Russian opposition figure detained ahead of Moscow protest
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-08-03
A leading opposition figure has been detained by Moscow police as she was heading to an unauthorised protest against the exclusion of independent and opposition candidates from the city council elections.Lyubov Sobol, who is one of the election hopefuls rejected from the ballot, was detained on Saturday in central Moscow and taken away in a police van.Activists intend to go ahead with the unauthorised protest (AP)The attempted rally comes a week after police detained nearly 1,400 protesters, beating some of them with truncheons.Despite repeated warnings that police would take active measures against a protest on…
thecanary.co/global/2019/08/03/russian-opposition-figure-detained-ahead-of-moscow-protest/

Weekend Read: The SPLC fights an internal threat to our democracy
splcenter.org | 2019-08-03
In his recent testimony before Congress, Special Counsel Robert Mueller pointedly warned the nation about Russia's ongoing attempts to meddle in our nation's elections.
splcenter.org/news/2019/08/03/weekend-read-splc-fights-internal-threat-our-democracy

A Major Conventional War Against Iran Is an Impossibility. Crisis within the US Command Structure
Prof Michel Chossudovsky | globalresearch.ca | 2019-08-03
What both the media and military analysts fail to acknowledge is that US CENTCOM's forward Middle East headquarters at the al-Udeid military base close to Doha de facto "lies in enemy territory". Since the May 2017 split of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Qatar has become a staunch ally of Iran…
globalresearch.ca/a-major-conventional-war-against-iran-is-an-impossibility-crisis-within-the-us-command-structure/5682514

US Defense Official Wants to Deploy Missiles to Asia
telesurenglish.net | 2019-08-03
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper stated on stated on Saturday that he is in favor of deploying ground-launched, intermediate-range missiles in Asia relatively soon, a day after the United States withdrew from a landmark arms control treaty. | RELATED: | China Vows to Retaliate if Trump Imposes New Tariffs | These comments by Esper come just a day after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to slap new sanctions against China. | "Yeah, I would like to," Esper said, when asked whether h…
telesurenglish.net/news/US-Defense-Official-Wants-to-Deploy-Missiles-to-Asia-20190803-0005.html

The Western Alliance is Falling Apart
Peter Koenig | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-08-03
Ever since Imran Khan became the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan in August 2018, the winds have changed. While his predecessors, though generally leaning eastwards, have often wavered between the US and the China orbit, Khan is in the process of clearly defining his alliances with the east, in particular China. This is for the …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/08/the-western-alliance-is-falling-apart/

"Greater Israel": The Zionist Plan for the Middle East
Israel Shahak | globalresearch.ca | 2019-08-03
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…
globalresearch.ca/greater-israel-the-zionist-plan-for-the-middle-east/5324815

Iran's Interests in China's One Belt One Road Policy
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-08-03
The Chinese economy has recently boosted its foreign exchange earnings and substantially increased its currency reserves. The increase in China's foreign exchange reserves and resources has provided the government with the opportunity to become one of the major actors in the supply of international relations and the global economy. China is one of the emerging …
uwidata.com/4707-irans-interests-in-chinas-one-belt-one-road-policy/

War Is Hell. Why Are We Waging an Endless One?
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-08-03
| Friday, August 2, marked the 29th anniversary of Operation Desert Shield, the military action that heralded the onset of the Gulf War in Iraq. That conflict, shifting from one iteration to the next, never ended. | Desert Shield became Desert Storm, which then became a long, violent police action under the Clinton administration. During that period, sanctions against Iraq were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of children. Smal…
truthout.org/articles/war-is-hell-why-are-we-waging-an-endless-one/

As the Far Right Goes Global, So Do Anti-BDS Bills
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-08-03
| Israeli politics have moved into uncharted territory over the past several months, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu found himself unable to form a coalition large enough to claim victory in last spring's elections. However, even as the Israeli state enters into political turmoil at home, it is becoming increasingly immune to criticism from the internat…
truthout.org/articles/as-the-far-right-goes-global-so-do-anti-bds-bills/

United Church of Canada should Come Clean on Anti-Palestinian Accord
Yves Engler | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-08-03
Toronto church Trinity-St. Paul's shameful suppression of a Palestinian youth cultural event highlights anti-Palestinian rot festering in the United Church of Canada. It ought to also shine a light on a little discussed anti-Palestinian accord UCC leaders signed with Israel lobby groups five decades ago. Under pressure from B'nai B'rith and the Jewish Defence League …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/08/united-church-of-canada-should-come-clean-on-anti-palestinian-accord/

1 dead, 5 injured in second Enbridge pipeline explosion this year
Olivia Rosane | nationofchange.org | 2019-08-03
A natural gas pipeline owned by Canadian company Enbridge exploded in Kentucky early Thursday, sending flames 300 feet into the sky, killing one woman and sending five people to the hospital, CBS News reported. The blast was so strong it showed up on radar. | "It was like an atomic bomb went off, basical…
nationofchange.org/2019/08/03/1-dead-5-injured-in-second-enbridge-pipeline-explosion-this-year/

Trump's trade war measures hit the financial markets
wsws.org | 2019-08-03
In its analysis of the latest turn in the trade war, the South China Morning Post said China had to decide either to a walk away from the negotiations or make major concessions to the US.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/03/trad-a03.html

A $32mn nothingburger: Justice Dept bill comes due for Russiagate costs
rt.com | 2019-08-03
Nearly two years of fruitlessly hunting for collusion between US President Donald Trump's campaign and the Russian government cost the country $31.7 million, the Justice Department has revealed. | …
rt.com/usa/465706-mueller-investigation-cost-justice/

List of Northern California Restaurants with Shark Fins on the Menu
Ban Shark Fin Sales! | indybay.org | 2019-08-03
As Shark Week continues, restaurants across the nation are contributing to the rapid decline in shark species by serving up soup made from shark fins, despite bans in 12 states and counting. According to an online database maintained by the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), nearly 200 restaurants across the country continue to offer shark fin products, including shark fin soup, a traditionally expensive East Asian dish associated with banquets and celebrations. Dozens of these restaurants are violating their state's prohibition on shark fins and shark fin products. California, for instance, leads the nation in the…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/07/31/18825117.php

Rashida Tlaib defends Democratic Party collaboration with Trump on immigration
wsws.org | 2019-08-03
The Democratic congresswoman, a member of the DSA, demands "more training" for agents inflicting gross human rights violations.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/03/tlai-a03.html

US scrapping of INF treaty heightens threat of nuclear war
wsws.org | 2019-08-03
The formal abrogation of the treaty declared on Friday sets the stage for the testing and deployment of medium-range missiles against both Russia and China.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/03/inft-a03.html

Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific
wsws.org | 2019-08-03
The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/03/labo-a03.html

Humanitarian crisis in Maxmur refugee camp
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-03
The Maxmur (Makhmour) refugee camp, in Iraqi Kurdistan (Bashur/Southern Kurdistan), is home to over 13,000 Kurdish refugees and is located in a town 60 kilometres south-west of the capital, Erbil. Many of the camp's residents were forced to flee their homes in 1993-1994 as the Turkish state pursued a brutal campaign of aggression against the Kurdish people, destroying thousands of villages and displacing hundreds of thousands of people. | In August 2014, as ISIS was overrunning large parts of Iraq and Syria, the terrorist organisation targeted Maxmur as a step to advancing on Erbil. ISIS invaded and occupied the…
greenleft.org.au/content/humanitarian-crisis-maxmur-refugee-camp

Syria's "Opposition" Fails to Represent Syrians
Steven Sahiounie | globalresearch.ca | 2019-08-02
The Syrian population residing in Syria is suffering from having barely survived eight years of war. They didn't leave for camps in Turkey, Jordan or Lebanon, or they are those who have returned to Syria from having been in camps. …
globalresearch.ca/syrian-opposition-fails-represent-syrians/5685456

Canadians have a Right to Know if their Wine Was Made on Stolen Land
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-02
Dimitri Lascaris discusses the decision of a Canadian federal court to ban wine from illegal Israeli colonies to be labelled as "made in Israel." This issue reaches far beyond Canada, as many states debate these issues around the world…
therealnews.com/stories/canadians-have-a-right-to-know-if-their-wine-was-made-on-stolen-land

Guardianship System Eased, but Saudi Arabia Still Oppresses Women
Medea Benjamin | counterpunch.org | 2019-08-02
The Saudi government announced it will be eliminating part of the male guardianship system, finally granting women the right to obtain passports and travel (if 21 years of age or over), and obtain family identification cards without the need for male authorization. The change comes in the context of the bad publicity that Saudi Arabia…
counterpunch.org/2019/08/02/guardianship-system-eased-but-saudi-arabia-still-oppresses-women/

'La vacuna contra el unilateralismo': el Movimiento de Países No Alineados se reúne en Venezuela para resistir contra la tiranía del dólar
Anya Parampil | thegrayzone.com | 2019-08-02
Cobertura de The Grayzone desde la conferencia ministerial del Movimiento de Países No Alineados (Mnoal), donde representantes de más de…
thegrayzone.com/2019/08/02/movimiento-de-paises-no-alineados-venezuela-dolar/

Philippines Deadliest Place for Land Activists: Global Witness
telesurenglish.net | 2019-08-02
The Philippines is the deadliest country for environmentalists and activists, Global Witness said after a new report revealed 30 murders transpired last year. | RELATED: | Philippines: 13th Journalist Murdered Since Duterte Took Power | Eighteen percent of the world's 164 environment-related deaths took place in the Philippines, the international watchdog…
telesurenglish.net/news/Philippines-Deadliest-Place-for-Land-Activists-Global-Witness-20190802-0009.html

No, Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard Is Not "Assad Apologist"
Sarah Abed | globalresearch.ca | 2019-08-02
With nearly two dozen declared candidates competing for the 2020 Democratic Presidential primary field and the opportunity to run against Donald Trump in the general election, it's no surprise that candidates are trying their best to "destroy" their opponents during …
globalresearch.ca/no-democratic-congresswoman-tulsi-gabbard-not-assad-apologist/5685451

Guardianship System Eased, but Saudi Arabia Still Oppresses Women
Medea Benjamin | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-08-02
The Saudi government announced it will be eliminating part of the male guardianship system, finally granting women the right to obtain passports and travel (if 21 years of age or over), and obtain family identification cards without the need for male authorization. The change comes in the context of the bad publicity that Saudi Arabia …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/08/guardianship-system-eased-but-saudi-arabia-still-oppresses-women/

Coming to Terms with the Past by Honoring Historical Truth: The Case of Fulbright University Vietnam
Mark Ashwill | counterpunch.org | 2019-08-02
No man in the whole world can change the truth. One can only look for the truth, find it and serve it. -Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) Thanks to a Google Alert, I learned that Dam Bich Thuy, founding president of Fulbright University Vietnam (FUV), was at Carthage College, a small liberal arts institution in Wisconsin, to deliver…
counterpunch.org/2019/08/02/coming-to-terms-with-the-past-by-honoring-historical-truth-the-case-of-fulbright-university-vietnam/

Palestinian refugees in Lebanon struggle for justice
Liberation Staff | liberationnews.org | 2019-08-02
This guest statement on the Lebanese government's recent restrictions on work permits for Palestinian and Syrian refugees is by Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition.
liberationnews.org/palestinian-refugees-in-lebanon-struggle-for-justice/

An American Jew Looks at the Palestine Question
Jeff Cooper | counterpunch.org | 2019-08-02
I am Jew, a non-religious Jew of European origin, living in the U.S.A. What is my connection to Israel and what right do I have to speak? It can be tempting to distance myself from the conflicts of Palestinian Arabs and Israeli Jews, enacted far away. But as a Jew, I do have, for more…
counterpunch.org/2019/08/02/an-american-jew-looks-at-the-palestine-question/

UAE Withdrawal from Yemen. Turning Point. Did the Ansar Allah Just Win the Yemeni War?
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2019-08-02
The announcement that the UAE is in the process of a large-scale military drawdown in Yemen has been met with rapturous applause by the Ansar Allah's supporters who believe that this unofficially acknowledges their victory in the conflict, but these …
globalresearch.ca/did-ansar-allah-really-just-win-yemeni-war/5685403

Prohibiting Maintenance of Tanker Off Yemeni Coast, Saudis Risk Explosion and Environmental Disaster
Ahmed Abdulkareem | mintpressnews.com | 2019-08-02
mintpressnews.com/maintenance-fso-safer-tanker-yemen-saudi-arabia-oil-spill/261112/

A Mother, Six Newborns Die Every Two Hours in Yemen
Daily Sabah | globalresearch.ca | 2019-08-02
As the world approaches the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), mothers and children continue to bear the brunt of the ongoing Saudi-led war in Yemen. The brutal conflict continues to cost the lives …
globalresearch.ca/mother-six-newborns-die-every-two-hours-yemen/5685436

Ship of Fools: Britain, America and the Iranian Oil Tanker Incidents
T.J. Coles | counterpunch.org | 2019-08-02
Taking over from Britain's colonial role in exploiting the country, the US has bullied and tried to intimidate Iran for decades. The ongoing pretext for strangling Iran economically is that Iran is developing nuclear weapons. The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency repeatedly finds no evidence for this repeated US-led lie. Then-US President Barack Obama's Task…
counterpunch.org/2019/08/02/ship-of-fools-britain-america-and-the-iranian-oil-tanker-incidents/

Why Did the UK Commander of HM Montrose Refrain from Firing on Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC)? Who in Iran Gave Orders to Capture the "Stena Impero"?
Elijah J. Magnier | globalresearch.ca | 2019-08-02
The US officially asked Europe, in particular the UK, France, Germany and Italy, to provide a naval force to patrol and protect ships sailing in the Straits of Hormuz, even if the command and control is handled by the Europeans …
globalresearch.ca/why-did-the-uk-commander-of-hm-montrose-refrain-from-firing-on-irans-revolutionary-guards-irgc-who-in-iran-gave-orders-to-capture-the-stena-impero/5685433

The MEK: Illusion vs. Reality
Robert Fantina | counterpunch.org | 2019-08-02
The oddly named People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (known as the MKO or MEK), whose sole purpose is the overthrow of the people's government of Iran, has been busy. Some of their members, who seem to be mainly elderly, are technologically savvy, and use social media to further their disgraceful cause. But they don't just…
counterpunch.org/2019/08/02/the-mek-illusion-vs-reality/

Video: Game Changer: What's Behind US-Turkish Conflict over S-400 Deal
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2019-08-02
According to the Turkish National Defense Ministry, receipt of the first batch of Russian S-400 missile defense systems was completed on July 25th. Besides making headlines all around the world and causing a harsh response from the US, …
globalresearch.ca/video-game-changer-whats-behind-us-turkish-conflict-s-400-deal/5685372

UN chief laments ending of Cold War-era disarmament treaty
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-02
Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his "deep regret" on Friday that the landmark Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty betweein the United States and Russia came to an end.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1043691

U.S. to Test New Weapon as Arms Treaty With Russia Dies
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-08-02
Washington and Moscow walked out of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty that Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev signed in 1987.
truthdig.com/articles/u-s-to-test-new-weapon-as-arms-control-treaty-with-russia-dies/

Update: Devonia Inman's Chance to Prove His Innocence
Murderville, GA | theintercept.com | 2019-08-02
More than eight years after DNA evidence revealed the state of Georgia sent the wrong man to prison for murder, Inman may have a chance to prove his innocence.
theintercept.com/2019/08/02/update-devonia-inmans-chance-to-prove-his-innocence/

The Western Alliance Is Falling Apart
Peter Koenig | globalresearch.ca | 2019-08-02
Turkey has become a de facto lame duck as a NATO member and may soon officially exit NATO which would be a tremendous blow to the Western Alliance — and may tempt other European NATO nations to do likewise. Probably not overnight, but the idea of an ever more defunct NATO is planted.
globalresearch.ca/western-alliance-falling-apart/5685408

Dr. Raouf Halaby: "All the Gulf Arabs Are Sleeping in The Same Bed with Israel"
Mohsen Abdelmoumen | counterpunch.org | 2019-08-02
Mohsen Abdelmoumen: How do you analyze the unconditional support of the United States for Israel's criminal Zionist entity? Dr. Raouf Halaby: Unfortunately, American politics has been plagued with bribery in the form of political campaign contributions. Money buys power, access to media, and the ownership of media centers. Whether newspapers or TV, access to and ownership of these…
counterpunch.org/2019/08/02/dr-raouf-halaby-all-the-gulf-arabs-are-sleeping-in-the-same-bed-with-israel/

Video: Al Qaeda Idlib "Militants" Rescued by Another "Ceasefire", Israeli Airstrikes against Syrian Army Positions
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2019-08-02
On August 1, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies continued their advance on militants' positions in northern Hama liberated the villages of Mushairifah, Aziziah, Abu Raeida Gharbi and Abu Raeida. | According to local sources, SAA units also pushed …
globalresearch.ca/video-al-qaeda-idlib-militants-rescued-by-another-ceasefire-israeli-airstrikes-against-syrian-army-positions/5685452

The Rise of China and the Decline of American Power
Christopher Black | globalresearch.ca | 2019-08-02
The imperialist powers have a long history of colonialism in China, of reducing its people to beggars in their own land. The British, the French, the Germans, the Americans, the Japanese, all are guilty of crimes against China that cannot …
globalresearch.ca/china-conclusion-american-power/5685416

China Vows to Retaliate if Trump Imposes New Tariffs
telesurenglish.net | 2019-08-02
China did not take lightly to U.S. President Donald Trump's recent threats to impose new tariffs, as Beijing has vowed to take retaliatory measures against Washington should they go through with this trade tax. | RELATED: | US Withdraws From 1988 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty | On Friday, China warned the U.S. that they would not be blackmailed and vowed tit-for-tat measures if Trump goes through with his threat to slap a 10 percent tariff on US$300 billion of Chine…
telesurenglish.net/news/China-Vows-to-Retaliate-if-Trump-Imposes-New-Tariffs-20190802-0003.html

Trump's New Tariffs on China Help Pay for his Corporate Tax Cut
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-02
Trump's claim that China is paying for the tariffs is completely false and basically serves to redirect income from his poor supporters to his wealthy supporters. Not only that, the policy will have the consequence of further isolating the United States, says Michael Hudson…
therealnews.com/stories/trumps-new-tariffs-on-china-help-pay-for-his-corporate-tax-cut

Liz Cheney equates saving bears with destroying American way of life
Native News Online Staff | peoplesworld.org | 2019-08-02
This article was reposted from Native News Online. RIVERTON, Wyo. — On a momentous day for Tribal Nations, Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-WY), the House Republican Conference Chairwoman, stated that the successful litigation by tribes and environmentalists to return the grizzly bear in Greater Yellowstone to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) "was not based on science or …
peoplesworld.org/article/liz-cheney-equates-saving-bears-with-destroying-american-way-of-life/

As Trump Fans the Flames of Anti-Abortion Rhetoric, Kansas Offers a Cautionary Tale
Jordan Smith | theintercept.com | 2019-08-02
Threats against abortion providers have often been condoned by the state. Perhaps nowhere does history more clearly illustrate this point than in Wichita.
theintercept.com/2019/08/02/anti-abortion-violence-kansas/

Philippines: Duterte vetoes 'endo' bill, bats for 'zero' regulation of job contracting
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-02
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte vetoed the Security of Tenure Bill on July 26, which seeks to regulate the practice of job contracting (labour hire) in the country. | Popularly known as endo (literally, "end of contract") or contractualisation, job contracting is the practice of supplying workers to corporations through a third-party manpower agency. The agency assumes the role of employer, freeing companies from legal obligations to their workers. This includes denying the workers' right to collectively bargain when they form a union. | This unjust scheme results in precarious employment, leading to short-…
greenleft.org.au/content/philippines-duterte-vetoes-endo-bill-bats-zero-regulation-job-contracting

Homage to OSPAAAL, the organisation of solidarity for the peoples of Asia, Africa, and Latin America
Vijay Prashad | mronline.org | 2019-08-02
Dear Friends, Greetings from the desk of the Tricontinental: Institute of Social Research. A few days ago, the 9th Asia Pacific Regional Conference of Solidarity with Cuba came to a close. At the final meeting, Prachanda–the co-chair of the Nepal Communist Party–articulated a sentiment that is shared by billions of people around the world. Cuba, he said, 'is […] | Source…
mronline.org/2019/08/02/homage-to-ospaaal-the-organisation-of-solidarity-for-the-peoples-of-asia-africa-and-latin-america/

Trump escalates trade war against China
wsws.org | 2019-08-02
The decision to impose a 10 percent tariff on $300 billion worth of Chinese goods, covering a wide range of consumer products, represents the most significant intensification of the more than year-long trade war to date.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/02/trad-a02.html

MSNBC paid me millions to 'keep quiet' on Iraq: Jesse Ventura to RT's Lee Camp
rt.com | 2019-08-02
Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura told RT's Lee Camp that his anti-war views were so unpopular at MSNBC, the network paid him something to the tune of ten million dollars to "keep quiet." | …
rt.com/usa/465691-msnbc-millions-jesse-ventura-iraq/