Daily Archives: August 9, 2020

2020-08-09: News Headlines

Binoy Kampmark (2020-08-09). The United States, Diego Garcia, and International Law. dissidentvoice.org There are few more righteous sights than the paunchy US Secretary of State savaging the People's Republic of China with his next volley on Chinese territorial aspirations. In July, Mike Pompeo released a statement putting any uncertain minds at ease on where Washington stood on the matter. "We are making clear: Beijing's claims to offshore …

RT (2020-08-09). NYT digs up more unnamed sources for 'Trump-Russia' narrative as media resurrects hysteria ahead of 2020 election. rt.com The New York Times has once again broadcast the musings of anonymous officials to insinuate Donald Trump is somehow in cahoots with Russia, amid a growing resurgence in debunked Russiagate theories ahead of the November election. | The paper ran an exclusive report purportedly detailing the US president's battle with intelligence agencies over allegations that Moscow had interfered with the 2016 presidential contest. According to unnamed sources cited by the NYT, Trump was unresponsive and dismissive of an intelligence assessment which claimed that he is Russia's "favored" candidate in the 2020 race. One anony…

South Front (2020-08-09). Video: Syrian Army Undertakes Failed Advance in Northern Lattakia Amid Rise of ISIS Attacks in Deir Ezzor. globalresearch.ca Iranian-backed militias and the Syrian National Defense Forces (NDF) have launched a joint security operation against ISIS cells in the area between the towns of al-Mayadin and al-Bukamal, on the western bank of the Euphrates. According to pro-government sources, hundreds …

yenisafak (2020-08-09). Afghanistan to free 400 Taliban to start peace talks. yenisafak.com The Afghan president, following a recommendation by a traditional Afghan council, pledged on Sunday to release the remaining 400 Taliban prisoners to pave the way for peace talks aimed at ending the nearly two-decade-long war."The Taliban must demonstrate they are not afraid of a comprehensive ceasefire… there is no great bravery required for war, but for peace," Ashraf Ghani told the Loya Jirga, which began on Friday.He promised to free the remaining prisoners on Aug. 19, Afghanistan's Independence Day.Over 3,000 public figures, who assembled in the capital Kabul, approved the release and called for an immedia…

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2020-08-09). Selective Maritime Rules: The United States, Diego Garcia and International Law. globalresearch.ca There are few more righteous sights than the paunchy US Secretary of State savaging the People's Republic of China with his next volley on Chinese territorial aspirations. In July, Mike Pompeo

General Wesley Clark (2020-08-09). Global Warfare: "We're Going to Take out 7 Countries in 5 Years: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan & Iran.." globalresearch.ca Originally published in March 2007. | Global Research Editor's Note: | This interview serves as a reminder regarding the diabolical timeline of America's hegemonic project. Is Iran the next target "to be taken out"? | All these countries including Lebanon and Iran are …

Israel Shahak (2020-08-09). "Greater Israel": The Zionist Plan for the Middle East. globalresearch.ca When viewed in the current context, the war on Iraq, the 2006 war on Lebanon, the 2011 war on Libya, the ongoing wars on Syria and Iraq, the war on Yemen, must be understood in relation to the Zionist Plan for the Middle East…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-08-09). Jordanian teachers intensify protests against banning of union. peoplesdispatch.org Teachers held protests in a number of cities in Jordan condemning last month's ban on the Jordanian Teachers' Syndicate. Security forces attacked these protests with tear gas and batons…

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-09). 700 Iranian War Veteran using domestic prosthetic feet. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 09 (MNA) — The CEO of a knowledge-based firm producing carbon fiber prosthetic feet said, "So far, prosthetic feet have been used for 700 Iranian disabled veterans and 1,000 amputations."

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-09). World never to forget US crimes in Hiroshima, Nagasaki. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 09 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Ministry's spokesman said the people around the world, alongside the Japanese, will never forget the US crimes in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-09). Parl. mulls over Lebanon's developments after blast: Spox. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 09 (MNA) — Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission addressed the developments in Lebanon after a devastating explosion happened in Beirut Port last week.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-09). Iran registers 2,020 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 09 (MNA) — The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected 2,020 people and claimed 163 lives in Iran in the past 24 hours, a senior health official said.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-09). Iran, Bosnia seeking to expand media coop. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 09 (MNA) — Iranian Ambassador to Sarajevo Mahmoud Heidari met and held talks with the head of the state broadcasting of Bosnia and Herzegovina on Sunday.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-09). Iran could buy a lot of planes during sanctions: official. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 09 (MNA) — Deputy Ministry of Roads and Urban Development said that Islamic Republic of Iran could purchase a lot of planes in sanctions period.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-09). West wants to avoid strategic coop. between Iran, East. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 09 (MNA) — In a tweet on Sunday, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani wrote that the west is in favor of avoiding Iran from developing ties with the eastern countries.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-09). New US rep. for Iran indicates Trump's confusion. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 09 (MNA) — Iranian Ambassador to Venezuela Hojjatollah Soltani said that the new US special representative for the Islamic Republic of Iran indicates Trump's confusion.

_____ (2020-08-09). There Is No Political Solution To The Syrian Conflict. popularresistance.org US Secretary of State, John Kerry, of the Obama administration, created a mantra for the media: "There is no military solution to Syria." He said it so many times, he seemed to convince everyone. However, after 9 years of conflict it appears there is neither a military, nor political solution for Syria. Despite the fact that the Syrian government under President Assad, with help from Russia, has regained 70% of the territory, and all the major cities are calm, still there is no possibility for recovery or reconstruction of hospitals, schools, homes and lives due to the US sanctions.

yenisafak (2020-08-09). Eurasian nations report new coronavirus cases, deaths. yenisafak.com Coronavirus cases and fatalities continued to rise across Eurasian and Central Asian countries on Friday.- UkraineHealth Minister Maksym Stepanov said 1,199 more people tested positive for the virus over the past 24 hours, bringing the tally to 80,949.He said 18 more fatalities raised the death toll to 1,897 while recoveries increased by 317 to reach 43,972.Stepanov urged the public to strictly follow the government's COVID-19 restrictions, which have been extended until Aug. 31.- KazakhstanKazakhstan registered 872 new COVID-19 cases, raising the tally to 98,701. The number of recoveries rose by 664 to reach 72,…

yenisafak (2020-08-09). France to host fundraising conference for Beirut. yenisafak.com France's President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday will bring the international community together to raise funds for Beirut in the aftermath of the deadly blast earlier this week.The virtual conference will be held at 1200GMT with Macron hosting the conference from his vacation home in the south of France.The conference is backed by the United Nations and will involve major world leaders, including Lebanon's President Michel Aoun and US President Donald Trump.Leaders from the EU, Britain, China, Russia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, and the UAE are also expected to participate.Two massive explosions tore through…

yenisafak (2020-08-09). Hong Kong reports 72 new coronavirus cases. yenisafak.com Hong Kong reported 72 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, of which 63 were locally transmitted, as authorities continued efforts to contain a resurgence of infections in the global financial hub over the past month.More than 4,000 people have been infected in Hong Kong since January, 51 of whom have died. Sunday's figure was slightly up from Saturday's 69 cases.

yenisafak (2020-08-09). Magnitude 5.1 earthquake strikes western Iran. yenisafak.com The quake that hit at 1.46 p.m. local time (1046GMT) had a depth of 8 kilometers (4.97 miles) and the epicenter was Gilan-e-Garbh district, according to the Tehran University Seismological Center.There were no immediate reports of casualties.Iran is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, where earthquakes occur often and are destructive.

yenisafak (2020-08-09). Ex-Lebanon premier denies knowledge of Beirut shipment. yenisafak.com Former Lebanese premier Tammam Salam has denied receiving correspondence or information about the arrival of hazardous chemical materials shipment in Beirut, which allegedly caused a deadly blast in the capital on Tuesday.In a statement on Sunday, Salam's media office said reports alleging that he was aware of the arrival of a ship carrying chemical materials to Beirut were "false and bare of truth." Earlier, media reports suggested that a Lebanese court had ordered the ship to unload its cargo at the Beirut port when Salam was the prime minister.Salam, who served as a prime minister from Feb. 2014 to Dec. 2016,…

yenisafak (2020-08-09). N.Korea brings aid supplies to border town under lockdown: state media. yenisafak.com North Korea's ruling party has delivered special aid packages of food and medical equipment to residents of Kaesong, near the border with the South, after imposing a lockdown there due to COVID-19 concerns, state media said on Sunday.North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared an emergency and imposed a lockdown on the small border town last month after a person, who defected to South Korea in 2017, returned to Kaesong across the highly fortified border showing coronavirus symptoms.Pyongyang has not confirmed any coronavirus infections but has been taking strict quarantine measures and screening the town, while prov…

yenisafak (2020-08-09). Turkey: 32 suspects held in anti-drug operations. yenisafak.com At least 32 suspects were held during anti-drug operations in Mersin and Gaziantep provinces of Turkey, security sources said on Sunday.In the southern coastal province of Mersin, police acted on a tip-off and found 25,000 drug pills in a vehicle. The driver of the vehicle was detained.Meanwhile, in Gaziantep, the southeastern border province, anti-drug police teams carried out operations to nab drug traffickers.During the operations, police rounded up 31 suspects for possession, use, and selling of drugs.They also seized 13 guns, 11 of which were unlicensed, three unlicensed shotguns, and some cash.*Writing by F…

yenisafak (2020-08-09). Turkey: 5 die, 25 injured in bus accident. yenisafak.com At least five people died and 25 others got injured in a bus accident in Istanbul on Sunday.A passenger bus crashed into a wall of an overpass at the Istanbul Northern Marmara Motorway.The health condition of 10 among the injured, including three children, is serious, according to local authorities.Police have initiated an investigation, and further details are awaited.*Writing by Fahri Aksut…

Tony Cartalucci (2020-08-09). Australia: Willing Pawn in US Conflict with China. globalresearch.ca Upon reading Australia's new defense strategy, one might think its authors believe they are surrounded by nations invaded and destroyed by China with Australia next in line. | News headlines declare, "

Ari Paul (2020-08-08). Trump's Tantrum Against TikTok Is No Laughing Matter. zcomm.org Trump lashing out at some youngsters making music videos is indeed the kind of absurdity his administration has employed that makes satire almost impossible, but the free speech and anti-Asian repercussions of this move are real and dangerous…

Max Blumenthal (2020-08-08). Western media's favorite Hong Kong 'freedom struggle writer' is American ex-Amnesty staffer in yellowface. thegrayzone.com A prominent Hong Kong pundit and anti-China activist named Kong Tsung-gan has become a go-to source for Western media. An…

_____ (2020-08-08). CODEPINK Denounces Elliott Abrams' Appointment As US Special Representative For Iran. popularresistance.org The appointment of Elliott Abrams to replace Brian Hook as the next U.S. Special Representative for Iran is another low point for the Trump administration's disastrous policy towards Iran. The dangerous conflict resulting from Trump's withdrawal from the nuclear agreement will be exacerbated by a man committed to Washington's failed policies of regime change, including in his present-day position as Trump's representative for Venezuela. | Elliott Abrams has made a career of lying and committing criminal acts that have led to the death and suffering of innocent people from Guatemala to Iraq.

yenisafak (2020-08-08). Turkey's IHH aids thousands in Lebanon after blast. yenisafak.com Turkey's Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) on Saturday provided humanitarian aid for thousands who have been affected by Tuesday's massive explosion at Beirut port.In a statement, the IHH said rescue efforts are still underway for those still missing after the blast, which killed at least 154 people."The grain silos destroyed by the explosion were a vital artery for the supply of food in the country," IHH said, warning of a humanitarian crisis in Lebanon in case of failure to supply the country with enough quantities of flour within a short period of time.According to the statement, the IHH has launched a camp…

Fight Back (2020-08-08). Tribute to the outstanding communist Ka Fidel V. Agcaoili. fightbacknews.org On what would have been the 76th birthday of Ka Fidel V. Agcaoili, Freedom Road Socialist Organization joins in paying tribute to this great revolutionary and fighter for the liberation of the Philippines. Every communist can learn from his example and from his many contributions to the international communist movement. His passing is a cause for sadness among all of us who are working to end exploitation and oppression. | Ka Fidel was a revolutionary who devoted the whole of his life to the struggle for national liberation and socialism. He came from a privileged background, took up the science of Marxism, and i…

Eds. (2020-08-08). The filthy hypocrisy of America's "clean" China-free internet. mronline.org The Trump administration wants to keep other countries from weaponizing technology the way the U.S. and its allies already have.

Anand Naidoo (2020-08-08). The Heat: U.S. targets China. america.cgtn.com No deal yet. Talks still in limbo over an economic rescue package providing financial relief to millions of Americans as the coronavirus pandemic continues to surge across the United States.

RT (2020-08-08). 'Flagrant example of unfair competition': Russia slams US over 'baseless' ban on China's TikTok. rt.com Washington's recent order banning cooperation with the popular TikTok video-sharing service is an attempt to protect the dominance of American web giants, and violates the rules of the World Trade Organization, Moscow has said. | The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova On Thursday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order that…

RT (2020-08-08). Doctors sound alarm as deadly tick-borne virus re-emerges in China, kills 7 so far. rt.com As if Covid-19 wasn't enough, Chinese doctors are warning that the country's population is threatened by yet another virus. The infection is passed by tick bites, but could also be transmitted between humans, experts say. | The SFTS virus has already infected around 60 people this year in China's eastern Jiangsu and Anhui Provinces, and seven of them have died. | Symptoms of the potentially deadly infection include fever, cough, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting, as well as a decline in white blood cells. | SFTS isn't exactly new, as the first cases of the tick-borne disease were reported in rural parts of the Hub…

RT (2020-08-08). Goodbye, greenback! As they abandon dollar in trade, Russia & China could create 'financial alliance,' leading Russian expert says. rt.com Moscow and Beijing's ditching of the US dollar could result in the creation of a "financial alliance," according to a top Russian analyst. Alexey Maslov believes the partnership is approaching a "breakthrough moment." | Maslov, director of the Institute of Far Eastern Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences, predicts that Russia-China "de-dollarization" could lead to the two nations forming a de-facto fiscal alliance. | "The collaboration between Russia and China in the financial sphere tells us that they are finally finding the parameters for a new alliance with each other," he said, speaking to Japanese p…

RT (2020-08-08). Georgian actions amounted to declaration of war on Russia — former President Medvedev has no regrets about 2008 conflict. rt.com Russia had to intervene to protect people in South Ossetia and Abkhazia in 2008, when Georgia shelled civilians and "peacekeepers," former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said, calling the move a 'difficult decision." | At the time, Georgia was led by Mikhail Saakashvili, who later fled to Ukraine and remains wanted on criminal charges back home. Medvedev called the behavior of Saakashvili "criminal," and criticized the "scoundrels" who ordered troops to open fire on the houses of civilians and Russian "peacekeepers." | "I made a difficult, but the only possible decision — to stand in defense of Abkhazi…

RT (2020-08-08). 'Lebanese people have suffered too much': US encourages 'peaceful' regime change as protests rage in blast-ravaged Beirut. rt.com The US Embassy has expressed its solidarity with anti-government protesters in Lebanon, urging all sides to "refrain from violence," after clashes in blast-devastated Beirut left around 500 people injured. | Thousands of people gathered in Beirut on Saturday, demanding the government resign over corruption and negligence, which they believe led to the horrific explosion this week. | Also on rt.com | | Amid clashes with riot police, protesters stormed sev…

RT (2020-08-08). Lebanese PM calls for early parliamentary elections as protests rage following Beirut explosion. rt.com As protests gather steam in Beirut, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab has called for early elections, saying they are the only way out of the deep political crisis which has worsened following the explosion in the city's port. | In a short speech on Saturday, Diab said the country "cannot get out of this crisis without early parliamentary elections." He added he was not to blame for the country's deep economic and political woes, Reuters reported. | Short speech by Hassan Diab included a call for early parliamentary elections in Lebanon. Aside from that, just a lot of vague talk of accountability, "national…

RT (2020-08-08). You will hang! Lebanese protesters 'execute' cardboard cutouts of PM, President & Hezbollah's Nasrallah (VIDEO). rt.com Lebanese protesters have built gallows in Beirut to hang cardboard cutouts of Prime Minister Hassan Diab, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and other politicians they blame for the recent port blast and crisis in the country. | The anger of people spilled into the streets on Saturday, with some 10,000 gathering at Martyrs' Square in the center of the capital. They chanted anti-government slogans and staged a performance, which apparently served as a warning to those in power. Many in Lebanon blame the negligence of the authorities for a massive ammonium nitrate explosion on Tuesday that killed more than 150 p…

RT (2020-08-08). Lebanese protesters occupy Foreign Ministry & other govt buildings in Beirut (PHOTO, VIDEO). rt.com Demonstrators who took to the streets of Beirut after the Lebanese capital was rocked by a massive blast earlier this week have stormed the Foreign Ministry and other government buildings, amid violent clashes with police. | Around 10,000 people gathered at Martyrs' Square in central Beirut to accuse the government of negligence, which they say allowed a massive ammonium nitrate explosion to occur at the port on Tuesday. | Read more | | T…

RT (2020-08-08). Almost 240 people injured, 1 officer killed in Beirut protests amid clashes, reports of fire & police shooting. rt.com Army has been deployed to Beirut downtown to quell protests over the deadly blast earlier this week. At least 238 people were injured and 63 of them hospitalized and police said an officer was killed in the clashes. | Thousands of protesters gathered at Martyrs' Square in central Beirut, attempting to reach the Parliament and clashing with riot police. | Demonstrators threw rocks and projectiles at the officers, who responded by employing tear gas and other special means. |

RT (2020-08-08). 'Why not a diverse Latino?' Maxine Waters claims Biden 'can't go home without black woman VP,' gets mocked for 'racism'. rt.com Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters was roasted online after saying 2020 presidential hopeful Joe Biden has no other choice but to pick a black woman as his running mate, suggesting he owed a debt to African American voters. | "We know that we're going to have a black woman as vice president," Waters said in an Let me guarantee you this, based on everything…

RT (2020-08-08). 'Too much pot brownie': Clinton slams NYT's Maureen Dowd over claim it's been 36 YEARS since a man & woman ran on Dem ticket. rt.com Hillary Clinton and thousands of others roasted a now-corrected story and tweet from the New York Times claiming the last time there was a mixed-gender presidential ticket for the Democratic Party was in the '80s. | "It's hard to fathom, but it has been 36 years since a man and a woman ran together on a Democratic Party ticket," the New York Times' Opinion Twitter account wrote, linking to an article by columnist Maureen Dowd, which included the same quote. | How does an error this significant get past an editor?

RT (2020-08-08). Narrow escape: Massive rock-fall caught on VIDEO during road construction in Dagestan, Russia. rt.com People were seen fleeing to safety as a huge stone fell during road construction in a mountainous area in Russia's southern Republic of Dagestan. While it was a terrifying sight, casualties were thankfully avoided. | An avalanche of rocks crashed down upon the unfinished road from great heights, sending clouds of thick black dust billowing into the air. | Construction workers reacted swiftly and escaped, with one of them finding safety in the cabin of his excavation vehicle. | Even those filming the disaster from dozens of meters away were forced to shut down their phones and retreat. | Nobody was hurt, but…

RT (2020-08-08). Incorrectly designed and rushed Covid-19 vaccine could actually AGGRAVATE infection, Russian virology expert warns. rt.com Russia's domestically produced Covid-19 vaccine could be dangerous and even cause infection if improperly designed, says Alexander Chepurnov, the former lab head at the Vector State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology. | A rapidly produced vaccine has already been completed and trialed in Russia, and will soon be registered and undergo mass production. The country is just one of many in the race to produce an effective immunization against the disease. According to Chepurnov, if the vaccinated person already has specific antibodies, coronavirus could actually intensify after receiving the vaccine.

Ramzy Baroud (2020-08-08). The Likud Conspiracy: Israel in the Throes of a Major Political Crisis. dissidentvoice.org Protests against Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, have raged on for weeks, turning violent sometimes. Israelis are furious at their government's mediocre response to the coronavirus pandemic, especially as COVID-19 disease is experiencing a massive surge throughout the country. Netanyahu warned protesters, thousands of whom have been rallying outside his residence in Jerusalem, against "anarchy …

WSWS (2020-08-08). Workers Struggles: Asia and Australia. wsws.org The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Tom Coburg (2020-08-08). Military police allege cover-up of hundreds of UK war crime cases closed down by government. thecanary.co Claims that UK authorities covered-up hundreds of war crimes in Afghanistan and Iraq have been circulating for some years. But a BBC "Suspicious killin…

WSWS (2020-08-08). Georgia highschoolers use social media to expose disastrous conditions as schools reopen. wsws.org Two students from Georgia's North Paulding High School were suspended after photos of hallways packed with crowds of unmasked students went viral on social media.