(2020-08-18). Gaza's only power plant shut down over Israeli fuel ban. yenisafak.com The Gaza Strip's sole power plant halted operations on Tuesday over an Israeli ban on fuel imports into the Palestinian territory, according to Gaza's energy authority. | "The power plant has shut down completely," the authority said in a brief statement. | On Wednesday, Israel banned fuel imports into Gaza as part of punitive Israeli measures over the launch of fire-bomb balloons from the strip. | Since 2007, the Gaza Strip has groaned under a crippling Israeli blockade that has deprived its roughly two million inhabitants of many vital commodities, including food, fuel and medicine. | The seaside enclave suffer…
(2020-08-18). A view from a South Asian revolutionary on Kamala Harris — a WW commentary. workers.org 
By Tania Siddiqi Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced on Aug. 11 that California Sen. Kamala Devi Harris, the first South Asian American and the second African American woman to serve as a U.S. senator, will be his running mate for the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Tania Siddiqi Harris . . . |
(2020-08-18). U.S., fascists set scopes on socialist-leaning Belarus. workers.org 
Chinese President Xi Jingping and Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on his reelection Aug. 9. USSR-era socialist art in Minsk, Belarus, in February 2019. U.S. imperialism and the Western bourgeois media, however, wasted no time in denouncing Lukashenko's victory as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo used . . . |
(2020-08-18). As Trump confesses plan to cripple mail service to corrupt November Election, Merkley, Wyden, and colleagues urge USPS to fix delays and avoid cost increases for election mail. mronline.org 
Action follows reports that USPS indicated to state election officials it will depart from long-standing practice of prioritizing election mail, delaying delivery times unless states pay more.
(2020-08-18). Oil spill threatens disaster for Mauritius. mronline.org 
The Japanese-owned (Mitsui-operated) MV Wakashio was en route to Brazil from China to fetch iron ore from a port owned by the notorious mining company Vale. Here the ship is seen having run aground near Blue Bay, one of the area's most pristine sites for coral, already threatened by bleaching due to the climate crisis. …
(2020-08-18). Real Life Heroes: building a safe space for Rohingya women refugees. news.un.org Bangladeshi architect Rizvi Hassan is the driving force behind the construction of a safe space for Rohingya women and girls, in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, site of the world's largest camp for displaced people, and home to around a million Rohingya refugees who fled from Myanmar. The community centre caters to a marginalized, vulnerable group, at risk of gender-based violence.
(2020-08-18). The Danger of War With China is Real and Insane. zcomm.org China and the U.S. must work together to solve the climate crisis, but the power of the militaries and national security states on both sides is making that impossible…
(2020-08-18). Oil tankers seized by US 'not Iranian'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (MNA) — Iranian oil minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said on Tuesday that the four oil tankers seized by the US few days ago belong to Venezuela not Iran.
(2020-08-18). In 24 hours 2,385 COVID-19 cases recorded in Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (MNA) — The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected 2,385 people and claimed 168 lives in Iran in the past 24 hours, a senior health official said.
(2020-08-18). Leader condoles demise of Ayatollah Taskhiri. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (MNA) — Leader of the Islamic Revolution has expressed condolences over the demise of Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Taskhiri, a member of Iran's Expediency Council.
(2020-08-18). Iran's economic roadmap to be unvailed in Government Week. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced that the country's economic roadmap for the final year of the incumbent administration's tenure will be unveiled during the Government Week (August 24-30).
(2020-08-18). Al Kadhimi leaves Baghdad for Washington. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (MNA) — Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi left Baghdad for Washington on Tuesday.
(2020-08-18). Netanyahu says UAE deal does not include sale of F-35 jets. yenisafak.com Israel said Tuesday that a deal to normalize relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) does not include the US sale of F-35 fighter jets to the Gulf state.In a statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the agreement did not include "any approval by Israel on any arms deal between the United States and the United Arab Emirates".Netanyahu said he directed Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Drammer on Aug. 3 to meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to convey an explicit message of Israel's opposition to selling the F-35 and other advanced weapon systems to any country in the Middle East."The peac…
(2020-08-18). UN sends 20 truckloads of aid to Syria's Idlib. yenisafak.com The trucks carrying supplies entered Idlib province through the Cilvegozu border gate in Turkey's south.The aid will be distributed among residents of Idlib, and nearby rural areas.Syria has been ravaged by civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters.Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced, according to UN estimates.Idlib falls within a de-escalation zone forged under an agreement between Turkey and Russia.The area has been the subject of multiple cease-fire understandings, which have frequently been violated by the Assad re…
(2020-08-18). Merkel, Putin discuss Belarus over phone. yenisafak.com German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the recent political crisis in Belarus over the phone, her spokesman said on Tuesday.Steffen Seibert said in a press release that the two leaders discussed the latest situation in Belarus after the presidential elections held in Aug. 9."The chancellor has emphasized that the Belarusian government must refrain from using violence against peaceful demonstrators, release political prisoners immediately and initiate a national dialogue with the opposition and society in order to overcome the crisis," he said.In a separate statement, the Kr…
(2020-08-18). Turkey will always stand with Libyan people: DefMin. yenisafak.com Turkey will always help Libya maintain its integrity, security, and ensure the prosperity of its people, the Turkish defense minister said on Tuesday.Hulusi Akar, who arrived in Libya on Monday along with Turkish military chief Gen. Yasar Guler, spoke to reporters about the specifics of his visit."We are here upon the invitation of the Government of National Accord (GNA) that was recognized by the United Nations (UN). We will continue standing with our Libyan brothers and sisters in the future, with whom we share a common history and culture of 500 years," he said."We will do everything that is needed in order fo…
(2020-08-18). US Firestorming of Tokyo Rivaled the Hiroshima Bombing. globalresearch.ca Featured image: Charred remains of Japanese civilians after the firebombing of Tokyo on the night of 9—10 March 1945. (Source: Ishikawa K≈çy≈ç / Wikimedia Commons) | In the early hours of 10 March 1945, as America's heavy aircraft dropped over 1,600 …
(2020-08-17). US Remains Defiant, Promises New Sanctions After UN Rejects Anti-Iran Measures. mintpressnews.com According to the State Department, it was the world that was wrong, not Washington. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described the decision to reject their "reasonable resolution" and side with "the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism" as "inexcusable."
(2020-08-17). Russian-Belarusian Relations: Back to Being Brothers? Crimea 2.0 Is Unlikely. globalresearch.ca Several recent developments in Russian-Belarusian relations — in particular, Belarus' return of 32 suspected Wagner mercenaries to Russia, Belarusian opposition leader Tsepkalo's departure from Russia, and the two phone calls between Presidents Putin and Lukashenko — hint that bilateral ties …
(2020-08-17). Headlines for August 17, 2020. democracynow.org Pelosi Calls House Back from Recess as Outrage Mounts over Turmoil at USPS, AZ Teachers Halt School Reopening; COVID-19 Data Shows Devastating Effect on Latinx, Black People, New Zealand Postpones Election Amid COVID-19 Spike; Virus Compounds Disaster in Lebanon, Mass Protests Continue in Belarus Amid Reports of Torture in Jails, Student Protests in Thailand Swell, Demanding Democratic Reforms, 16 People Killed After Car Bomb Blast at Hotel in Somalia, At Least 6 People Killed as Protests Intensify in Ivory Coast, Trump Vows to Reinstate U.N. Sanctions Against Iran, Lawyers Say Guards at Immigration Jail "Systema…
(2020-08-17). Israeli aircraft strike 'underground terror targets' in Gaza in response to 'explosive balloon' attacks. rt.com 
The Israeli Defense Forces have bombed subterranean Hamas targets in Gaza, saying the strikes came in retaliation for explosive and incendiary balloon attacks launched from the Palestinian enclave. | "Recently, IDF fighter jets and aircraft attacked underground infrastructure of the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip," the Israeli military said in a
(2020-08-17). IDF Fighter Jets Target Underground Hamas Posts in Gaza. sputniknews.com The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) targeted underground Hamas Posts in Gaza on Tuesday local time.
(2020-08-17). Palestine Drops Out of Dubai World Fair After UAE-Israeli Pact. sputniknews.com GAZA (Sputnik) – The Palestinian authority said Monday it would pull out of Expo 2020 Dubai, the Middle East's first world fair, after the United Arab Emirates reached a deal with Israel.
(2020-08-17). Ainu People Sues Japan to Confirm Salmon Fishing Rights. telesurenglish.net A cultural organization of the Ainu People Monday sued the Japanese State and the Hokkaido Island government so that the authorities recognize their indigenous rights and lift the ban on commercial salmon fishing in rivers. | RELATED: | The lawsuit is the first of its kind filed by members of this Indigenous people, who were subjected to forced assimilation more than a century ago. | Although Japanese law recognize…
(2020-08-17). Venezuela: President Maduro Volunteers To Test Russian Vaccine. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro Sunday announced he'll be the first to get vaccinated when the Russian COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, arrives in the country. | RELATED: | He recalled that Russia was the first country in the world to vaccinate its population and volunteered to test the Sputnik V. | "There will be a time when we all get vaccinated and the first to be vaccinated will be me. I'm going to get the vaccine, I…
(2020-08-17). Xi's article on Marxist political economy in contemporary China to be published. mronline.org 
An article by President Xi Jinping on opening new horizons of the Marxist political economy in contemporary China will be published Sunday.
(2020-08-17). The Cost of 'Singapore Inc.'? A Coronavirus Outbreak Among Migrants. thenation.com The Cost of 'Singapore Inc.'? A Coronavirus Outbreak Among Migrants.
(2020-08-17). The Hoopla Over the Kamala Harris VP Selection Obscures the Many Young People of Color Who Are Winning Offices Nationally. counterpunch.org 
Joe Biden's pick of Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) as his running mate for the 2020 Democratic presidential ticket has generated strong responses. While many Democrats are elated at the idea of seeing a brown-skinned woman of Indian and Jamaican heritage in such a position, progressives are debating one another about Harris' mixed record on bread-and-butter
(2020-08-17). "A Cynical Manipulation": On Israel's Empty Gesture of Goodwill to Beirut. mintpressnews.com 
While some may see Israel's gesture as an act of magnanimity, showing solidarity with an enemy country, one is hard-pressed to find words to express just how disgusting and cynical it really is.
(2020-08-17). The Decline in Power of the Oil States. counterpunch.org 
President Donald Trump is cock-a-hoop over the United Arab Emirates becoming the first Arab Gulf state to normalise its relations with Israel. He needs all the good news he can get in the months before the US presidential election. "HUGE breakthrough today! Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates!" Trump tweeted.
(2020-08-17). Lebanon's future is uncertain after this month's massive explosion. therealnews.com 
After protests, citizens are looking to end corruption once and for all.
(2020-08-17). Russia officially produces first batch of COVID-19 vaccine. mronline.org 
"Russia's health workers and teachers will be the first ones to receive the vaccine in the country," Russia's Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said.
(2020-08-17). US intelligence agencies have another bounty case in Afghanistan, alleging Iran paid the Taliban to attack American forces. rt.com 
It turns out Russia isn't the only country that US intelligence agencies are anonymously accusing of paying bounties to Taliban fighters to attack US troops in Afghanistan. Another bogeyman, Iran, is allegedly to blame this time. | A foreign government
(2020-08-17). Democrats' election platform demands end to 'forever wars' — most of which were launched last time Biden held office. rt.com 
The Democratic Party's 2020 electoral platform includes a call to end the US' "forever wars" – which sounds great, except that a Democratic president started many of those wars and the party has stonewalled efforts to end them. | "Democrats know it's time to bring nearly two decades of unceasing conflict to an end," the platform, released in draft form on Monday and expected to be approved by Democratic leaders later this week, reads. | It's a relatively uncontroversial statement in itself: at nearly 19 years and counting, the US war in Afghanistan is the longest conflict in American history. The various satel…
(2020-08-17). Israeli military grounds Black Hawk helicopter fleet after spate of malfunctions. rt.com 
The commander of Israel's Air Force has ordered the immediate grounding of its fleet of Yanshuf helicopters from training and transport activities, as technicians try to determine the cause of recent motor issues. | The grounding comes about a month after a motor in one chopper stopped working in mid-air while IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi was on board, the Times of Israel reported. | The IDF said after that incident occurred that the immediate actions of the flight crew had meant they could handle the malfunction safely "and at no time was there a threat to the lives of the passengers." | Also on rt.com…
(2020-08-17). Lukashenko's offer to change Belarus' constitution likely an attempt to buy time as opposition lacks mechanism to remove him. rt.com 
If Belarus' opposition succeeds in removing Alexander Lukashenko from the presidency, the big question is what happens next? The country lacks institutions for managing the transfer of power, working to the president's advantage. | As protests continued in Belarus on Monday demanding the resignation of Lukashenko, the country's embattled ruler blew hot and cold about his intentions. Speaking to workers at the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant (MZKT), Lukashenko struck a defiant tone. "We have held the election. There will be no other elections unless you kill me," he declared. | Following this, however, Lukashenko str…
(2020-08-17). Ukraine recalls Belarus envoy for consultations 'for first time ever', but it's not about protests. rt.com 
Kiev has recalled its ambassador from Minsk for consultations, for the "first time in history." However, the move appears to be more about Belarus' refusal to hand suspected Russian mercenaries over to Ukraine than the protests. | Ukraine has joined the chorus of Western nations refusing to recognize the results of last week's elections in Belarus, which officially handed a landslide victory to Alexander Lukashenko for his sixth term in office. "Belarussian-Ukraine relations" have been "fundamentally changed" by the developments in Belarus, in which "society has expressed a vote of no confidence in the officia…
(2020-08-17). Europe still dealing with initial stage of Covid-19 pandemic, real 'second wave' likely to arrive in fall — leading Russian expert. rt.com 
A top Russian expert in virus control says Europe is experiencing the continuation of the initial stage of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the current increase in infections is not a sign of a "second wave" as many experts speculate. | Worryingly, Nikolai Malyshev, the chief infectious diseases specialist in the Moscow Health Ministry, believes there will be a new outbreak, but it will come in the fall, as the daylight hours become fewer and the weather gets colder. | "The rise in respiratory infections, as you and I know, [occurs] yearly at the end of autumn and the beginning of winter," Malyshev explained at a pr…
(2020-08-17). Another Russian Covid-19 vaccine on the way? Siberian lab begins 2nd phase of trials just days after registration of Sputnik V. rt.com 
A mere week after Russia registered the world's first coronavirus vaccine, the 'Vector' virology center in Novosibirsk has announced that an entirely different Covid-19 solution is entering the second stage of clinical trials. | As with the US, Russia is not putting all its eggs in one basket when it comes to a potential fix for coronavirus. Anna Popova, the head of the national health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, announced on Monday that volunteers were injected with Vector's experimental vaccine on August 12. Five days later, on August 17, a second group received the shot. | "Clinical trials are being carried o…
(2020-08-17). Moscow says increased US military presence in Poland worsens security situation in Europe, warns NATO trying to 'distort reality'. rt.com 
The US increasing its military presence in Poland aggravates the situation near Russia's western borders and facilitates the escalation of tensions, while claims from NATO that the expansion isn't significant aren't credible. | That's according to a statement posted on Monday by the Russian Foreign Ministry which dismisses the NATO argument "as an attempt to distort reality." | "We would like to point out once again that increasing the US military presence in Poland does not solve any security issues, on the contrary, it aggravates the difficult situation near Russia's western borders, facilitating an escalati…
(2020-08-17). The Russian Interference Report, Without Laughing. strategic-culture.org 
Craig MURRAY | Now the madding crowd has moved on, I take a mature look at the report by the It calls expressly and repeatedly for the security services to be actively involved in "policing the democratic space" and castigates the security services for their unwillingness to interfere in democratic process. It calls for t…
(2020-08-17). History of Settler Colonialism in Palestine. globalresearch.ca The following research article aims at exploring the issue of history of settler colonialism in Palestine. It will tackle three different settler colonial projects that were established in Arab Palestine: the German Templers, the Jewish and the Zionist. | In the …
(2020-08-17). Beirut Explosion, Western Imperialism And Media Misinformation. popularresistance.org On August 4, 2020, an explosion of tons of ammonium nitrate being stored at the port of Beirut Lebanon ripped through the city killing 0ver 170 people and injuring 6,000 people. This happened at a time when Beirut was already suffering an economic collapse and the COVID-19 pandemic. We speak with Rania Khalek, a Lebanese-American independent journalist who was in Beirut, about what it was like during and after the explosion, the protests that followed and the complicated political situation in Lebanon. Khalek explains how the United States and other Western and Gulf States are interfering and causing more harm an…
(2020-08-17). 'Regime Change' in Belarus Looks Like an Objective of Both the Trump Administration and the Biden Campaign. globalresearch.ca It seems that whoever wins the presidency, United States foreign policy will keep chugging away at intervening across the world, including via "regime change" efforts. Over the last couple decades, targets for US-government-supported overthrow have included Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, …
(2020-08-17). Lebanon Devastated by Corruption, Economic Collapse, and Beirut Explosion. globalresearch.ca A perfect storm affects Lebanon and vast majority of its near-seven million people, including: | Out-of-control rampant corruption. | Unemployment of a third or more of working-age Lebanese. | Poverty exceeding 50% of the population. | Over 80% inflation since last October, debasing the …
(2020-08-17). China Announces Its First COVID-19 Vaccine Patent. telesurenglish.net China's National Intellectual Property Administration Monday granted the first patent to a COVID-19 vaccine developed in the Asian nation. | RELATED: | The Ad5-nCoV vaccine was co-developed by CanSino Biologics, the Beijing Biotechnology Institute, and a People's Liberation Army (PLA) team. | During the next year, the vaccine will be for the military forces' exclusive use. However, the military high command will be responsible for autho…
(2020-08-17). US Snapback From Humiliation. thealtworld.com American President Donald Trump has darkly warned of something big this week, vowing to apply "snapback" international sanctions on Iran. It would be a drastic move and likely to further isolate Washington in the eyes of the world. | But the real snapback is Washington's fury after the United States was subjected to a humiliating diplomatic defeat at the UN security council last week. | A proposal by the US for the United Nations to extend an arms embargo on Iran was decisively rejected by the security council comprised of five permanent members and 11 non-permanent members. Russia and China voted against the…
(2020-08-17). India: Motherson's "inquiry" rubber stamps sacking of strikers. wsws.org The ongoing persecution of Motherson autoparts strikers was facilitated by the Maoist Left Trade Union Centre's betrayal of the 140-day walkout.
(2020-08-17). Indiana Rank-and-File Safety Committee demands reinstatement of whistleblower at Faurecia Gladstone plant. wsws.org The newly-formed Faurecia Gladstone Rank and File Safety Committee is also demanding an immediate halt on the part of the company and the local union to all forms of intimidation and harassment.
(2020-08-17). Modi govt attempts to dilute Indian environment laws amid pandemic. peoplesdispatch.org India's right-wing government is set on diluting its environment protection laws. In yet another neoliberal move, the government has proposed amendments in the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) process that will make it easier for private capital to exploit natural resources.