2019-08-09: News Headlines

RT (2019-08-10). Biden & AOC lead Democrats to land where facts don't matter and truth is make-believe. rt.com From Joe Biden announcing he chooses "truth over facts" and Congresswoman AOC more concerned about being "morally right," their frustration with President Donald Trump is making Democratic Party luminaries run afoul of reality.

Staff (2019-08-09). Will India's Occupation of Kashmir Become Colonization? therealnews.com Prof. Junaid Ahmad says India's revocation of Kashmir's autonomous status not only increases tensions between India and Pakistan, but is designed to lead into a situation where India encourages colonial settlement in the region and eventual annexation, along the lines of Israel's occupation of Palestinian land…

Staff (2019-08-09). How Israel's Erasure of Palestinian History Perpetuates Occupation. therealnews.com Prof. Ilan Pappe discusses why Israel's agency in charge of nuclear security hid documents about the Nakba, the catastrophe in which Palestinians were driven from their land in 1948, explaining that it was an effort to eliminate the Palestinian narrative…

The Canary (2019-08-09). Democracy activists begin three-day protest at Hong Kong airport. thecanary.co Pro-democracy activists are demonstrating at Hong Kong airport even as the city sought to reassure visitors of their welcome despite increasing levels of violence surrounding the two-month-old protest movement.The government concedes road blockages and confrontations between police and protesters have caused inconvenience, but says they were limited to specific areas.The protests, however, are not abating and more are planned for this weekend, including at the airport, where protesters holding signs staged a sit-in at the arrival and departure halls.Police said they had not received a formal application for the a…

Ellen Brown (2019-08-09). Neoliberalism Has Met Its Match In China. dissidentvoice.org Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (Andy Wong/AP) When the Federal Reserve cut interest rates last week, commentators were asking why. According to official data, the economy was rebounding, unemployment was below 4% and gross domestic product growth was above 3%. If anything, by the Fed's own reasoning, it should have been raising rates. …

Chris Gelardi (2019-08-09). The Tragic Story of Jimmy Aldaoud, Deported From the Streets of Detroit to His Death in Iraq. theintercept.com Aldaoud was targeted as part of an ongoing ICE crackdown on Iraqi communities. His family and supporters say the agency bears responsibility for his death.

Margot Patterson (2019-08-09). U.S. Imperialism, Iran and the Context for War. counterpunch.org The Trump administration's efforts to collapse Iran's economy can't be divorced from the history of U.S. imperialism. If Americans remember the 1979 student takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and the 444 days in which 52 U.S. diplomats and embassy staff were held hostage, Iranians remember the 1953 CIA coup that brought down the More

Gregory Shupak (2019-08-09). The NYT's Pro-War Arguments Against War With Iran. fair.org by Gregory Shupak Once you're debating who ought to start a war, you've abandoned the anti-war argument (New York Times, 6/20/19). | The New York Times has published five editorials since the beginning of May that are ostensibly critical of a possible military war between the United States and Iran. As anti-war arguments, however, they are woefully lacking—vilifying Iran without subjecting the US to comparable scrutiny, and hiding US aggression towards Iran. | The editorials regurgitate the same anti-Iran demonology pro-war voi…

The Canary (2019-08-09). Nagasaki mayor hits out at nuclear powers on 74th anniversary of bombing. thecanary.co The mayor of Nagasaki has criticised nuclear states including the US and Russia as the city marked the 74th anniversary of the atomic bombing which ended the Second World War.Tomihisa Taue said nuclear powers are undermining the survivors' efforts towards building a nuclear-free world.The mayor lamented that the idea of "useful" nuclear weapons appears to be gaining traction.People attend a mass at the Urakami Cathedral in Nagasaki to mark the 74th anniversary of the world's second atomic bomb attack (Kyodo/AP)He said both the US and Russia are returning to the development and deployment of nuclear weapons, as th…

teleSUR (2019-08-09). Guatemala Cannot Be 'Safe Third Country', US Congresswoman Says. telesurenglish.net U.S. Congresswoman Norma Torres (D-CA) said Thursday that Guatemala does not have the capacity nor the conditions to become a "Safe Third Country" (STC) because it is not able to accommodate asylum seekers that the United States would send to stay there while they process their immigration requests. | RELATED: | Guatemala Farmers Strike Against US Migration Deal | "I believe that I have been very clear in my opinion about this … Guatemala is not prepared to receive thousands of people,"

Staff (2019-08-09). Headlines for August 9, 2019. democracynow.org Mitch McConnell Says Senate Will Take Up Gun Bills, But Not Until September, President and First Lady Pose with Infant Orphaned in El Paso Massacre, Man with Guns and Body Armor Sparks Panic at Missouri Walmart, Home of Interracial Couple in Ohio Torched in Apparent Hate Crime, Over 100 Immigrant Hunger Strikers Tear-Gassed Inside ICE Jail, ICE Releases Some of the 680 Immigrants Swept Up in Massive Mississippi Raid, Mentally Ill Michigan Man with Diabetes Dies After Deportation to Iraq, ICE Agents, Lacking Warrant, Denied Entry to Brooklyn Homeless Shelter, Hundreds of Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Protesters Occupy A…

Glen Black (2019-08-09). A protester claims Bahraini embassy staff beat and threatened him on a London rooftop. thecanary.co A human rights protester took to the roof of the Bahrain embassy in London on 26 July. Video uploaded online showed him sitting at the roof's edge before someone appeared to pull him back onto the roof. And what he said happened next made him 'fear' becoming "a second… Khashoggi". | Beaten, punched, and choked: | As The Canary previously reported, human rights activist and journalist Moosa Mohammed [Moosa Abd Ali]…

United Nations (2019-08-09). Friday's Daily Brief: Indigenous Peoples' Day, Yemen food aid, IDs for Rohingya, protect fleeing Malians, Nagasaki Peace Ceremony. un.org Our main stories: 'Promote' indigenous peoples' languages urges Guterres; WFP resumes Yemen food aid; 500,000 Rohingya ID cards issued; Malians fleeing violence need protection; Nagasaki Peace Ceremony message…

teleSUR (2019-08-09). Indian Troops Fire Tear Gas and Arrest Over 500 in Kashmir. telesurenglish.net Indian police used tear gas and pellets to fight back at least 10,000 people protesting Delhi's withdrawal of special rights for Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir state in its main city of Srinagar, Friday, says a police official and witnesses. | RELATED: | Kashmir Under Seige: Is India Using Israel's Colonial Playbook in Kashmir? | The demonstration soon after Friday prayers was the largest since authorities locked down the revolt-torn region five days ago, cutting…

teleSUR (2019-08-09). France Fires Back at Trump Over Iran Comments. telesurenglish.net France's Foreign Ministry has fired back at U.S. President Donald Trump over his recent comments about Paris' relationship with Iran, which the American leader criticized in a Twitter rant. | RELATED: | France: Police Repress Yellow Vest Protest in Nantes | In a written statement on Friday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that his country does not need Trump's opinion on Iran. | "France speaks for itself on Iran as a sovereign power," Le Drian stated. "France is deeply committed…

Ramzy Baroud (2019-08-09). The War on Innocence: Palestinian Children in Israeli Military Court. counterpunch.org On July 29, 4-year-old Muhammad Rabi' Elayyan was reportedly summoned for interrogation by the Israeli police in occupied Jerusalem. The news, originally reported by the Palestinian News Agency (WAFA), was later denied by the Israeli police, likely to lessen the impact of the PR disaster that followed. The Israelis are not denying the story in More

Stephen Lendman (2019-08-09). US and Turkey Collude to Steal Northern Syrian Territory. globalresearch.ca Troops of both countries illegally occupy northern Syrian territory bordering Turkey, including its oil rich area. | On the phony pretext of protecting Turkey's security, President Erdogan is intermittently battling Kurdish YPG fighters cross-border in Syria — despite their posing no …

Stephen Lendman (2019-08-09). US vs. China: A Clash of Civilizations? globalresearch.ca In promoting destructive "Western values," hardline academic Samuel Huntington once said the following: | "The West must exploit differences and conflicts among Confucian and Islamic states to support in other civilizations groups sympathetic to Western values and interests — to strengthen …

United Nations (2019-08-09). More than half a million Rohingya in Bangladesh get ID cards for first time: UN refugee agency. un.org More than 500,000 Rohingya refugees who fled a brutal crackdown in Myanmar two years ago, have received identification cards that the UN insisted on Friday were critical to safeguarding their right to return home.

The Canary (2019-08-09). Green turtles more likely to eat plastic that looks like their natural food. thecanary.co Hungry green turtles are being fooled by plastic that looks like their natural diet, new research suggests.The unsuspecting creatures are more likely to swallow plastics that resemble sea grass, potentially from sources like bin bags, and fragments of fishing rope and carrier bags.They strongly favour narrow lengths of the material in natural colours like green and black, rather than debris of other shapes and colours, a study has found.Scientists from the University of Exeter and the Society for the Protection of Turtles examined the guts of turtles found washed up on beaches in Cyprus. | All of the turtles whos…

United Nations (2019-08-09). Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders ready for talks with UN chief on improved relations. un.org Leaders of the Greek and Turkish parts of the divided island of Cyprus have agreed to meet with the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, in order to "plan the way forward", and improve the daily lives of all Cypriots, a statement from the UN Mission in Cyprus, declared on Friday.

Jonah Raskin (2019-08-09). David Horowitz's Hate Group, Civil War and the White House. counterpunch.org "People are scared and frightened. The country is on the verge of a war between people of color and law enforcement, and the White House seems to be spurring it on." — Greg Sarris, Chairman the Federated Indians of the Graton Rancheria Last month, I wrote an article about the 1970s clandestine organization, the Weather Underground, More

WSWS (2019-08-09). Indo-Pakistani conflict sharpens with New Delhi's assault on Kashmir. wsws.org In response to India's aggressive and patently illegal moves to tighten its control over disputed Kashmir, Pakistan has taken a raft of retaliatory measures and issued thinly-veiled war threats.

South Front (2019-08-09). Video: Syrian Army Makes Fresh Gains in Battle for Northern Hama. globalresearch.ca On the morning of August 7, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the Tiger Forces advanced on positions of radical militants in northwestern Hama. During the day, units of the SAA and the Tiger Forces liberated the villages of Arbeen …

Steven Sahiounie (2019-08-09). Pentagon Warns of Resurgence of ISIS in Syria and Iraq. globalresearch.ca A recent report issued by the U.S. Pentagon's Inspector General warns of conditions in Syria and Iraq which potentially could allow for ISIS to spread once again. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had not read the report but recalled the …

Ulson Gunnar (2019-08-09). US Leaves INF Because of "Russia Violations," Now Encircles China with Offensive Missiles. globalresearch.ca We're told that the US withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty singed in 1987 between the US and Soviet Union was based on claims that Russia had violated it. | While we continue waiting for Washington to provide evidence …

F. William Engdahl (2019-08-09). Will China Trigger Next Financial Tsunami? globalresearch.ca With the US decision to impose added tariffs on more than $300 billion of China trade, and the US Treasury declaring China a "currency manipulator", global financial markets have reacted with sharp selling. The question is whether this is the …

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2019-08-09). Mobility and Maginot Lines: China Hysteria Down Under. globalresearch.ca The blinkered security establishment is standard fare in politics. From Washington to Manila, we hear of terrors and concerns which tend to more spectral than not. Legitimate concerns such as catastrophic environmental failure, or a nuclear accident, are treated with …

Ellen Brown (2019-08-09). Neoliberalism Has Met Its Match in China. We're in a Trade and Currency War. globalresearch.ca When the Federal Reserve cut interest rates on July 31st for the first time in more than a decade, commentators were asking why. According to official data, the economy was rebounding, unemployment was below 4%, and GDP growth was …

The Canary (2019-08-09). Malaysia charges 17 Goldman Sachs figures over 1MDB scandal. thecanary.co Malaysian prosecutors have filed criminal charges against 17 more current and former directors at three Goldman Sachs subsidiaries over their role in the alleged multibillion-dollar ransacking of state investment fund 1MDB. | Malaysian and US prosecutors allege that bond sales organised by Goldman Sachs for 1MDB provided one of the means for associates of former Malaysian leader Najib Razak to steal billions over several years from a fund that was ostensibly set up to accelerate Malaysia's economic development. | The government filed criminal charges in December against Goldman Sachs and two former executives for…

Andrew Korybko (2019-08-09). Crisis in Kyrgzyztan: Another Color Revolution or Even Civil War? globalresearch.ca The historically unstable Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan was suddenly thrown into yet another crisis after the former president and his supporters opened fire on the special forces that were dispatched to serve a warrant for his arrest on corruption …

Padraig McGrath (2019-08-09). How Pervasive Is Saudi Penetration of Western Political Systems? globalresearch.ca When the Royal Marines seized the Iranian-owned Grace 1 supertanker off Gibraltar on July 4th, then British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt hailed the seizure as a sign that Iran had "no place to hide." On July 19th, when the Iranian …

United Nations (2019-08-09). FROM THE FIELD: Conversations about Conservation. un.org Indigenous peoples in the Philippines are increasingly involved in the national conversation about protecting and conserving the South East Asian country's key biodiversity areas, thanks to support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Anna Massoglia (2019-08-09). Embattled Kuwaiti defense contractor building foreign influence operation with firms tied to Mueller probe. nationofchange.org A Kuwaiti defense contractor that plead guilty to stealing U.S. government funds is assembling a team of lobbyists and foreign influence operatives from high-profile, and sometimes controversial, firms. Agility Public Warehousing recently inked contracts with three firms to represent its interests through lobbying and foreign influence campaigns, the first time the Kuwaiti defense contractor has …

Staff (2019-08-09). Defense Contractor Builds Lobbying Team With Firms Tied to Mueller Probe. truthout.org | | A Kuwaiti defense contractor that pleaded guilty to stealing U.S. government funds is assembling a team of lobbyists and foreign influence operatives from high-profile, and sometimes controversial, firms. | Agility Public Warehousing recently inked contracts with three firms to represent its interests through lobbying and foreign influence campaigns, the first time the Kuwaiti defense contractor has been listed as a foreign principal under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. All of the fi…

United Nations (2019-08-09). UN food aid to Yemen will fully resume after two-month break, as Houthis 'guarantee' delivery. un.org Life-saving food aid distribution is set to resume to 850,000 people in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, following guarantees by Houthi opposition forces that the supplies will reach those who need them most, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday.

Matt Field (2019-08-09). A Cross Taken from a Nagasaki Cathedral after the Atomic Bombing Gets Returned 74 Years Later. globalresearch.ca Short on time and fuel, the crew members of the B-29 bomber Bockscar flew over Nagasaki, Japan, scanning for an opening in the clouds. They had already abandoned their initial target, the city of Kokura, due to low visibility. Over …

No Nukes Action (2019-08-09). Rally To Stop Restarting of Japanese NUKE Plants, Defense Of Families-Children. indybay.org San Francisco Japanese Consulate | 275 Battery St near California St. | San Francisco…

peter_b (2019-08-09). Timorese hail Witness K and Bernard Collaery as 'heroes'. greenleft.org.au The Movement Against the Occupation of the Timor Sea (MKOTT), a Timorese activist group based in Dili, condemned the Australian government on August 9 for its ongoing prosecution of Witness K and his lawyer Bernard Collaery, over the exposure of Australian secret service bugging of Timorese government offices, labelling it as an "attack on freedom of expression and democracy". | Timor-Leste is preparing to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the referendum in 1999, when the Timorese people voted overwhelmingly to be independent of Indonesian occupation. On the same day (August 30), the governments of Timor-Leste an…

susan_p (2019-08-09). The rebellion in Hong Kong is intensifying. greenleft.org.au Hong Kong's ongoing protests are a dramatic reminder that mass street demonstrations can defeat seemingly undefeatable legislation. | Last month, the million-strong marches forced the Hong Kong government to shelve its China extradition bill, which critics say would allow Beijing to muzzle dissident voices in the former British colony. Unsatisfied with mere suspension, protesters have demanded the bill's complete withdrawal and the…

Vijay Prashad (2019-08-09). There must be bones under the paved street. mronline.org On 6 August 1945, the United States military dropped a bomb that contained 64kg of uranium-235 over the city of Hiroshima (Japan). The bomb took just over 44 seconds to fall from 9,400 metres and detonated 580 metres above the Shima Surgical Clinic. Over 80,000 people died instantly. This was the first use of the […] | Source

Ellen Brown (2019-08-09). Neoliberalism Has Met Its Match in China. commondreams.org China thinks this is a better banking model than the private Western system focused on short-term profits for private shareholders. (Photo: Thomas Peter-Pool/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/china.png

Sapphira Lurie (2019-08-08). Fordham U students win fight to have Palestine rights club. liberationnews.org On Aug. 5, Justice Nancy Bannon of the Supreme Court of the State of New York annulled Fordham University's decision to ban Students for Justice in Palestine from its campus.

Staff (2019-08-08). Kashmir Under Siege: India Moves to Annex Territory, Heightening Tensions with Nuclear Rival Pakistan. democracynow.org Tensions are escalating over the disputed region of Kashmir following India's revocation earlier this week of its special status, which granted the area some autonomy. Kashmir remains on lockdown, with internet and other communications blocked and leaders placed under house arrest. The Modi government has also deployed tens of thousands of additional troops in Kashmir. Pakistan announced Wednesday it would expel India's ambassador and stop its newly appointed envoy from assuming his position in New Delhi. It also announced it was cutting off all bilateral trade with India. We speak with three guests: Sanjay Kak,…

Staff (2019-08-08). New Israeli Military Strategies for Annexation and Undermining Palestinian Identity. therealnews.com Shir Hever discusses two new Israeli military strategies, presented by Israeli chief of staff Aviv Kochavi, who calls for a more deadly invasion of Gaza, and former general Yossi Kuperwasser's plan of "changing the Palestinian narrative" in order to annex Palestinian land…

Habib Ahmadzadeh (2019-08-08). Iranian War Veteran Gives Advice to Trump. dissidentvoice.org Dear President Trump, In a recent Tweet, you claimed that "Iranians never won a war, but never lost a negotiation." As a world citizen and a veteran of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, I have firsthand experience with the bitterness of war, and I have a few suggestions and responses for you. First, I would advise you against …

unitedEditor (2019-08-08). "Global Hawk" drone: evidence of Iran's advanced defensive capability. uwidata.com The recent downing of an American "Global Hawk" drone by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards is evidence of Iran's advanced defensive capability. Iran has proven that it can answer a direct military threat, even from a global power like the US. The same can be said for the UK, whose international immunity provided by world authorities …

Ali A. Taj (2019-08-08). Obama, Biden, Mattis and Clapper Expressed Skepticism on Syria, so Why Is Gabbard Singled Out? mintpressnews.com Why must Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard be smeared and attacked for questioning the mainstream narrative on Syria when even Barack Obama has done the same?

Reese Erlich (2019-08-08). Foreign Correspondent: The U.S. Trade War with China is Not Going So Well. progressive.org For the past year, the U.S. has escalated economic warfare with grudging acceptance by high-level Democrats and Republicans.

Stephen Lendman (2019-08-08). Escalating US War on China by Other Means. Undermining Stability in Asia-Pacific Region. globalresearch.ca The US is hostile toward all nations it doesn't control, waging war on them by naked aggression and other means, including against China. | Pressuring and bullying the country to bend to its interests failed, what Trump and hardliners surrounding him …