(2020-07-30). No to the New Cold war with China. mronline.org 
The African radical, anti-imperialist, internationalist movement, sees the Chinese state and the Chinese people much differently than the U.S. state and its ruling class.
(2020-07-30). Chomsky on Israel's Hindering of Palestinian Pandemic Response & Threat to Annex Occupied West Bank. democracynow.org 
Noam Chomsky says Israel's planned annexation of the occupied West Bank "basically formalizes" what has already been official policy over the last half-century, from both left-wing and right-wing parties in Israel. He compares Israel's treatment of Palestinians to anti-immigrant policies in the United States, and says the main goal of annexation is to take over as much territory while excluding its Palestinian inhabitants. "Israel does not want to bring Palestinian populations into the greater Israel they're constructing."
(2020-07-30). Headlines for July 30, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. COVID-19 Death Toll Tops 150,000 as Public Health Experts Call for "Reset" in Response, GOP Rep. Louie Gohmert Tests Positive for Coronavirus After Refusing to Wear Mask in Capitol, Brazil Records Record Daily Coronavirus Toll as Deaths Top 90,000, Mexico's Health Ministry Recommends Masks But Won't Require Them, Vietnam Reports First Coronavirus Cases in Months; Just 1,000 Pilgrims Join Hajj in Mecca, Oregon Governor Says Federal Agents Will Withdraw From Portland Amid Protests, Lawmakers Grill Big Tech CEOs Over Anticompetitive Practices, Extended Jobless Benefits Expiring as Lawmakers Fail to Break Stalem…
(2020-07-30). Ilhan Omar roasted for idea to replace police at schools with mental care workers; What if there's a shooting? people online ask. rt.com 
US Democratic Party Congresswoman Ilhan Omar was blasted on Twitter for proposing that police officers be swapped with mental health staff at schools. Many argued online that the idea would make the schools even less safe. | Omar tweeted that "over-policing doesn't make them safer — it criminalizes Black and brown students." Along with fellow Representative Ayanna Pressley, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chris Murphy, she proposed a bill to replace police officers at schools with mental health professionals. | Over-policing our schools doesn't make them safer — it criminalizes Black and brown student…
(2020-07-30). Yemen: A Torrent of Suffering in a Time of Siege. dissidentvoice.org 
When evil-doing comes like falling rain, nobody calls out "stop!" When crimes begin to pile up they become invisible. When sufferings become unendurable, the cries are no longer heard. The cries, too, fall like rain in summer. — Bertolt Brecht, "When evil-doing comes like falling rain" [Wenn die Untat kommt, wie der Regen fà§llt] (1935), …
(2020-07-30). Why is govt. unable to control COVID-19 surge in India. peoplesdispatch.org 
More testing but weak contact tracing, and no protection to workers is causing the surge but the Indian government led by prime minister Narendra Modi is living in la-la land…
(2020-07-30). The Heat: AIIB 2020 meeting. america.cgtn.com 
China reinforces the importance of globalization and international cooperation. We will take a look at the annual meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
(2020-07-30). List of Israeli Targets Leaked: Tel Aviv Fears the Worst in ICC Investigation of War Crimes. dissidentvoice.org When International Court of Justice (ICC) Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, confirmed last December that the Court has ample evidence to pursue a war crimes investigation in occupied Palestine, the Israeli government responded with the usual rhetoric, accusing the international community of bias and insisting on Israel's 'right to defend itself.' Beneath the platitudes and typical Israeli …
(2020-07-30). COVID-19: UN chief outlines path to sustainable, inclusive recovery in Southeast Asia. news.un.org Tackling inequality, bridging the digital divide, greening the economy, and upholding human rights and good governance will be critical for Southeast Asia to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN Secretary-General said on Thursday.
(2020-07-30). What Would It Take to Avert Military Escalation With China in the South China Sea? thenation.com What Would It Take to Avert Military Escalation With China in the South China Sea?
(2020-07-30). [Research Paper] Risk factors for developing into critical COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, China: A multicenter, retrospective, cohort study. thelancet.com We provide comprehensive front-line information about different severity of COVID-19 and insights into different risk factors associated with critical COVID-19 between sexes. These results highlight the significance of dividing risk factors between sexes in clinical and epidemiologic works of COVID-19, and perhaps other coronavirus appearing in future.
(2020-07-30). Corporate press promotes Susan Rice as Biden running mate. wsws.org The former Obama national security advisor is identified with illegal wars, drone missile assassinations and an aggressive posture towards both Russia and China.
(2020-07-30). The Beginning of the U.S.-Iran Hot War? zcomm.org President Trump remains committed to escalating against Iran even as the U.S. battles a worsening pandemic, an economic depression, and internal discord not seen in decades…
(2020-07-30). The Gulf War, 30 Years and Counting. counterpunch.org The consequences are still reverberating three decades on, obviously in Iraq and the Middle East but also further afield, after Saddam Hussein became the first Arab leader to invade another Arab nation. On Thursday, August 2, 1990, at about 2am, 100,000 Iraqi troops and 700 tanks smashed through Kuwaiti border posts. Saddam then announced that the emir of Kuwait had been deposed and the emirate was now Iraq's nineteenth province.
(2020-07-30). An Attack on Edward Said's Legacy. counterpunch.org I traveled to Israel and the Occupied Territories in the early 2000s with the progressive group Faculty for Israeli-Palestinian Peace. We made an effort to gain insight into most of the players in the conflict, and so a series of interviews was arranged with members of the Israeli right wing. I remember that one of
(2020-07-30). Rights groups demand release of activist Mohammad Amin in Pakistan. peoplesdispatch.org The 26-year-old activist was forcibly picked up from his residence in Karachi on July 14 and remains missing. Rights groups have blamed security forces for harassing his family and demanded his immediate release…
(2020-07-30). Greece ready to discuss maritime borders with Turkey. yenisafak.com Greece is seeking to hold talks on delimitation of maritime boundaries with Turkey, an official said Thursday.At a weekly news conference in Athens, government spokesman Stelios Petsas stressed the importance of open communication channels with Turkey, especially when tensions escalated, referring to the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.He went on to say Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis held a phone talk with Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiadis over the arrival of Turkish seismic vessel — Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa to the Turkish Cypriot side of the island.Turkey is a guarantor nation for the Turkish Re…
(2020-07-30). Pakistanis take livestock to 'cow wash' ahead of Eid. yenisafak.com The days leading up to the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha are busy for Uzair Dawood, the owner of a motorcycle wash in Pakistan's southern city of Karachi – not for fixing vehicles, but washing cattle.Eid al-Adha falls on Saturday in the South Asian nation, and like Muslims across the world, Pakistanis purchase cattle to sacrifice on the occasion as a religious obligation."It is very busy day just a day before Eid and we don't have time for a bike wash," Dawood told Reuters as he busied himself lathering a cow with soap before using the pressure hose to clean the animal.Sacrificial animals are treated with deference…
(2020-07-30). Russian, Turkish diplomats to discuss Libya in Moscow. yenisafak.com Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Alexey Zaytsev, deputy spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said that the delegations from the two countries will discuss "different aspects of the Libyan crisis," including disposition of the warring sides at the moment of the cease-fire declaration.Zaytsev recalled that the previous rounds of consultations on Libya were held in Turkey — In Istanbul in June and in Ankara in July.Asked about violations of arms embargo on Libya by Russia, he said "allegations are groundless" and that countries accusing Russia "directly involved in arms supplies to the Libyan warring…
(2020-07-30). 'China Not Strategic Threat to India', Beijing's Ambassador to New Delhi Assures. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Bilateral relations between India and China have touched a new low after a violent face-off between the armies of the two countries on 15 June, resulting in the death of 20 Indian soldiers.
(2020-07-30). Border Tensions: Why India Won't Become Washington's Bulwark Against China. sputniknews.com The US foreign policy establishment is deluding itself if it plans to use the India-China border conflict to pit New Delhi against Beijing while the US State Department is ramping up tensions with the People's Republic, says Suvam Pal, a Beijing-based Indian journalist and author.
(2020-07-30). 'She Handled This Very Well': 105-Year-Old Indian Woman Recovers From COVID-19 in 9 Days. sputniknews.com COVID-19 is considered to be particularly dangerous for the elderly, who are seen as one of the high-risk groups and are advised to be particularly cautious, sticking to enhanced social distancing guidelines and even self-imposed quarantines.
(2020-07-30). Smuggled 10th Century Statue of Lord Shiva to Return to India From the UK After 22 Years. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): The exquisite statue of Lord Natesh Shiva, the king of dancers, was in the possession of a private collector in London, who returned the idol to the High Commission of India in the UK in 2005. It was stolen in February 1998 from India's Ghateshwar Temple in Baroli, Rajasthan state.
(2020-07-30). Iranian Satellite Once Derided as 'Tumbling Webcam in Space' Snaps Pics of US's Largest Mideast Base. sputniknews.com The images were reportedly obtained amid the ongoing massive war games in southern Iran involving multiple branches of the armed forces, including elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) formations.
(2020-07-30). Trump Asks Why US Should Protect a Germany that 'Pays Russia Billions of Dollars for Energy'. sputniknews.com The Pentagon pressed forward with plans to withdraw nearly 12,000 personnel from Germany on Wednesday, with some of the troops to be redeployed to other European NATO nations while others are sent home. At the moment, there are about 36,000 US troops stationed in the Central European country. American troops have been on German soil since 1945.
(2020-07-30). Police bust over 1 ton illicit drugs in Iran's Mirjaveh. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 30 (MNA) — The police forces of the Sistan and Baluchestan province have confiscated 1,105 kilograms of illicit drugs in the southeastern borders.
(2020-07-30). Foreign Interference in Elections: Is it Real or Just Political Noise? strategic-culture.org A recently concluded British Parliamentary inquiry has determined that Russia may have The Parliament's Intelligence and Security…
(2020-07-30). CIA Fabricated Russiagate 'Evidence', Says Former NSA Tech Chief. strategic-culture.org Bill Binney has now laid out, in this speech, the evidence that he wants to present in court against Barack Obama's CIA, that it defrauded Americans to believe in "Russiagate" (the allegation that Russia 'hacked' the computers of Hillary Clinton and Democratic Party officials and fed that information to Wikileaks and other organizations). Binney cites evidence, which, if true, conclusively proves that Russiagate was actually created fraudulently by the CIA's extensive evidence-tampering, which subsequently became covered-up by the Special Counsel Robert Mueller, in his investigations for the Democratic Party's fi…
(2020-07-29). AG Bill Barr Grilled by House Lawmakers on Protest Crackdown, Voter Suppression & Pandemic Failures. democracynow.org 
We play highlights from Attorney General William Barr's grilling by the House Judiciary Committee over how he sent militarized federal forces to confront Black Lives Matter protesters, and his opposition to voting by mail, and get response from a close friend of Congressmember John Lewis who is now running for Senate. "In spite of the machinations of Donald Trump and those who do his bidding, including the attorney general, the good news is that we're seeing a multiracial coalition of people pouring out into American streets," responds Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock, "saying that we're concerned about the soul of our d…
(2020-07-29). Rev. Warnock of Ebenezer Baptist Church on Legacy of John Lewis & Ongoing Fight for Voting Rights. democracynow.org 
We look at the life and legacy of late civil rights icon and Georgia Congressmember John Lewis, who is being mourned across the U.S. and who became the first Black politician to lie in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. "The irony of this moment is that even as we celebrate and honor John Lewis, the patron saint of voting rights, he hailed from the state which in many instances is ground zero for voter suppression," says Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock, who serves as senior pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, was with Lewis in the final days of his life and will preside over his memorial service. "In recen…
(2020-07-29). Impressions From An Informal Meeting With Asma al-Assad, Syria. thealtworld.com 
I had been sitting in a small entrance room for what seemed less than a minute when the door opened and Syria's first lady, Her Excellency Asma al-Assad, greeted me with a warm smile, welcoming me inside a slightly larger sitting room. In official meetings I had had over the years in Syria, I was accustomed to a secretary or assistant escorting me into the meeting room. Asma al-Assad, however, does things up close and personal. | Over the years in Syria, I had heard from people I encountered that she and President Assad routinely meet with their fellow Syrians in crowded venues, mixing and engaging with the peopl…
(2020-07-29). Has anything changed since 1840? Trade, imperialism, Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta megacity. mronline.org 
In modern times, China has been the ultimate challenge for imperialists: it's independence being an enigma to Europeans and Americans. From Marco Polo to Mike Pompeo, China has been a mystery to Christian crusaders.
(2020-07-29). Trump's War on the Environment and Its Inhabitants. counterpunch.org 
Trump's climate denial has made the United States an environmental "pariah state" in a global community committed to addressing the problem of climate change. Trump's withdrawal from the Paris accord made the United States the only nation in the world to reject the climate accord. The two original outliers—Syria and Nicaragua—have joined, and Nicaragua stayed out initially because the agreement didn't go far enough. Trump has undermined the rich legacy of the Obama administration in the environmental field, which included getting the world's other major polluters—particularly China and India[mda…
(2020-07-29). Forget basic income—In Canada, the new normal should bring a public housing revolution. mronline.org 
"I had like $500 left in my account," my friend Jordan excitedly tells me. "I was seriously fucked for rent." Like millions of others, Jordan had entered his final few weeks of eligibility for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), the government's $2,000 per month unemployment program.
(2020-07-29). Jewish Labor Committee remembers coronavirus dead on traditional mourning day. peoplesworld.org 
BOSTON —Nineteen hundred and fifty years ago, in the year 70 CE (AD for non-Jews), the Romans conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the Second Temple, sacked and burned the city, slew tens of thousands of people and drove all but a few of the rest into exile. Ever since then, Jews worldwide have honored their dead on …
(2020-07-29). The UK's Russia Report on the "Londongrad Laundromat" counterpunch.org 
The UK parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), drawn from MPs and peers of all parties, last week published its report on possible Russian interference in UK politics. The report's release had been delayed by 9 months after it had been blocked by Boris "BoJo" Johnson in the run-up to the December 2019 general election.
(2020-07-29). US officials claim Russia is behind the spread of virus disinformation. thecanary.co 
US officials say Russian intelligence services are using a trio of English-language websites to spread disinformation about the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.The officials alleged Russian operatives have acted in seeking to exploit a crisis the US is struggling to contain ahead of the presidential election in November.Two Russians who have held senior roles in Moscow's military intelligence service known as the GRU have been identified as responsible for the effort to reach American and western audiences, according to the US government officials, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.The i…
(2020-07-29). Bye Bye Benjamin! Russia & China speed up de-dollarization process: most trade no longer conducted in greenbacks. rt.com 
After years of talking about abandoning the US dollar, Russia and China are doing it for real. In the first quarter of 2020, the share of the dollar in trade between the countries fell below 50 percent for the first time.
(2020-07-29). India to allow foreign universities to open campuses in country. rt.com 
India on Wednesday approved a plan to allow foreign universities to open campuses in the country. The move is part of efforts to boost education to strengthen the economy as it struggles with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. | Politicians affiliated with the left as well as PM Narendra Modi's ruling party have opposed several attempts by previous administrations to open up the sector to overseas institutions. However, many government officials have been pushing the move as more than 750,000 Indian students study abroad. | The country will allow "entry of top world ranked universities to open campuses in…
(2020-07-29). 'They never tell you there WERE people there': Seth Rogen stirs hornet's nest after saying Israel 'makes no sense'. rt.com 
Jewish actor Seth Rogen has courted controversy after saying that Israel's existence "doesn't make sense," and that young Jews are misled to believe the state was created peacefully, without displacing thousands of Palestinians. | "If it is truly for the preservation of Jewish people, it makes no sense, because again, you don't keep something you're trying to preserve all in one place especially when that place has proven to be… pretty volatile," Rogen told comedian Mark Maron on his 'WTF' podcast on Monday. | Rogen — who has been promoting his upcoming movie, 'An American Pickle,' a comedy-drama which…
(2020-07-29). Lebanon reinforces new Covid-19 lockdown measures after spike in new cases. rt.com 
The Lebanese government has decided to reinforce coronavirus lockdown measures after a spike in new cases. The country of some six million people has recorded a total of 3,879 cases of Covid-19, including 51 deaths. | Lebanon had gradually lifted lockdown measures and in early July opened Beirut airport to commercial flights, after a closure of more than three months. However, after new cases increased, the government ordered a nationwide lockdown from July 30 until August 3, coinciding with the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, Naharnet quoted Information Minister Manal Abdel Samad as saying. | The lockdown will…
(2020-07-29). WATCH: Protesters lay siege to NYPD police commissioner's home after viral van 'kidnapping' incident. rt.com 
Angry protesters have swarmed the NYPD commissioner's home on West 73rd street in Manhattan, in response to the arrest of a protester who was bundled into an unmarked van on Tuesday. | Furious that one of their own had been arrested in such a way, the protest march, which the 'kidnapped' woman was part of, made its way to NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea's home in the early hours of Wednesday morning, as eyewitness video from the scene purports to show. | "This is a raid, Commissioner Shea"
(2020-07-29). NYPD weighs in on viral protester 'kidnapping' video, says arrestee suspected of vandalizing cop cameras. rt.com 
The New York Police Department has addressed a viral video clip showing officers forcing an activist into an unmarked vehicle, insisting the protester was suspected of vandalism as critics deemed the arrest a lawless "kidnapping." | In footage that circulated on social media on Tuesday, plainclothes officers were seen cramming a woman into the back of an unmarked van as a crowd of angry demonstrators looks on in shock, with uniformed police swooping in to secure the area as the vehicle leaves the scene. The video has driven a wave of criticism directed at the NYPD, with many claiming the woman was 'kidnapped i…
(2020-07-29). Veteran diplomat becomes new US envoy for Arctic as Washington seeks greater role in region. rt.com 
The Trump administration on Wednesday named a special envoy for the Arctic, filling a post that had been vacant for more than three years. Washington is seeking a greater role in the region, trying to blunt growing Russian and Chinese influence there. | The State Department's appointment of veteran career diplomat Jim DeHart to be US coordinator for the Arctic came just a week after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo vowed enhanced US engagement in the Arctic, speaking during a visit to Denmark, AP reported. | The US opened a consulate in the semi-autonomous Danish territory of Greenland earlier this year as part…
(2020-07-29). Blow to go! Latest Russian plan to eliminate drink-driving — installing alcohol locks on all newly produced cars. rt.com 
Get ready for a new sensation: breathing into your car before it starts. In a bid to make roads safer, Russia's is planning to introduce 'alcolocks,' which require a driver to prove their sobriety before a vehicle moves. | According to Moscow business daily Kommersant, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is developing a plan to introduce alcohol locks en-masse. The technology, known as an 'ignition interlock device,' is already set to become mandatory in the European Union from 2022. | The locks work by making it impossible to start a car when alcohol above a certain threshold is detected in the driver's breath…
(2020-07-29). Lukashenko 'demands answers' as KGB chief briefs him on 'Russian mercenaries' detained in Belarus. rt.com 
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has ordered a thorough probe into what he called an "emergency situation" as security chief confirmed arrests of 32 suspected 'Wagner' private military recruits in a televised briefing. | Lukashenko on Wednesday told the head of the Belarusian National Security Service, the KGB, to launch a transparent and unbiased probe into the incident, which the media has been quick to tie to the upcoming presidential election. | "If these are indeed Russian citizens… we must immediately contact the Russian officials and demand that they explain what is going on," Lukashenko said…
(2020-07-29). Turkish parliament approves social media law with strict new powers. thecanary.co 
Turkey's parliament has approved a law that gives authorities greater power to regulate social media despite growing concerns over censorship.The law requires major social media companies such as Facebook and Twitter to keep representative offices in Turkey to deal with complaints against content on their platforms.If a social media company refuses to designate an official representative, the legislation mandates steep fines, advertising bans and bandwidth reductions.With a court ruling, bandwidth would be reduced by 50% and then by 50% to 90%. Bandwidth reductions mean social media networks would be too slow to…
(2020-07-29). Group of European MPs say 'no' to W.Bank annexation by Israel. yenisafak.com A group of European MPs from the UK, France, Ireland, and Belgium have released a statement on Wednesday to reject the "illegal plan" of Israel's annexation of part of the occupied West Bank.Convened by Stephen Kinnock, a British MP and the co-chair of the Britain-Palestine All-Party Parliamentary Group, the lawmakers agreed to challenge and seek to deter Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's controversial plan.Prompting parliamentary colleagues from Europe and the US to sign their statement to oppose the proposed annexation, the group also appealed the public members to forward it to their local MPs.- 'No…
(2020-07-29). 'Feeding a Bedouin': Roy Oz and Israel's Outrageous Racism. counterpunch.org On July 11, a video footage which showed a popular Israeli TV celebrity demeaning Palestinian children from the Bedouin community in the Naqab area went viral on social media. "Let's feed a Bedouin. Don't you want to feed a Bedouin?" Israeli Children TV host, Roy Oz, repeatedly asks his children, who were seated in the
(2020-07-29). List of Targets Leaked: Israel Fears Worst in ICC War Crimes Investigation. mintpressnews.com The fact that a "secret list" exists is an indication that Tel Aviv understands that this era is different and that international law, which has failed Palestinians for over 70 years, may, for once, deliver a small measure of justice.