Daily Archives: August 3, 2020

2020-08-03: News Headlines

Andre Vltchek (2020-08-03). Honestly, Americans couldn't care less about Hong Kong. dissidentvoice.org Hong Kong skyline taken from Kowloon site (Andre Vltchek) I just spent two weeks in the United States, investigating, analyzing the situation there. I worked in Washington D.C., Minneapolis, where Mr. George Floyd was murdered by deranged cops, in New York City and Boston. COVID-19 was at my tail, as the states kept opening and …

John Pilger (2020-08-03). Another Hiroshima is coming — unless we stop it now. zcomm.org Modern China's epic achievements, its defeat of mass poverty, and the pride and contentment of its people (measured forensically by American pollsters such as Pew) are willfully unknown or misunderstood in the West. This alone is a commentary on the lamentable state of Western journalism and the abandonment of honest reporting…

Juan Cole (2020-08-03). Iran's Khamenei: Not going to help Trump get Reelected by Negotiating. zcomm.org Khamenei said that even if Iran met all of Washington's demands, that would just encourage the insatiable American elite to start making new demands…

Vijay Prashad (2020-08-03). Trade and tensions between the U.S. and China. mronline.org The Donald Trump administration uses every mechanism to cut China out of the global supply chain, but nothing seems to be working as a resolute China is unwilling to back down and dismantle its technological gains.

Ramzy Baroud (2020-08-03). Human Rights Defenders: Palestinian Eyewitness Testimony of the Execution of Abdul Fattah al-Sharif by Israeli Soldier, Elor Azaria. counterpunch.org As illegal Jewish settlers increase their attacks on Palestinian civilians in the occupied city of Al Khalil (Hebron), the people of the Palestinian city continue to mount a campaign of popular resistance. One of the channels of resistance is Human Rights Defenders, "a grass-roots, non-partisan Palestinian organization, working to support nonviolent popular resistance through popular

WSWS (2020-08-03). Vote for SEP candidates in the Sri Lankan national elections! Fight for a workers' and peasants' government and socialist internationalism! wsws.org The SEP is the only party in the elections advancing an international socialist program to fight the crisis created by COVID-19, defend democratic rights and oppose imperialist war.

WSWS (2020-08-03). White House engineering a takeover of TikTok by Microsoft. wsws.org Under the White House's direction, Microsoft is preparing to acquire the video-sharing app TikTok in a forced-divestiture from its China-based company ByteDance.

WSWS (2020-08-03). Hong Kong delays legislative elections amid crackdown on democratic rights. wsws.org Beijing is driven above all by fears that renewed protests in Hong Kong could spread to the mainland.

Alys Samson Estapé (2020-08-03). 15 Lessons From 15 Years of BDS. zcomm.org Fifteen years on, and during a time of global uprising against an entire system of racist exploitation and oppression, the BDS movement continues learning, adapting and growing, making connections, and exposing and challenging Israeli apartheid…

WSWS (2020-08-03). The Invisible Man: A woman struck by an "unseen hand" wsws.org The Invisible Man feeds on the #MeToo mood, becoming the latest entry in what one critic calls "boom times for feminist revenge narratives."

WSWS (2020-08-03). Vietnam struggles to contain rapid resurgence of COVID-19. wsws.org After three months of no confirmed cases, Vietnam is witnessing a nationwide spread of the virus due to a new outbreak in the city of Da Nang.

The Canary (2020-08-03). TikTok planning London headquarters, according to reports. thecanary.co TikTok is planning to open a headquarters in London, according to reports, as the social media app continues to try and distance itself from China. | The move could put the UK at odds with US president Donald Trump as the video platform is at the centre of a row in the US over alleged links to the Chinese state and Trump is threatening to ban the app. | But reports suggest the UK is set to give the green light to a new headquarters for the service in London, with key executives relocating to the UK as part of the move. | TikTok declined to comment on its plans. | Last month, the app's head of public policy for Eu…

yenisafak (2020-08-03). 'Talks between India, Pakistan, China vital for peace in Kashmir'. yenisafak.com Former Indian government interlocutor Mohammad Mukhtar Ansari (MM Ansari) has said that India's last year's decision to annex Jammu and Kashmir was tantamount to breaching a sacred trust and understanding between the two sovereign states.In an exclusive conversation with Anadolu Agency a year after Indian government's last year Aug. 5 decisions, he said while the constitutional provision was rescinded to ensure faster development and containing militancy, the objectives have not been realized."The objective of restoring peace has therefore not been realized. Likewise, socioeconomic activities have also suffered d…

yenisafak (2020-08-03). One person is dying of COVID-19 every seven minutes in Iran: state TV. yenisafak.com One person is dying from COVID-19 every seven minutes in Iran, state television said on Monday, as the Health Ministry reported 215 new deaths from the disease and state media warned of a lack of proper social distancing.Health Ministry spokesman Sima Sadat Lari was quoted by the state TV as saying the 215 deaths in the past 24 hours took the combined death toll to 17,405 in Iran, and the number of confirmed cases rose by 2,598 to 312,035.State television showed several Iranians in a busy Tehran street without wearing face masks or social distancing.Some experts have doubted the accuracy of Iran's official corona…

yenisafak (2020-08-03). Turkey regrets US firm's signing oil deal with YPG/PKK. yenisafak.com Turkey Monday denounced a US firm's signing a deal with YPG/PKK-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to extract, process and produce oil in northeastern Syria."We deeply regret the US support to this step, disregarding international law, violating territorial integrity, unity and sovereignty of Syria, as well as being considered within the scope of financing terrorism. This act, which cannot be justified by any legitimate motive, is utterly unacceptable" the Foreign Ministry said in a written statement.Turkey's remarks came after media reports that the US-based company Delta Crescent Energy LLC signed a contract wi…

yenisafak (2020-08-03). Eat before you die! Try out these mouth-watering Turkish Eid | dishes. yenisafak.com After celebrating Eid al-Ahda, the Muslim holiday of Sacrifice, we've tried out Turkish cuisine once more. And once more, we have fallen in love with the luscious flavors.As we have every year during Eid, we invite you to try out the unique flavors of Turkey's diverse cities. This year, we are pleased to share two new recipes with you and your family.Lamb neck soup (Gerdan Paàßasƒ±) from the Adana provinceINGREDIENTS2 pieces lamb neck 5 garlic cloves5 tablespoons oil3 tablespoons flour3 tablespoons butter1 lemonStale bread2 liters water 1 teaspoon black pepper1 teaspoon red pepper1 dessert spoon…

yenisafak (2020-08-03). What you need to know about the coronavirus right now. yenisafak.com Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Early August "decisive" for VietnamVietnam is in the midst of a "decisive" fight against the coronavirus, the prime minister said, with the focus on the central city of Danang where infections have appeared in four factories.Authorities are battling several new clusters of infection linked to the city, a tourism hotspot, after going more than three months without detecting any domestic transmission.State of emergency, curfew in MelbourneAustralia's second-biggest city, Melbourne, entered its first day of tougher restrictions to contain the spread of a r…

yenisafak (2020-08-03). Vietnam says it has no plans for widespread lockdown. yenisafak.com Vietnam has no plans for a widespread lockdown and will only put areas considered epicentres under strict quarantine, the government's spokesperson said on Monday."We will only implement social distancing in areas considered virus epicentres, and will not pursue a widespread lockdown," Mai Tien Dung, the government's spokesman, told a monthly press conference on Monday.Dung said selective lockdown measures would allow the government to achieve the dual goals of containing the virus and boosting the economy at the same time."If there's an infection in a hamlet, we will lock down that hamlet only, not the whole dis…

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-03). 'US unilateral anti-Iranian sanctions unfair'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 03 (MNA) — Naming the unilateral US sanctions against Iran 'unfair', the Austrian Ambassador to Iran Stefan Schulz voiced readiness of 250 Austrian firms for establishing economic relations with Iran.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-03). Police bust 400kg of drugs in Yazd province. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 26 (MNA) — The police forces of Yazd province in central Iran have seized 401 kilograms of illicit drugs in two separate operations.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-03). Oil industry activities on track despite sanctions: Zanganeh. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 03 (MNA) — Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh says Iran's oil industry activities have been going on strongly in the past two years since the US pulled out of the nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-03). Iran exports 2nd non-oil cargo to Oman via Sirik port. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 03 (MNA) — Governor of Sirik said on Monday that the second shipment of Iran's non-oil goods was exported via Sirik Port Complex to the Sultanate of Oman.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-03). Iran registers 2,598 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 03 (MNA) — The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected 2,598 people and claimed 215 lives in Iran in the past 24 hours, a senior health official said.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-03). Drive-in movie theater in Qeshm Island. en.mehrnews.com QESHM, Aug. 03 (MNA) — Qeshm Island, southern Iran, has launched its first drive-in movie theater to help cinema aficionados watch their favorite movies while observing health protocols during the coronavirus pandemic.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-03). PCR certification mandatory for Iraqis entering Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 03 (MNA) — Iraqi ministry of transport has made it mandatory for all Iraqis aimed at traveling to Iran to take Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to diagnose infection by the lethal respiratory coronavirus before taking the trip.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-03). Ulyanov reacts to Dubowitz's remarks on Iran nuclear deal. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 03 (MNA) — Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov said that the atomic opportunities were given to Iran by NPT are absolutely legitimate.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-03). 'Exodus' to participate at Intl. Human Rights FilmFest. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 03 (MNA) — Bahman Kiarostami's documentary 'Exodus' will be screened at the fourth edition of the Taiwan International Human Rights Film Festival in September 2020.

Ken Hammond (2020-08-02). Pompeo, Trump unleash new phase of aggression vs. China. liberationnews.org Pompeo openly called for regime change in China, saying that "if we don't change China, China will change us."

Deirdre Griswold (2020-08-02). Virus statistics reveal class truth. workers.org The following is a digest of articles on COVID-19 by Deirdre Griswold that appeared in Workers World from April to June, 2020. April 14 — Because China is the most populous country in the world, and also the first to become infected with the COVID-19 virus, it is revealing to . . . |

RT (2020-08-02). Multiple bomb blasts at jail compound in Afghanistan, 1 killed and 20 injured – officials. rt.com At least one person was killed after a series of bombs exploded outside a jail compound in the city of Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan. Clashes broke out between police and attacking militants who made their way inside the jail. | One major car-bomb explosion was followed by two smaller blasts near the prison complex, provincial council member Sohrab Qaderi said, according to Reuters. | A large police force was deployed to counter the militants, who took up position outside the compound and have since made their way inside the complex. | Afghanistan's TOLO news agency quoted a spokesman for the Nangarhar prov…

RT (2020-08-02). Members of Congress returning to DC from Lewis funeral in Georgia won't have to follow quarantine rule made for everybody else. rt.com Politicians who attended the funeral of Congressman John Lewis in Georgia won't have to worry about Washington's new quarantine rules as they return to the city because they're deemed too essential to lock down. | A 'Who's Who' of Democrat politicians attended Thursday's funeral in Atlanta, despite a state ban on gatherings of more than 50 people. Some 50

RT (2020-08-02). Two guards stabbed during Georgia prison riot. Purported footage of violent uprising spreads on social media (VIDEOS). rt.com Two guards have been injured in a riot at Georgia's Ware State Prison, local media reported. Purported videos of the chaotic rebellion show inmates covered in blood, holding tasers, and even frog-marching handcuffed prison staff. | The situation is now under control and the facility, located near Waycross, has been put on lockdown, according to local media, citing a statement from the Georgia Department of Corrections. | "Two staff members received minor, non-life-threatening injuries and there are no reported inmate injuries at this time," the statement read. | Local reports also shared a statement from the W…

RT (2020-08-02). 'North Korea TV can learn from them': Netanyahu lashes out at Israeli media over 'one-sided' coverage of protests. rt.com Israeli media is not reporting on the protests against him, but taking part in them, PM Benjamin Netanyahu said as he launched several attacks on the country's press, which he insisted was acting "North Korea-style." | The demonstrations, which have been underway for months in Israel, are "being fueled especially by the media who have enlisted themselves [to the protests] in a manner the like of which I can't remember," Netanyahu The…

RT (2020-08-02). Yemen's Houthi rebels say they've downed a US-made spy drone. rt.com The Houthi rebels' air defense has shot down a US-made drone over the Jizan Region of Yemen near the border with Saudi Arabia, their spokesman, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, announced. | The small RQ20 Puma hand-launched UAV was hit "by an appropriate weapon," he added. | Saree didn't specify if the drone belonged to Saudi Arabia, which has been waging a US-supported military campaign against the Houthis since 2015, or any other party. | The rebels, who control much of the country, including capital Sanaa, have been shooting down UAVs (unarmed aerial vehicles) quite frequently. The most prominent target they…

RT (2020-08-02). Syria says US 'stealing' oil after American energy firm signs deal with Kurdish rebels. rt.com The Syrian government has accused the US of "stealing" the country's oil reserves, which Washington claimed to be protecting from terrorists. American lawmakers admitted that a deal has been signed with Kurdish rebels. | When President Donald Trump pulled US troops out of Syria last October, it was not the full withdrawal promised in his anti-interventionist campaign speeches. Instead, a contingent was left behind in areas of north Syria controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, ostensibly to protect the region's oilfields from Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) terrorists. | Also on rt.com

_____ (2020-08-02). Are Russia And US Different When It Comes To Election Meddling? popularresistance.org On this week's installment of "Scheer Intelligence," Robert Scheer challenges guest David Shimer on the fundamental conclusions of his new book, "Rigged: America, Russia and 100 Years of Covert Electoral Interference," regarding the "intentions" for US covert operations versus those of the Soviet Union/Russia. | Excerpted and lauded in the New York Times and elsewhere in the mainstream media, "Rigged" outlines covert operations in various countries by both nation-states, including American interference in 1970s Chile and post-World War II Italy, among others, but has been best reviewed for its deep dive into Russ…

South Front (2020-08-02). Video: That Sinking Feeling: Ukrainian Naval and Coastal Forces. globalresearch.ca In few areas are Russia's and Ukraine's divergent fortunes as evident as in naval armaments. Whereas the Russian Navy has overcome the malaise of the 1990s and went on to introduce new classes of warships, including state-of-the-art missile frigates, attack …

South Front (2020-08-02). Video: Turkey Cries Foul About Deployment of Egyptian Troops in Idlib. What's Going On? globalresearch.ca The Egyptian military has deployed about 150 troops on the frontline in the Syrian region of Greater Idlib to support forces of the Damascus government, Turkish sources claimed on July 30. | "The troops were later deployed in the Khan al-Asal …

Stephen Lendman (2020-08-02). Deteriorating Sino/US Relations: From Engagement to Containment and Confrontation. globalresearch.ca On Thursday during testimony before Senate Foreign Relations Committee members, Pompeo continued his militantly hostile war of words on China. See below. | *** | Commenting on his Chinaphobic remarks last week, former US diplomat who accompanied Richard Nixon on his 1972 …

Abdul Rahman (2020-08-02). COVID-19 shows the need to rebuild public health systems in Central Asian countries. peoplesdispatch.org Most of the countries in central Asia have been reluctant to reimpose restrictions due to the economic fallout. This has led to a massive jump in the total number of new infections and deaths in late June and July…

Joseph Thomas (2020-08-02). UK's Stunning Hypocrisy over Hong Kong. globalresearch.ca Further evidence the UK hides behind "human rights" rather than stands for them was demonstrated when London laced sanctions on Hong Kong after the passing of a security law aimed at combating overt foreign interference in the special administrative region …

IMEMC News (2020-08-02). Army Abducts A Mother, Her Son And Daughter, In Hebron, After Colonists Attempted to Kidnap A Child. imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, on Saturday evening, a Palestinian mother along with her son and daughter after they helped free a child after she was assaulted by illegal colonialist settlers who tried to kidnap her. According to human rights activist and a volunteer with the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights …

Telesur (2020-08-02). Malaysia: Former Prime Minister Najib Razak Found Guilty in Fraud Trial. globalresearch.ca Malaysia's High Court Tuesday found former Prime Minister Najib Razak guilty of abuse of power, money laundering, and criminal violation of trust during the trial against him for a multi-million dollar defalcation. | The court ruled that the US$10 million transfer …

_____ (2020-08-02). The Heart Of The Matter In The South China Sea. popularresistance.org When the USS Ronald Reagan and USS Nimitz carrier strike groups recently engaged in "operations" in the South China Sea, it failed to escape cynics that the US Pacific Fleet was doing its best to turn the infantile Thucydides trap theory into a self-fulfilling prophecy. | The pro forma official spin, via Rear Admiral Jim Kirk, commander of the Nimitz, is that the ops were conducted to "reinforce our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, a rules-based international order, and to our allies and partners." | Nobody pays attention to these clichés, because the real message was delivered by a CIA operative posin…

_____ (2020-08-02). The Russians Are(n't) Coming! popularresistance.org In America's Emerald City these days, if there's even a hint of a war-wind-down, imperial-deescalation, or military budget-cuts, Washington's (non-dribbling) Wizards have a ready response: Russia! Indeed, these military's magicians have a far-simpler and more effective playbook than the city's aptly-named NBA franchise. Since President Donald Trump's election year, basketball's Wizards are a meager 148-162; the Wizards of Warfare are essentially undefeated — not a single war hath ended. The first-place War Wizards rely on two go-to moves to maintain militarism…

yenisafak (2020-08-02). Turkish president greets Muslim leaders' Eid al-Adha. yenisafak.com The president of Turkey on Sunday spoke over the phone with his counterparts from Afghanistan and Indonesia on the occasion of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.According to a statement by Turkey's Directorate of Communications, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and Joko Widodo exchanged greetings for Eid, one of the two most important Muslim holidays.The leaders underscored their commitment to improve bilateral relations and strengthen cooperation on regional issues.Most of the Muslim-majority countries around the world, including Turkey, are observing the four-day holiday that started on Friday.

yenisafak (2020-08-02). Philippines' confirmed coronavirus cases exceed 100,000. yenisafak.com The Philippines on Sunday reported 5,032 additional coronavirus infections, its largest single-day increase on record, taking the country's confirmed cases to 103,185.In a bulletin, the Department of Health also said the Southeast Asian country's coronavirus death toll had jumped by 20 to 2,059.President Rodrigo Duterte was scheduled to meet key cabinet members on Sunday to discuss a call by medical frontliners' groups to put the capital Manila, which accounts for the bulk of infections, back under a stricter lockdown, his spokesman said.

yenisafak (2020-08-02). Turkey-Azerbaijan joint military drills continue. yenisafak.com Joint military exercises, which began on July 29 with the participation of Turkey and Azerbaijan's air and ground forces, are continuing."Another stage of the Azerbaijani-Turkish Live-Fire Joint Large-Scale Tactical Exercises held in our country in accordance with the Agreement on Military Cooperation was conducted," Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said on Sunday."According to the plan, the efficiency and coordination of tasks, the organization of interoperability, the logistic support in the course of combat operations, as well as the effectiveness of military personnel activity and the use of weapons and military…

yenisafak (2020-08-02). Doctors plight mounting in Bangladesh amid pandemic. yenisafak.com The misery of doctors and frontline staff in the war against the novel coronavirus is surging in Bangladesh with at least 92 physicians having died due to the disease.The country reported 2,199 more infections as of Saturday with 21 additional deaths as the virus shows no indication of slowdown, according to the health ministry data.Deaths related to COVID-19 now stand at 3,132 and total infections stand at 240,000.Infections among doctors are raging and have already spread across the country as authorities allegedly failed to stop cases by taking proper measures even after the first COVID-19 case was detected Ma…

yenisafak (2020-08-02). India's interior minister tests positive for coronavirus, hospitalised. yenisafak.com India's Interior Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday that he had tested positive for coronavirus and had been admitted to hospital.Amit Shah, a close aide to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and one of the country's most powerful politicians, heads a key ministry that has been at the forefront of managing India's coronavirus outbreak."I request all of you who came in contact with me in the last few days to isolate yourselves and get tested," Shah said in a tweet.