(2020-08-16). Weaponized Social Media Fuels "Youth" Protests. thealtworld.com 
US-based social-media tools are being used to reward participation in regime change with likes and shares. | Young protesters in Thailand are out demanding "human rights" and "democracy" — and for the current government to step down. | Should their demands be met — the opposition — headed by billionaire fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra and his Pheu Thai Party will take power. Thaksin Shinawatra and his political party represent neither human rights nor democracy. In fact, Thaksin Shinawatra is the worst human rights abuser in Thai history. | So how does one explain the paradoxical nature of young peopl…
(2020-08-16). Israeli-Emirati Peace Deal Is a Major Blow to Turkey's Regional Ambitions. globalresearch.ca Yesterday, one of the most unexpected geopolitical manoeuvres took place that no one was expecting. U.S. President Donald Trump went
(2020-08-16). The United Arab Emirates and Israel Join Hands: Great for Trump but More Bad News for the Middle East. globalresearch.ca The decision made this week by the United Arab Emirates and Israel to establish full diplomatic relations as part of a commitment to normalize the interaction between the two countries was characteristically announced by President Donald Trump because he is, …
(2020-08-16). Trump Vows Unilateral Imposition of Snapback Sanctions on Iran. globalresearch.ca On Friday, the Trump regime was dealt a humiliating Security Council defeat. | Bullying, bribes, and threats failed this time, perhaps indicative of more US setbacks ahead. | Its attempt to extend an arms embargo on Iran indefinitely was supported by only …
(2020-08-16). Real Life Heroes: delivering aid under fire. news.un.org Working from a field office in Yemen, Sonia Almassad ensures that UN relief aid reaches those who need it, in the war-torn country. She was previously posted in her home country, Syria, where she negotiated with armed groups on both sides of the conflict, sometimes at great personal risk.
(2020-08-16). Yazd earns $103 million in exports during four months. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — More than 860,000 tons of non-oil commodities worth $103 million were exported from Yazd province, central Iran, during the first four months of the current fiscal (March 20- July 21), a senior official said.
(2020-08-16). UAE summons Iran's chargé d'affaires. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — The UAE summoned Iran's chargé d'affaires to Abu Dhabi on Sunday and criticized President Rouhani's remarks on Israeli-UAE relations.
(2020-08-16). Tehran-Tashkent direct flights to be launched. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Uzbekistan has welcomed Iran's suggestion for launching a direct flight between Tehran and Tashkent.
(2020-08-16). Minister of Defense attends press conference on Sunday. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — Iranian Minister of Defense Brigadier General Amir Hatami attended a press conference on Sunday due to the upcoming occasion of Defense Industry Day on August 21.
(2020-08-16). Iran oil production at 1.93mn bpd in July. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — In its latest report, OPEC announced that Iran's oil production volume stood at 1.936 million barrels per day (bpd) in July 2020.
(2020-08-16). Russia's proposal on UNSC summit with Iran remains on table. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Despite Trump's refusal to support Moscow's proposal for an online conference of leaders of the UNSC states, Germany, and Iran, the Russian deputy foreign minister stressed that the proposal remains on the table.
(2020-08-16). Top General warns UAE against normalizing ties with Israelis. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — A top Iranian commander denounced the United Arab Emirates' decision to normalize ties with the Israeli regime, calling on Abu Dhabi to reconsider its move.
(2020-08-16). Trump has committed worst crimes against Iranian nation. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Donald Trump, the current US President, has committed the 'worst crimes and hostilities' against the noble Iranian nation.
(2020-08-16). Ghalibaf congrats Lebanon victory in 33-day war anniversary. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — In messages to his Lebanese counterpart and Secretary General of Hezbollah Resistance Movement, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf offered congratulations on the anniv. of Lebanon victory in the 33-day war.
(2020-08-16). US cannot trigger its 'snapback' plan: Zarif. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the Americans are aware that they are not able to trigger 'snapback' mechanism as it is illegal and not acceptable.
(2020-08-16). History will record such betrayal to Palestinians: envoy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Referring to UAE-Israeli tie normalization, Iranian Ambassador to Islamabad Seyyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini said that history will record such betrayal to Palestinians.
(2020-08-16). Iran-Iraq fights resumes under health protocols conditions. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — An Iranian airliner announced that the flights to Iraqi international airports including Najaf, Basra, Sulaymaniyah, Erbil, and Baghdad have resumed under some health protocol conditions.
(2020-08-16). Iran COVID-19 update: 2,133 new cases registered. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry announced 2,133 new cases of infection with the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, putting the total number of cases in the country at 343,203.
(2020-08-16). Tehran-Vienna flights resumed on Sat. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Abbas Bagherpour, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Austria, announced on Saturday the resumption of flights from Tehran to Vienna by Iran Air.
(2020-08-16). Altruism, patience key to overcome threats, pressure: Zarif. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a message on Sunday said that culture of altruism, fortitude and martyrdom have been the keys to protect the country against threats and pressures.
(2020-08-16). UAE to suffer severely for normalizing ties with Zionists. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Secretary-General of the International Conference in Support of the Palestinian Intifada said that the United Arab Emirates will sustain severe damage for its normalizing ties and compromise with the Israeli regime.
(2020-08-16). VIDEO: Oil tanker breaks in half off Mauritius coast. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — A Japanese bulk carrier that struck a coral reef last month off the Mauritius coast broke apart Saturday afternoon. Spilling 1,000 tons of fuel oil, the ship is feared to create a marine ecological disaster around Mauritius.
(2020-08-16). Belarus: Imperialists Run The Same Tired Old Script. popularresistance.org The Western establishment narrative managers always follow the same patterns. Just like they fixated on Hong Kong protests, while ignoring those in US-aligned France or Israel, now they're cheering on protests in Belarus. | Imperialist pundit and Obama administration Cold Warrior Michael McFaul recently tweeted the following: | "Belarusians, inside and outside of the country, have reached out to me this week to ask why the West is so indifferent to their courageous fight for democracy. I can't explain. Can you?" | I am not highlighting this tweet because it is remarkable…
(2020-08-16). Beirut Explosion: It Is Late, But It Is Early Morning If We Insist. popularresistance.org Nothing happens in Beirut and Lebanon that is transparent; plots of all kinds unravel against the ordinary hopes of the population. After the deadly explosion, it was impossible to imagine that the most reasonable explanation would be accepted. Rumors flew around, except the rumors did not have their impact. It was clear to the people that this time — unlike so many times previously — it was their own political system that had to be held accountable for the enormous explosion, which came in the midst of a pandemic, a currency and economic crisis, and a long-standing and unresolved political quagmire.
(2020-08-16). US Sanctions Are Strangling A Lebanon In Crisis. popularresistance.org The Lebanese econ ≠o ≠my crashed into the equiv ≠a ≠lent of a brick wall some ≠time in the last few months of 2019. The Lebanese pound (or lira), which was pegged to the dol ≠lar and appeared to be sta ≠ble for well over two decades, start ≠ed to decline at a rate that threat ≠ened the com ≠plete col ≠lapse of the econ ≠o ≠my. In the mean ≠time, the Trump admin ≠is ≠tra ≠tion had been busy build ≠ing a "Great Wall" of sanc ≠tions around Lebanon, even as the coun ≠try as a whole was drown ≠ing in a moun ≠tain of debt. | The firs…
(2020-08-16). Lebanon: Pearl on the New Silk Road or Zone of Dark Age Chaos. strategic-culture.org 
Many voices have been quick to enter the chorus of commentators hypothesizing the manifold possible causes of the devastating explosions which occurred on the afternoon of August 4 in Beirut which has led to mass anarchy and the surprising While I have no great novel contribution to offer in that growing array of hypotheses (which are slowly turning into noise), I would like to share an insight which addresses a too-often-overlooked aspect of the role of…
(2020-08-16). After launching air strikes in the strip, Israel shuts Gaza fishing zone. thecanary.co 
Israel has closed the Gaza Strip's offshore fishing zone after the most intense show of aggression in recent months.Israeli air strikes targeted sites allegedly belonging to Gaza's Hamas rulers, after which Palestinian fighters in Gaza fired two rockets into southern Israel. However, the military said Israel's Iron Dome aerial defence system intercepted the two rockets.Police said rocket fallout caused damage to a house in the town of Sderot, and paramedics treated a 58-year-old man for minor wounds.Meanwhile, aerial bombing from Israel has caused considerable damage so far, including in the Buriej refugee camp i…
(2020-08-16). No Longer Leader of the Free World: Trump Admin. Humiliated at UN over Iran Arms Embargo. commondreams.org U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attends Security Council meeting at U.N. Headquarters in New York on September 20, 2019. (Photo: Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/iran-resolution-fail.jpg …
(2020-08-16). Video: Israeli-UAE Peace Deal Marks Tectonic Shift in Middle Eastern Balance of Power. globalresearch.ca The Middle East is on the brink of the new tectonic shift in the regional balance of power. The previous years were marked by the growth of the Iranian and Hezbollah influence and the decrease of the US grip on …
(2020-08-16). Evolution of US-Israel Relations During Trump Presidency. globalresearch.ca Preferential treatment for Israel has long been a prerequisite for success in the corridors of power in Washington, where ambitious politicians long ago learned to fear the wrath of 'the Israel lobby', and at the same time yearn for the …
(2020-08-16). China's local COVID-19 cases fall as Xinjiang cluster recedes. yenisafak.com China's new locally transmitted cases of the novel coronavirus fell to a one-month low as a cluster in the western region of Xinjiang receded, data released by the country's health authority showed on Sunday.The number of locally transmitted cases in China dropped to four on Aug. 15, all of which were in Xinjiang, the National Health Commission said in a statement. That compares with eight cases nationwide a day earlier and is the lowest since July 16.No new locally transmitted cases were recorded on Aug. 15 in the city of Shenzhen in southern Guangdong province after provincial authorities there reported fresh i…
(2020-08-16). India sends team to Mauritius to assist in oil spill. yenisafak.com India has sent technical equipment and a team of specialists to Mauritius to help local authorities deal with an environmental crisis after an oil spill from a Japanese ship, a government official said on Sunday.A Japanese bulk carrier struck a coral reef off the Indian Ocean island nation on July 25, spilling about 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil and triggering a state of "environmental emergency".The carrier split on Saturday, and the oil spill spread over a vast area of endangered corals, fish and other marine life in what some scientists called the country's worst ecological disaster.Scientists say the full impact o…
(2020-08-16). Iran says to export arms once UN embargo lifted. yenisafak.com "Iran will export and sell weapons" once the UN-mandated embargo is lifted, Defense Minister Gen. Amir Hatami told reporters on the sidelines of the National Defense Industry Day in Tehran.He said Iran will "use all its capacities to meet its arms requirements" by exporting weapons after the 13-year embargo expires in October.On Saturday, the UN Security Council turned down a US draft to extend an arms embargo on Iran.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who had urged the UNSC members to vote for the move, said the Council's "failure to act decisively" was "inexcusable".US officials accuse Iran of supplying weapons…
(2020-08-16). One killed in bomb blast in Iraq's Kirkuk. yenisafak.com One person was killed and two others were injured in a bomb explosion in Iraq's northern Kirkuk province on Sunday, according to an Iraqi police officer.The blast took place in al-Riyadh, a town west of Kirkuk city, the officer said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.There was no claim of responsibility for the blast, but the officer suggested that the Daesh/ISIS terror group was behind the attack.Since the start of the year, suspected Daesh/ISIS terrorists have stepped up attacks, particularly in the area between Kirkuk, Saladin (north), and Diyala (east), known as the…
(2020-08-16). UAE phone lines to Israel open after accord to normalise relations. yenisafak.com Telephone lines between the United Arab Emirates and Israel were open on Sunday, calls made by Reuters reporters showed, after the two countries moved to normalise diplomatic relations last week.It was not clear when exactly a block on telephone calls made from the UAE to Israel was lifted, but historically calls were not possible.The UAE's Telecoms Regulatory Authority did not immediately respond to a request to comment.More Israeli news websites that were previously blocked in the UAE were also now able to be viewed on UAE internet connections on Sunday.An official in Israel's Communication Ministry told Reuter…
(2020-08-16). Putin tells Belarusian leader Lukashenko Russia ready to help militarily if necessary. yenisafak.com Russian President Vladimir Putin told Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko in a phone call on Sunday that Moscow stood ready to provide help in accordance with a collective military pact if necessary, the Kremlin said in a statement.The Kremlin said in the same statement that external pressure was being applied to Belarus. It did not say by who.Belarus has been rocked by a week of street protests after protesters accused Lukashenko of rigging a presidential election last Sunday.
(2020-08-16). Screen addiction causes children to lose ability to draw. yenisafak.com The normalization of technology has rendered some children incapable of drawing a simple picture, and the number keeps rising daily, according to a Turkish child development specialist.The new school year in Turkey will begin with remote classes Aug. 31. Aysenur Bekaroglu believes screen addiction in children is much more pronounced when learning is primarily dictated by a device."But this is the best of a bad lot," she said. "Rather than children being left uneducated, online education is the best option."Bekaroglu said schools are not only a center for education but a place to socialize, where children have pee…
(2020-08-16). How the Israel-UAE Deal puts the Bogus Peace Industry Back in Business. dissidentvoice.org If there is one conclusion to draw from the agreement this week between Israel and the United Arab Emirates — with Israel temporarily "suspending" its threat to illegally annex parts of the West Bank, in return for "full normalisation" with the Gulf state — it is this: The peace industry is back in business. But this …
(2020-08-15). How the U.S. helped push Lebanon to the brink of collapse, and now threatens more sanctions. mronline.org 
While the media blames the crisis in Lebanon solely on corruption, the U.S. government unleashed a "maximum pressure" campaign to push regime change and crush Lebanese resistance with sanctions and aggressive hybrid warfare.
(2020-08-15). COVID-19 Coronavirus "Fake" Pandemic: Timeline and Analysis. globalresearch.ca On January 30, a far-reaching decision was taken by the WHO without the support of expert opinion at a time when the coronavirus outbreak was limited to Mainland China. 150 confirmed cases outside China, when the decision was taken, 6 in the US, 3 in Canada, 2 in the UK, etc. In early March, 430 cases in the US.
(2020-08-15). Popular Viral Video Firm Sues Facebook over Russian Propaganda Label. thealtworld.com 
The company behind In The Now, Soapbox and Waste-Ed is taking on media giant Facebook, who it claims is falsely labeling it as Russian state-controlled propaganda. | MPN— On online media company is suing social media giant Facebook for falsely smearing it as a Russian state-controlled propaganda outlet. Maffick, the owner of In The Now, Soapbox and Waste-Ed, has filed a lawsuit against Facebook in a Northern California district court for defamation, intentional interference and violating section 43(a) of the Lanham Act, unjustly causing them economic and reputational harm, claiming that Facebook's actions re…
(2020-08-15). Video: IDF Intercepts Rockets Fired From Gaza Strip. sputniknews.com Earlier in the day, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said in a statement that "Palestinian rioters" in Gaza "hurled explosives & attempted to approach the security fence" leading to Israel.
(2020-08-15). [World Report] Lebanon faces humanitarian emergency after blast. thelancet.com The explosion in Beirut is further straining the health system and food supplies, as well as risking the country's COVID-19 response. Sharmila Devi reports.
(2020-08-15). Maduro Hails Russian COVID-19 Vaccine as Comms Minister Tests Positive. venezuelanalysis.com The South American nation has a 70 percent COVID-19 recovery rate.
(2020-08-15). Journalists in Malaysia persecuted for exposing treatment of migrant workers. wsws.org The government's investigation into seven Al Jazeera journalists, including a police raid of their offices, is part of a broader crackdown on press freedom.
(2020-08-15). U.S. mercenaries sentenced to 20 years for invasion attempt in Venezuela. workers.org 
Telesur published the following report Aug. 8. Venezuela's Attorney General Tarek William Saab reported Friday [Aug. 7] that the two former U.S. military officers, Luke Denmnan and Airan Berry, who participated in the failed invasion attempt in Venezuela [May 4], were sentenced to 20 years in prison. Former members of . . . |
(2020-08-15). Palestinian Liberation Movement marks global day of action. workers.org 
The Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network called for global Days of Resistance from Aug. 7 through 9 to protest the ongoing conquest of Palestinian land by Israeli occupation forces. In a statement announcing the action, the organization said, "Today, the program of Israeli annexation continues to threaten Palestinians in the . . . |
(2020-08-15). 'We won't allow banditry on our continental shelf': Erdogan says Turkey won't back down amid Mediterranean standoff. rt.com 
Turkey will not bow to international pressure and "banditry" in the contested waters of the eastern Mediterranean, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said, promising to continue oil and gas exploration as planned. | Turkey's Oruc Reis survey vessel will continue its work between Cyprus and the Greek island of Crete until August 23 despite mounting pressure and threats of sanctions, Erdogan said on Saturday. | We will never bow to banditry on our continental shelf. We will not back down against the language of sanctions and threats. | Ankara's goal is to protect its "rights and interests," Erdogan stressed, add…
(2020-08-15). Deal with Israel won't give UAE more security, only benefits Trump — Iran's Rouhani. rt.com 
The leadership of the United Arab Emirates have made a "huge mistake" by sealing a deal with Israel, the president of Iran has said. He believes they win nothing from it and are only helping Donald Trump on his campaign trail.
(2020-08-15). Rockets fall inside Iraq's Taji camp housing US-led coalition troops — reports. rt.com 
At least two unguided rockets fell inside Iraq's Taji military base that houses US troops, local media has reported, citing the country's military. No information on damage or potential casualties was immediately available. | Camp Taji, located some 27km (17 miles) north of the Iraqi capital, came under rocket fire late on Saturday. At least two projectiles fell inside the base, Iraqi military confirmed to local media. | While no reports on damage or casualties were readily available, unconfirmed imagery circulating online suggested the attack might have sparked a fire at the base. | Unconfirmed reports of a f…