan march. | Speakers at the Commitment March on Friday delivered spirited condemnations of racism, demanded justice for the victims of police violence, and reminded attendees to vote Democrat — especially that last one. | MLK asked "what good is sitting at a lunch counter if you can't afford to buy a hamburger?" We often forget that the March on Washington was for JOBS & freedom. 57 years…

RT (2020-08-28). Tanks for the taking! Israeli hikers discover ABANDONED BATTLE TANKS, locked and loaded in Golan Heights. rt.com Hikers in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights came upon a shocking surprise, strolling into a field of armed and unguarded battle tanks. The Israeli military has vowed to "severely" punish the soldiers responsible for the bungle. | In video footage shot by one of the hikers on Thursday, at least five Merkava Mk. IV main battle tanks sat unoccupied atop a plateau in the Golan Heights. The cameraman walks toward one tank to discover its door open and its equipment and munitions left completely unguarded inside. | ◊û◊©◊§◊ó◊ï◊™ ◊©◊ò◊&…

RT (2020-08-28). BLM protesters go after senator behind Justice for Breonna Taylor Act just because he's Republican. rt.com BLM protesters who swarmed Rand Paul demanding acknowledgement of Breonna Taylor's death, didn't seem to know that, in introducing the Justice for Breonna Taylor Act, he did much more than simply 'say her name.' | A crowd surrounded the Republican Senator and his police escort on Thursday, obstructing their exit from the Republican National Convention and even pushing an officer into the politician at one point. The protesters could be heard chanting "Say her name!" They were referring to the unprosecuted death of Breonna Taylor, a young black Kentucky woman fatally shot by plain-clothes police who entered her…

RT (2020-08-28). Lazy Western caricatures claiming Russian media is overwhelmingly 'state-run' are out of date — the internet is where it's at now. rt.com If you rely on Western media to inform yourself about Russia, you may think Russians are being brainwashed by the state TV zombie box. But in the real world, there's been a huge shift online, where content's largely unregulated. | Of course, a favourite trope of Western analysts is that the Russian press is completely controlled and guided by the state, feeding into a single narrative to convince those both at home and abroad of the Kremlin's viewpoints. This is often used, for example, to explain away the fact that the pro-Western liberal opposition has such limited support: "They don't appear on state TV, so…

RT (2020-08-28). Eternal Post-Soviet language wars rage on: Latvian MP wants more usage of 'hated Russian' but ex-Belarusian leader demands less. rt.com If you spend some time in…

RT (2020-08-28). Award-winning investigative journalist ridiculed on Twitter after calling out Ivanka Trump for 'LEGOGATE' fib. rt.com With 'Russiagate' done and dusted, and the 'Ukrainegate' impeachment a flop, some intrepid journalists have scraped the bottom of the barrel and come up with a new Trump family scandal: 'Legogate.' | Speaking to the Republican National Convention on Thursday, the US president's daughter and advisor, Ivanka Trump, shared a personal anecdote about moving to Washington DC with her family. "My son Joseph promptly built Grandpa a Lego replica of the White House. The president still displays it on the mantel in the Oval Office and shows it to world leaders, just so they know he has the greatest grandchildren on Eart…

RT (2020-08-28). Airlines forced to ground eight 787 Dreamliners after Boeing discovers 'manufacturing issue'. rt.com A total of eight recently-manufactured 787 Dreamliners have been yanked from the skies after Boeing said the batch of aircraft left the assembly line with potentially dangerous flaws. | Boeing informed United Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Air Canada that aircraft they were operating suffered from a manufacturing issue that affected the strength of the jet's carbon fiber composite structure. The American firm confirmed the issue to aviation outlet the Air Current, stating that the current condition of the planes "does not meet our design standards." | So far, eight Dreamliners operated by United Airlines, Si…

Reese Erlich (2020-08-28). Biden's Troubling Foreign Policy. commondreams.org "Biden's record on foreign policy is checkered," writes Erlich. "As a leading member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for many years, he supported the US occupations of Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003." (Photo: Ron Adar / Echoes Wire / Barcroft Media via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-1192534199.png

South Front (2020-08-28). Video: US-Russia "Road War" in Northeastern Syria. globalresearch.ca Four US service members were slightly injured during a standoff with the Russian Military Police near the border-town of Al-Malikiyah in the Syrian province of al-Hasakah. According to reports, the US troops received "mild injures" after their MaxxPro MRAP vehicle …

Pepe Escobar (2020-08-28). Definitive Eurasian Alliance Is Closer than You Think. globalresearch.ca This article was originally published on Asia Times. | We have seen how China is meticulously What you are about to read next comes from a …