(2020-08-30). Turkey slams Islamophobic act by 'modern barbarians'. yenisafak.com "They shamelessly burn the Qur'an, the sacred book of Islam, in the middle of Europe. They then claim to be the paragons of reason, logic, freedom and justice," Ibrahim Kalin said in a tweet."They label anyone not like them as anti-reason bigots and retros. Modern barbarians know no limits in primitive mindset."The incident took place in the Swedish city of Malmo on Friday evening, where far-right activists of the anti-Muslim group Stram Krus (Hard Line) burned a copy of the Quran at a rally in the largely migrant neighborhood of Rosengard.The Turkish Foreign Ministry has also vehemently criticized the incident,…
(2020-08-30). COVID-19: How and why India is losing the battle. peoplesdispatch.org 
It has become customary to say that given its huge population, India is doing much better than say, the US or Europe. This is how officialdom is trying to explain away the shockingly high numbers of total confirmed cases (over 340,000 on August 29) and total deaths (nearly 63,000) — both of which put India at the third position globally, behind the US and Brazil. | However, the comparison is not really valid. India needs to be compared not with the US and Europe but to regions of the world where the population's age, economic standards and healthcare access is similar. Such a comparison reveals that, in fac…
(2020-08-30). U.S. Control of Alexandroupolis Port Will Not Help to Protect Greece from Turkey. globalresearch.ca The Greek Private Asset Utilization Fund (HRADF) will sell a 67% stake of Alexandroupolis Port in northern Greece near the border with Turkey and Bulgaria. Two American companies are believed to be interested in the deal. Selling a port of …
(2020-08-30). Montenegro holds parliamentary polls amid pandemic. yenisafak.com More than half a million voters are expected to cast their ballots on Sunday in Montenegro's fifth parliamentary elections since independence.Candidates from 11 coalitions, six alliances, and five parties are vying for a place in the 81-seat parliament.The main contest is expected between President Milo Djukanovic's pro-West Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), which has ruled the country for 30 years, and the opposition Democratic Front (DF), which leans more towards Russia and Serbia.However, neither of the two is projected to win a majority in parliament.Montenegrins can vote at 1,217 polling stations until 8…
(2020-08-30). Video: UAE and Israel Plan to Create Intelligence Bases on Yemen's Socotra Island. globalresearch.ca Israel and the United Arab Emirates are going to create a military intelligence-gathering infrastructure on Yemen's Socotra Island, according to Arab and French sources. | The 3,650km2 island, located south of the Yemeni mainland in the Indian Ocean, overlooks the Bab …
(2020-08-30). The raging power struggle in North Africa and Mediterranean. peoplesdispatch.org Newsclick's Prabir Purkayastha talks about the faultlines emerging in west Asia and north Africa where Turkey and the Gulf monarchies have been engaging in a geopolitical contest…
(2020-08-30). TikTok ban and Trump's extortionist policies. peoplesdispatch.org China sees the US demand for opening their and others' markets, while ordering ByteDance to sell TikTok, as another version of the Opium War. If TikTok owning the data of its users is dangerous to national security, so is Facebook and Google owning their users' data…
(2020-08-30). Half of the world's oceans are already affected by human-induced climate change. peoplesdispatch.org A recent study of ocean depths shows that 20-55% of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans have shown an emergent human-induced signal and it is likely to increase to 40-65% and up to 80% by 2080…
(2020-08-30). The US and Russia Collide, while Syrians Call for US Withdrawal. globalresearch.ca Wednesday's collision between Sheiks and elders of the Arab Al-Uqaydat …
(2020-08-30). Definitive Eurasian Alliance Is Closer Than You Think. popularresistance.org We have seen how China is meticulously planning all its crucial geopolitical and geoeconomic moves all the way to 2030 and beyond. | What you are about to read next comes from a series of private, multilateral discussions among intel analysts, and may helpfully design the contours of the Big Picture. | In China, it's clear the path ahead points to boosting internal demand, and shifting monetary policy towards the creation of credit to consolidate the building of world-class domestic industries. | In parallel, there's a serious debate in Moscow that Russia should proceed along the same path.
(2020-08-30). 'Team up for Toys': Narendra Modi Urges Indians to Prop up Domestic Producers in Blow to China. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): India imports around 90 percent of its needs of plastic toys from China. The initiative to curb Chinese imports comes at a time when New Delhi and Beijing are accusing each other of disturbing the years-old peace and tranquillity at the border by various means.
(2020-08-30). Israel Engaged in 'Many More' Secret Talks With Arab Leaders on Establishing Ties, Netanyahu Says. sputniknews.com Earlier this month, Israel signed a landmark agreement brokered by the United States that paved the way for establishing diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates, making the Gulf monarchy the third Arab country to forge ties with Israel.
(2020-08-30). Development of Russo-Turkish Cooperation is Important for the Whole World, Istanbul Mayor Says. sputniknews.com This week, a delegation of the Russian-Turkish Business Council (RTBC) and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu held a meeting led by the Chairman Ahmet Palankoev discussing measures to boost the bilateral trade turnover amid the coronavirus outbreak. The mayor has shed light on potential spheres that could prove lucrative for both sides.
(2020-08-30). Turkey to EU: 'Be fair, Turkey will not pull back'. yenisafak.com Turkey's Vice President Fuat Oktay sat down Saturday in an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency to discuss the latest developments in Eastern Mediterranean, regional and international issues, and the country's foreign policy.He stressed that Ankara "expects fairness [from the EU]. Nobody should expect Turkey to pull back in line with this fairness."When Turkey resumes exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean, do you have different goals there? Do you plan to do something else? Why does Europe react so actively?Unfortunately, we do not remember Europe supporting Turkey for any issues in favor of Ankara, standin…
(2020-08-30). Turkey to start space trials of domestic rocket engines, says Erdogan. yenisafak.com Turkey will start space trials of its liquid-propellant rocket engines, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday."I would like to announce the start of the first space trials of domestically developed liquid-propellant rocket engine technology," Erdogan said at the opening ceremony of Turkey's leading defense company Roketsan's production facility and research center in the capital Ankara.Early this year, Erdogan promised the launch of a national space program in 2020 joining the ranks of China, the US, India and Russia.
(2020-08-30). Iran marks Ashura with low-key ceremonies over virus. yenisafak.com Iranians marked the annual Ashura ritual with low-key ceremonies on Sunday, amid a coronavirus outbreak in the country.Shia Muslims hold mourning processions, which attract large crowds, on the month of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar, to mark the martyrdom of Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Imam Hussein, who was killed in a battle in the Iraqi city of Karbala in 680 AD.The day is commonly known as Ashura.All major ceremonies marking the day, however, were canceled this year due to the COVID-19 outbreak.Iran, one of the first countries in the region to report coronavirus cases in mid-February…
(2020-08-30). Iraqi parliament accuses gov't of delaying reforms. yenisafak.com Iraq's Parliament Speaker Mohamed al-Halbousi on Sunday accused the government of "dragging its feet" on carrying out reforms and holding early elections, despite growing public demands."The reform process has slowed down again and again despite efforts of the good and honorable [people] in this country," al-Halbousi said in a statement.He said the government's actions came "despite the legitimate demands of the people for change and reform through early elections and a government program that fulfil the people's demands".The speaker said the Iraqi parliament has shouldered the responsibility of "proceeding with…
(2020-08-30). Jordan releases cartoonist held over UAE drawing. yenisafak.com Jordan on Sunday decided to release a cartoonist held for drawing a cartoon mocking a recent deal to normalize relations between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel.Emad Hajjaj was arrested by Jordanian police on charges of insulting an Arab country after he drew a caricature that mocks UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as Israel refused to allow the UAE to buy F-35 warplanes from the US despite Abu Dhabi's normalization deal with Tel Aviv."The Judiciary has ordered Hajjaj's release," his lawyer Marwan Salem told Anadolu Agency.The lawyer, however, did not give any further details, and there wa…
(2020-08-30). Mauritius fishermen battle to save dozens dolphins near oil spill. yenisafak.com Fishermen battled on Sunday to save dozens of injured dolphins washed ashore in Mauritius where in recent days at least 40 of the animals were found dead in a lagoon near the site of an oil spill from a Japanese bulk carrier which struck a coral reef.Yasfeer Heenaye, a fisherman near Pointe aux Feuilles on the island's eastern shore, said he had counted at least 45 dead dolphins since they were first discovered on Wednesday, and said half a dozen more dolphins were in the bay fighting for their lives.He said he believed the animals' vision was impaired by the spilled oil, which is how they ended up on the reef wh…
(2020-08-30). Third Lebanese IMF negotiator quits post, says source. yenisafak.com A senior member of Lebanon's negotiating team with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has resigned, becoming the third to do so over deadlocked talks, a source close to the finance ministry told Reuters on Sunday.Talal Salman was economic advisor to the Lebanese finance ministry. A ministry spokeswoman declined to comment.Lebanon began talks with the IMF for a bailout in May after defaulting on its huge sovereign debt but the negotiations were put on hold in July due to a lack of action on reforms and a row on the Lebanese side over the size of its vast financial losses.The government that launched the talks r…
(2020-08-30). France in Lebanon: Solidarity or renewed neocolonialism? yenisafak.com Massive explosions that rocked Beirut on Aug. 4 made headlines around the world, with Hiroshima-like visuals that seemed hard to fathom.France, led by President Emmanuel Macron, rushed to the rescue of the ailing nation — with supplies, crisis and health care workers, and strong leadership.But why the immediate moves? Were Macron's actions a result of a shared history or a view on the future?Two enormous blasts erupted in the Port of Beirut after a neglected stockpile of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse was left for more than six years to decay and then ignited by fireworks stored in the same…
(2020-08-30). Lukashenko gets birthday call from Putin as Belarus protests rumble. yenisafak.com Russian President Vladimir Putin used a birthday phone call on Sunday to invite Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko to visit Moscow, a Kremlin show of support as thousands of protesters streamed into central Minsk demanding Lukashenko step down.President Lukashenko, who turned 66 on Sunday, is struggling to contain three weeks of protests and strikes since winning an Aug. 9 election that his opponents say was rigged. He denies electoral fraud and has said the protests are backed from abroad."It was agreed to hold a meeting in Moscow in the coming weeks," the Kremlin said in a statement after the leaders' call.
(2020-08-30). Missing persons in Syria near 100,000: Watchdog. yenisafak.com In a report released on the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) said a vast majority of these people were picked up by the Syrian regime forces, followed by the ISIS/Daesh.A total of 84,371 were forcibly disappeared by the Syrian regime forces, including 1,738 children and 4,982 women, it said.An additional 8,648 individuals, including 319 children and 225 women, were disappeared by ISIS [Daesh], the report added.Stating that disappearances were on the rise since 2011, the report said 991 people according to the Syrian regime died in detention. T…
(2020-08-30). Turkish president marks 98th anniversary of Victory Day. yenisafak.com Turkey on Sunday celebrated the 98th anniversary of Victory Day, which commemorates the resounding defeat of the Greek forces at the hands of the Turks in the Battle of Dumlupinar in 1922.President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, senior government and high-ranking military officials, and opposition leaders laid a wreath at Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Turkish Republic's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in the capital Ankara."Our critical achievements in different fields are the clearest indication of our will to protect the rights and interests of our country," Erdogan wrote in the Anitkabir memorial book.He also wrote: "We ar…
(2020-08-29). Dem Convention Made No Mention of Russiagate or Impeachment, Because Those Were Fake Things. strategic-culture.org 
Caitlin JOHNSTONE | 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" du…
(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…
(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). Promueven Vietnam y Cuba cooperación en medicina. peoplesworld.org 
HANOI (VNA) — El viceministro de Defensa de Vietnam y jefe de la Dirección de la cartera para la prevención y el control del COVID-19, Tran Don, recibió hoy a un grupo de expertos de Cuba. Tran Don afirmó que durante las últimas seis décadas, particularmente en los momentos más difíciles, la cooperación bilateral evidenció …
(2020-08-29). Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific. wsws.org The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.
(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…
(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.
(2020-08-29). The Kill Chain: A new era of world war. wsws.org The Kill Chain exposes US imperialism's advanced war preparations against China, with Silicon Valley playing a critical role.
(2020-08-29). China launches missiles into South China Sea in response to US provocations. wsws.org The ultimate responsibility for the dangerous escalation of tensions rests with Washington, which is continuing to try to provoke China.
(2020-08-29). Canada's Conservatives choose Erin O'Toole as leader in further shift right. wsws.org O'Toole has pledged to "take back Canada" from the "radical left," aggressively confront China, and make Canada more investment friendly.
(2020-08-29). Sheriff resigns after caught on tape using racial slurs. nationofchange.org In addition to the racial slurs, the sheriff can also be heard verbally abusing a woman for several minutes.
(2020-08-29). Significant support for Joseph Scalice's lecture on the Communist Party of the Philippines. wsws.org Overwhelmingly the comments and posts on social media have been supportive of the lecture and opposed to the slanderous attacks of CPP founder Jose Maria Sison on Scalice.
(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…
(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). 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.
(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). China's UNSC stance 'actual rejection of US bullying'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 29 (MNA) — Iran's ambassador to Beijing hailed China's standing against US bullying policies at the UN, saying such stance has thwarted Washington's unilateralism.
(2020-08-29). Iranian support for Iraqi government 'unconditional'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 29 (MNA) — Iranian Ambassador to Baghdad Iraj Masjedi expressed the Islamic Republic's "unconditional support" to the Iraqi government, whether Iraq decides to expel US troops or not.
(2020-08-29). Iran, Austria review security, law enforcement coop. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 29 (MNA) — Iran and Austria have reviewed the bilateral relations in the field of security, police and law enforcement.
(2020-08-29). Iran, Italy discuss expansion of ties. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 29 (MNA) — Iranian and Italian ambassadors to Russia held a phone conversation on Friday to discuss ways of boosting bilateral ties.
(2020-08-29). Muharram mourning ceremony at Fatima Masumeh's holy shrine. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 29 (MNA) — People of Qom, central Iran, convened at the holy shrine of Hazrat Fatima Masumeh on Saturday night to hold mourning ceremonies of Imam Hussein, the third Shia Imam. The ceremony was held while observing all health protocols.
(2020-08-29). Iran to keep pursuing disappearance of Imam Musa al-Sadr. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 29 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said Iran has constantly been pursuing the disappearance of Imam Musa al-Sadr, the founder of the basic core of anti-Zionism resistance in Lebanon, and will keep it on the agenda.
(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…
(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.
(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".
(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.