(2020-08-19). Popular viral video firm sues Facebook over Russian propaganda label. mronline.org 
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.
(2020-08-19). Trump Is Losing the Tech War Against China. thenation.com Trump Is Losing the Tech War Against China…
(2020-08-19). If we recognize Israel regime, we should give up Kashmir. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 19 (MNA) — PM Imran Khan says Pakistan will not recognize Israel regime until the Palestine issue is resolved and if recognizes it, Pakistan must then give up Kashmir as well, due to its similar background with Palestine.
(2020-08-19). This Op-Ed Can Get Us Arrested in the Philippines. zcomm.org What if state officials targeted people who shared an Instagram post criticizing the government for criminalizing the poor and not providing mass testing or economic relief?
(2020-08-19). Saudi Arabia Is Just An Honest America: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix. thealtworld.com ~ | Look at Yemen with fresh eyes and it will haunt your dreams and fill you with mountain-moving rage. | That's why people don't. | That's why people should. | ~ | Steal from the wealthy and give a bit to your friend and they'll call you a thief. Steal from the working class and give a bit to agendas you approve of and they'll call you a philanthropist. | ~ | Placing yourself in the ideological center between two corporatist warmongering parties doesn't make you a centrist, it makes you a corporatist warmonger. | ~ | Watching liberals fake enthusiasm for Biden/Harris is like watching women fake enthusiasm in rea…
(2020-08-19). Iran remains main supporter of Resistance against Zionists. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 19 (MNA) — Condemning the UAE' tie normalization with the usurping Zionist Regime, the representative of Islamic Jihad in Lebanon called Iran as the main supporter of Resistance Front in the fight against the Zionists in the region.
(2020-08-19). Zarif felicitates new Omani counterpart on appointment. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 19 (MNA) — In a Wednesday tweet in Arabic, Iranian FM Zarif congratulated his new Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood AlBusaidi on his appointment.
(2020-08-19). Intelligence forces dismantle big ammunition smuggling gang. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 19 (MNA) — Iran's Intelligence forces have identified and dismantled a big arms and ammunition smuggling band in Alborz Province.
(2020-08-19). Iran's COVID-19 death toll passes 20,000. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 19 (MNA) — According to Iranian Health Ministry, the novel coronavirus claimed 153 lives in Iran in the past 24 hours, putting the total number of cases in the country at 20,125.
(2020-08-19). Zarif, Atmar discuss Afghan peace talks on phone. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 19 (MNA) — In a telephone conversation, Iranian FM Zarif and the Caretaker of the Afghan Foreign Ministry Mohammad Hanif Atmar conferred on Afghan peace talks.
(2020-08-19). Philippines reports 4,650 new coronavirus cases, 111 additional deaths. yenisafak.com The Philippine health ministry on Wednesday confirmed 4,650 new coronavirus infections and 111 additional deaths.In a bulletin, the ministry said total confirmed cases have risen to 173,774, the highest in Southeast Asia, while deaths have increased to 2,795.The government on Wednesday relaxed a strict lockdown in the capital and nearby provinces, allowing more business establishments to resume operations.
(2020-08-19). Brent oil price down with halt in US-China trade talks. yenisafak.com Oil prices eased on Wednesday after stagnant US economic stimulus talks, and with US President Donald Trump postponing US-China trade talks.International benchmark Brent crude was trading at $45.05 per barrel at 0614GMT for a 0.9% decrease after closing Tuesday at $45.46 a barrel.American benchmark West Texas Intermediate was at $42.56 per barrel at the same time, down 1.3% after ending the previous session at $43.12 a barrel.Trump on Tuesday said he postponed trade negotiations with China, commenting that he does not want to talk to China "right now."Scheduled talks between representatives from the US and China…
(2020-08-19). Dozens of Jewish settlers storm Al-Aqsa complex. yenisafak.com Dozens of Jewish settlers forced their way into Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex on Wednesday, according to an official with the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf. "Ninety-eight Jewish settlers have entered the compound since the morning, accompanied by Israeli police," the official told Anadolu Agency.He said the settlers entered through the compound's al-Mugharbah Gate, while more settlers are expected to enter the complex during the day to perform their rituals.Al-Aqsa represents the world's third-holiest site for Muslims, while Jews refer to the area as the "Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two Je…
(2020-08-19). Philippines work on use of saliva for COVID-19 testing. yenisafak.com Researchers in Philippines are working to see the possible use of saliva as a sample for coronavirus testing.Maria Rosario Vergeire, a health department official, said Wednesday Filipino researchers were working on the "method of collecting saliva samples for almost a month now," daily Phil Star reported.The archipelago nation Wednesday reported 4,650 new cases and 111 deaths due to the virus. The national death toll climbed to 2,795 after fresh fatalities, while the number of total infections hit 173,774."That is being studied by our lab experts' panel. We forwarded it to our laboratory experts' panel to study a…
(2020-08-19). Russia reports 4,828 new coronavirus cases. yenisafak.com Russia reported 4,828 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, pushing its nationwide tally to 937,321, the fourth largest in the world.Russia's coronavirus taskforce said 117 people had died over the last 24 hours, bringing its official death toll to 15,989.
(2020-08-19). Syria's Idlib records first coronavirus death. yenisafak.com The first coronavirus death in Syria's northwestern Idlib province was recorded, according to health officials. | "A female patient in her 80s died from the virus," the interim government's Health Minister, Maram al-Sheikh, said in a statement late Tuesday. | He indicated that the patient had suffered from a chronic kidney failure. | A total of 54 virus infections have been recorded in areas under the Syrian opposition, of which 46 recovered as of Wednesday.
(2020-08-18). Trump or Biden: Any Difference for the Global South? globalresearch.ca Congress decided to go on vacation while millions of U.S. workers are in economic limbo and while the United States continues to engage in criminal activity, such as when it seized four Iranian oil tankers that were on their way …
(2020-08-18). 'What Happens If Julian Assange Dies In A British Prison?'. popularresistance.org For Assange however, justice delayed is not only justice denied. With global attention shifting from Wuhan to Washington, from Minneapolis to Lebanon, the father of two young children has spent another five months in incarceration without access to lawyers or family visitations. It follows what is approaching ten years of what the United Nations has repeatedly labeled arbitrary detention — the British government has so far failed to respond to three separate U.N. reports and correspondences on the matter. | Serena Tinari, a Switzerland-based investigative journalist, condemned Britain's handling of the case…
(2020-08-18). Headlines for August 18, 2020. democracynow.org Virtual DNC Kicks Off with Calls for Unity, Speeches by Michelle Obama and Bernie Sanders, UNC Switches to Remote Classes After 177 Students Contract COVID-19, Indigenous Groups in Brazil Protest Gov't Inaction on Coronavirus; South Korea Outbreak Grows, Postmaster General Agrees to Testify as Fears Mount over USPS Changes That Could Threaten Election, Special Tribunal Delivers Verdict over 2005 Killing of Ex-Lebanese PM Rafik al-Hariri, Mapuche Protesters Demand Hunger-Striking Leader Be Released, Spanish Royal Family Confirms Exiled Former King Juan Carlos Is in UAE, Trump Admin Finalized Plan to Open Alaska's…
(2020-08-18). Israel strikes Hamas 'special forces unit' in Gaza amid continued rocket & balloon attacks (PHOTOS, VIDEOS). rt.com 
The Israeli military struck several Hamas targets in Gaza, including an alleged elite "special forces" unit, in response to rocket and explosive balloon attacks — the seventh consecutive day of strikes on the Palestinian enclave. | The late-night air raids reportedly targeted sites south of Gaza City on Tuesday, among them a Hamas special forces command post, according to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), who said the operations came in retaliation for attacks launched from Gaza earlier in the day. | "A rocket and explosive balloons were launched from Gaza into Israel today. In response, we struck Hamas…
(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). SouthCom Feels Threatened By Russia's 'Fundamental' Support Of Venezuela. popularresistance.org The head of the Southern Command of the United States Armed Forces, Craig Faller, declared that Russia and Cuba represents a threat to them due to the "fundamental" support they give to Venezuela, a country on which the Donald Trump regime has imposed a brutal total blockade and continually threatens military invasion. | In viralized statements on social networks, Faller says that they have had to set off the alarms because of "the size of the threat" represented by "Russian influence" and the support that the Eurasian country gives to the government presided over by Nicolás Maduro. | "I cannot describe the size…
(2020-08-18). Don't be Hoodwinked by Trump's UAE-Israel "Peace Deal" counterpunch.org 
"HUGE breakthrough today," crowed Donald Trump on twitter as he announced the new peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The deal makes the UAE the first Gulf Arab state and the third Arab nation, after Egypt and Jordan, to have diplomatic ties with Israel. But the new Israel-UAE partnership should fool
(2020-08-18). Don't Be Hoodwinked by Trump's UAE-Israel 'Peace Deal'. strategic-culture.org Medea BENJAMIN, Ariel GOLD | "HUGE breakthrough today," crowed Donald Trump on
(2020-08-18). Supporting communities and refugees in Lebanon a 'top priority': UNHCR chief. news.un.org The head of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) is in Lebanon to drive home the message of solidarity with all those affected by the devastating blast a fortnight ago, reaching out to both Lebanese and the many refugees and migrants sheltering in the country.
(2020-08-18). A view from a South Asian revolutionary on Kamala Harris — a WW commentary. workers.org 
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 is now the . . . |
(2020-08-18). 'Little Fires Everywhere': Slow burn uncovers layers of the family archaeology. peoplesworld.org 
Hulu Network's compelling miniseries Little Fires Everywhere bursts into flames across the television screen. It ignites viewers' curiosity from the very first shot. The flames engulfing Elena Richardson's imposing Georgian mansion burn brilliant red against the dark night sky. The material comfort and achievement of her life, as well as the home to her family …
(2020-08-18). India's Frontline Health Workers Laboring Through the Lockdown. counterpunch.org 
"We have gone through a lot of strain during the lockdown. Apart from the Covid-19 surveys, I handled 27 childbirths from just April to July. Right from the mother's check-up to taking her to the primary health centre for delivery, I was there for all of them," says Tanuja Waghole, an ASHA worker — accredited
(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). The Heat: U.S.-China Trade. america.cgtn.com 
Despite escalating diplomatic and political tensions between the United States and China, both sides remain committed to a trade deal. At the beginning of 2020 the U.S. and China signed Phase One of a bilateral trade agreement. It signaled a truce in their bruising dispute …
(2020-08-18). Australian police raid fishing boat and find 1 TON of cocaine, worth up to $180 MILLION. rt.com 
Australian law enforcement has seized around a ton of cocaine after dramatically raiding a moving vessel which had received the major transfer of drugs from another boat, about 200 nautical miles off the coast of Newcastle. | Saturday's raid followed an Australian border force investigation, which began last week after authorities spotted a ship moving in an unusual trajectory from the coast of China. A fishing vessel named the Coralynne approached the boat from China and allegedly performed an "at-sea transfer of illicit drugs bound for Australia," New South Wales Police reports. Police posted a video of the…
(2020-08-18). More than 100,000 evacuated as southwestern China stricken by worst floods in decades (VIDEO). rt.com 
Authorities in China's southwestern Sichuan province have raised the flood emergency alert to the highest level for the first time on record as local rivers broke their banks and flooded the cities, sparking massive evacuations. | Continuous rainfall has caused the worst flooding in Sichuan in some 70 years. More than two dozen of the region's major rivers overran their banks with muddy swelling waters flooding urban areas. The streets of Leshan — a major provincial city located at the confluence of two rivers — have been almost entirely submerged by water. | Footage published by the Ruptly video…
(2020-08-18). #YoKamalaSoIndian hashtag trends in India as locals mock Biden's VP pick's persistent public demonstration of own identity. rt.com 
Indian Twitter users have been reacting to Kamala Harris' "first Indian-American vice-presidential candidate" status by jokingly trying to imagine the US politician actually living in their country. | The Twitter trend under the hashtag #YoKamalaSoIndian began on Tuesday, after an earlier New York Times Indian netizens overdressed the California senator in various stereotypes and some local insights about their culture, j…
(2020-08-18). Indian country? Memes and mockery greet Elizabeth Warren's DNC appearance at Native American Caucus. rt.com 
The Democratic National Convention came in for a round of online ridicule after Senator Elizabeth Warren, who once passed herself off as Native American, took part in discussions of how Covid-19 affected the "Indian country." | Warren (D-Massachusetts) spoke at the Native American Caucus virtual panel on Tuesday, the second day of the convention, to accuse President Donald Trump of having "failed Indian Country" by not sending enough coronavirus relief to the tribes. | | Elizabeth Warren speaking now. | Talking about how Trump admin has "f…
(2020-08-18). Twin 6.8 & 6.9 magnitude earthquakes strike Indonesia. rt.com 
A pair of powerful earthquakes has rocked the Indonesian coast, measured 6.8 and 6.9 magnitude, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), shaking the island of Sumatra. | The two quakes struck off Sumatra's western coast on Wednesday morning, with an estimated depth of 22km (13 miles) and 26km (16 miles) respectively. The first tremor impacted an area some 144km (89 miles) away from Bengkulu, while the second came closer to the city at 130km (80 miles). | There are no reports of injuries as of yet, however local media said the quakes shook the homes of island residents "as if a truck had passed" and did "m…
(2020-08-18). Nothing better to do, Mike? Pompeo 'gotchas' RT by revealing his nonsensical Iran quote is ACTUALLY by OBAMA. rt.com 
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo apparently thought that 'revealing' a nonsensical quote he posted about Iran sanctions was actually authored by President Barack Obama somehow invalidated RT's coverage of reactions to it. | RT.com "got it wrong again," Pompeo tweeted on Tuesday, saying that it was President Barack Obama who made a statement we attributed to him. "He told Congress, rightly, that the US could snapback sanctions on Iran anytime and no country could block it. It is still true now. I'll wait for your correction." | Hey
(2020-08-18). Vodka no longer in top 50 items sold in Russian alcohol stores — time to retire tired & outdated Russian drinking stereotypes? rt.com 
In the first seven months of 2020, Russians were less likely to buy vodka, preferring to purchase other drinks – primarily beer – in alcohol stores, according to the analytical department of cashback company CheckScan. | By studying 130,000 receipts from two of Russia's most popular liquor chains, 'Krasnoe & Beloe' and 'Bristol', the analysts discovered that Russians have turned towards beer as their beverage of choice. From January to July, the golden brew took the top spot in alcoholic rankings every single month, with the old Soviet-era staple, vodka, failing to even make the top 50. | We are now a long way…
(2020-08-18). Not with a bang, but a whimper: Final 'Russiagate' report provides 'BREATHTAKING' evidence of… nothing. rt.com 
A new Senate report resurrects the corpse of 'Russiagate' and promises new evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow. However, it reached its so-called conclusions by relying on some literal fake news. | The Senate Intelligence Committee released its fifth and final
(2020-08-18). Charity describes journeys of refugees fleeing war and forced military service. thecanary.co 
For children fleeing persecution and forced military service, the cold and dangerous trip across the Channel is just one part of their long and frightening journey.Some seek safety from violence perpetrated by Daesh (ISIS/Isil) in "lawless" Iraq while others have been sent away by their families to stop them being forced into a life as a child soldier, a charity says.Many of the young people who arrive in Dover in dinghies have travelled across Europe with no parents, guardians or relations with them.Until recently they have been taken into the care of Kent County Council but yesterday it announced it had reached…
(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). Seth Rogen Turns the Truth Into a Joke. counterpunch.org 
Just how much erosion has support for Israel suffered among Western Jews under the age of 40? The polls are not much help, because they tell contradictory stories. However, in anecdotal terms, there is a strong sense that the gap is growing between an increasingly rightwing and racist Israeli society and younger, liberal/progressive Western Jews.
(2020-08-18). Class struggle in Jerusalem. peoplesworld.org 
Founded by the Israeli Communist Party in 1977, Hadash seeks to unite Jews and Arabs along class lines. Its main principles are an end to the Israeli occupation of 1967 and the foundation of a sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel; equality for ethnic minorities, and the advancement of women's and worker's rights. Hadash is represented …
(2020-08-18). 'Palestine Is a Red Line', Morocco-Israel Relations, Netanyahu's "Normalization" Machine? Moroccan Writers Boycott UAE, Israel. globalresearch.ca Five Moroccan authors have announced their decision to boycott an Emirati literary prize in objection to the UAE's "normalization" deal with Israel, Spanish newspaper According to the report, the Moroccan writers all expressed their dismay and disappointment …
(2020-08-18). Hands off Lebanon: Macron's Self-serving 'New Pact' Must Be Shunned. mintpressnews.com Devastated Lebanon is now receptive to another bout of 'disaster capitalism': the notion that a country must be on its knees as a prerequisite to foreign economic takeover, political and, if necessary, military intervention.
(2020-08-18). Hands Off Lebanon: Macron's Self-Serving 'New Pact' Must Be Shunned. commondreams.org The destroyed port a day after a massive explosion rocked Beirut, killing at least 100 people and injuring thousands. (Photo: Marwan Naamani/picture alliance via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/macron-lebanon-baroud.jpg …
(2020-08-18). Trump Gives Chinese Parent Company 90 Days to Divest from TikTok. globalresearch.ca US cold war on China risks turning hot if bipartisan hardliners in Washington push things too far. | Their hostile actions are all about wanting China's development, growth, and prominence on the world stage undermined. | Since Trump took office, scores of …
(2020-08-18). "Fake News": Iran Paid Taliban to Kill US Troops… Big Lies Take a Life of Their Own. globalresearch.ca When repeated ad nauseam, Big Lies take on a life of their own. | Before the television age arrived, famed actor/humorist Will Rogers once said: "All I know is what I read in the papers." | He might have added that mind …
(2020-08-18). Afghanistan: Missiles Hit Near Kabul's Diplomatic District. telesurenglish.net Afghanistan's Interior Ministry Tuesday announced that a dozen people were injured after several rockets hit the diplomatic district known as the Green Zone in Kabul. | RELATED: | "The rockets were fired from two vehicles parked at the Kabul Presidential Palace. Five men, four children, and a woman were injured," Interior Ministry's spokesman Tariq Arian said. | So far, authorities have not reported any fatalities du…
(2020-08-18). Bridging Asia-Pacific 'digital divide' vital to realize tech benefits. news.un.org Countries across Asia and the Pacific are using new technologies to contain the global pandemic and mitigate its impact, the UN's regional socio-economic development arm has said, as governments and experts work together to identify ways to innovate further, and build back better, after COVID-19.