2020-08-26: News Headlines

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-08-26). Reminder: The US Empire Tortures Journalists And Whistleblowers. thealtworld.com "He was wearing a yellow armband to indicate his level of prisoner status, and you could see how thin his arms were," Moris "Moris said her partner is still suffering from a frozen shoulder, and had recently sprained his ankle," PA reports. | "He is in a lot of pain," Moris added. | This additional physical pain is just one more piece of information on top of the mountain of evidence we already had that the United States and United Kingdom are t…

Andrew Korybko (2020-08-26). Can the US Stop Russia from 'Pulling a Crimea' in Belarus? globalresearch.ca US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun is rushing to Moscow from 25-26 August in a desperate attempt to stop Russia from "pulling a Crimea" in Belarus after the ongoing Color Revolution there has thus far failed to depose Lukashenko …

Staff (2020-08-26). Headlines for August 26, 2020. democracynow.org Two Killed as White Militia Member Fires on Black Lives Matter Protesters in Kenosha, WI, Family of Jacob Blake Demands Arrest of Officers Who Shot Him in the Back, Black Lives Matter Protesters Shot At While Marching in Pennsylvania, Republican National Convention Speakers Continue to Flout Hatch Act Ethics Laws, CDC Quietly Drops Test Recommendation for Asymptomatic People Exposed to COVID-19, Far-Right Militia Leader Ammon Bundy Arrested at Idaho State Capitol, Argentina Posts Record Coronavirus Toll; COVID-19 Resurgent in Europe, Hurricane Laura Could Become Category 4 Storm Ahead of Gulf Coast Landfall, Leba…

A Guest Author (2020-08-26). Socialist Cuba: a global leader in the fight against COVID-19. workers.org By Rosemari Mealy This is a slightly edited talk given at a Workers World Party webinar on Aug. 20 on "COVID can be defeated: Cuba, China, Venezuela and Vietnam lead the way." Cuban doctors battle COVID-19. I would like to thank Workers World for the opportunity to participate in this . . . |

RT (2020-08-26). Doves not in style? CNN & Fox cut Rand Paul's anti-war speech at RNC as he calls out Biden for backing wars in M. East, Serbia. rt.com Senator Rand Paul's (R-Kentucky) speech at the Republican National Convention was butchered by major cable networks, with CNN cutting it completely and Fox replacing the anti-war part with an interview. | Senator Paul, who frequently crossed swords with Donald Trump when both were vying to become the Republican presidential candidate in the 2016 race, admitted during his speech that he did not always agree with the president, but said that Trump's desire to put an end to the "endless wars" far outweighs their differences. | "I'm supporting President Trump because he believes as I do, that a strong America cann…

The Canary (2020-08-26). Belarus detains more people as protests demanding leader's resignation continue. thecanary.co Police in Belarus have detained more than 50 people across the country during protests demanding the resignation of its authoritarian leader.The renewed crackdown on protesters, who have been taking to the streets for over two weeks, comes as authorities crank up pressure on the opposition, jailing several activists, summoning others for questioning and selectively ordering dozens of demonstrators to appear in court.Belarus's Interior Ministry said 51 protesters were detained on 25 August at rallies that spanned across several cities.According to the Viasna human rights group, 15 people were detained in Minsk, th…

Thomas Klikauer — Nadine Campbell (2020-08-26). COVID-19 Changed Work in Germany. counterpunch.org Germany is generally known as a high-tech country producing machinery and cars. But a few decades ago, Germany passed the 50% mark, entering the service industry. The 50% mark indicated that more than half of Germany's wealth now comes from the service industry and no longer from making machines like Porsches and Volkswagens. By 2020,

Victor Grossman (2020-08-26). MIrror, Mirror Politics in Germany. counterpunch.org "Mirror, mirror on the wall…" Nearly every German knows the story of Snow White. Currently, the question of who is "fairest of them all" faces nearly every German political party or, in modern terms, who can attract more votes in next year's election. The U.S. equivalent question, which will seek and hopefully find answer much

Victor Grossman (2020-08-26). Mirror, Mirror Politics in Germany. zcomm.org "Mirror, mirror on the wall…" Nearly every German knows the story of Snow White. Currently, the question of who is "fairest of them all" faces nearly every German political party or, in modern terms, who can attract more votes in next year's election. The U.S. equivalent question, which will seek and hopefully find answer much

Stephen Brehe — Jim Nelson (2020-08-26). Could We Slide into the Abyss Like Germany in 1933? counterpunch.org Will Donald Trump leave office if he loses the election? Many are wondering how he might bend the law to stay in the White House. The president frequently inveighs against "voter fraud" and says his opponents will steal the election with fraudulent mail-in ballots. Further, he refuses to say if he will accept election results.

Global Research News (2020-08-26). Video: Covid-19 Lies: No Masks, No Lockdowns, No Social Distancing! Mass Mobilization in Ireland. globalresearch.ca Ireland is leading a movement. | The Statistics are manipulated. | More people will die as a result of the closing down of the global economy. | No justification for the schools to be closed down. | No justification to wearing a face mask. …

Leonid Savin (2020-08-26). The world is going to multipolarity. thealtworld.com Leonid Savin, a Russian political analyst, is of the opinion that the world is moving in the direction of "multipolarity" as the world is fed up with unipolar moves by Washington. | "The world is going to multipolarity, and humanity is tired of Washington's dominance and unipolar operations," Savin tells the Tehran Times. | Savin also says Moscow is looking to the East as Russians have bitter memories of the West. | "Russian decision-makers started looking to the East more and more. Because historically, we faced serious threats from the West." | Following is the full text of the interview: | Q: Iran and Russia a…

Raul Diego (2020-08-26). Cyber Command Gets New Surveillance Powers Under Guise of Battling Election Meddling. mintpressnews.com US Cyber Command and the Pentagon are availing themselves of the Russian meddling narratives and added a few others to justify the creation of a cyberwar army with international and domestic capabilities via the National Guard.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-08-26). Indian construction workers in Serbia protest demanding salary, food and repatriation. peoplesdispatch.org The New Communist Party of Yugoslavia (NKPJ) has expressed solidarity with the Indian workers and demanded proper action from authorities against Nikoliƒá LLC, the company which brought the workers to Serbia…

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-26). Iranian Animation "H2 Hope" vie at two intl. Film Festivals. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 27 (MNA) — The short animation "H2 Hope", co-directed by Ashkan Rahgozar and Negin Khajehaei, is accepted at the Bucheon International Fantasy Film Festival and the Comics and Animation Festival in Greece.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-26). The world is going to multipolarity: Russian analyst says. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 26 (MNA) — Leonid Savin, a Russian political analyst, is of the opinion that the world is moving in the direction of "multipolarity" as the world is fed up with unipolar moves by Washington.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-26). Iraq continuing anti-ISIL fight with Iran, Syria & Russia. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 26 (MNA) — The spokesman for the Joint Operations Command, Major General Tahsin al-Khafaji informed that the 'quadruple security center' comprised of Iraq, Iran, Russia and Syria, is continuing its fight against the ISIL.

_____ (2020-08-26). Teachers Organize As COVID-19 Outbreaks At Schools Concealed. popularresistance.org Using the fraudulent pretext of "protecting medical privacy," a growing number of states and school districts across the United States are deliberately concealing information from the public on COVID-19 outbreaks in schools that have reopened. These include the states of Maine, Virginia and Oklahoma, as well as Camden County, Georgia, and Orange County, Florida. In Tennessee, Louisiana, and many other states, the decision is left to each individual county, and an unknown number of county officials are concealing outbreaks in schools from the public.

sputniknews (2020-08-26). Russian COVID Vaccine for Kazakhstan to Be Produced by Partner of Russia's Sovereign Fund. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said on Wednesday that the production of Russia's coronavirus vaccine, dubbed Sputnik V, for Kazakhstan would be carried out by one of its international partners.

sputniknews (2020-08-26). Russia Ready to Start COVID-19 Vaccine Supplies to Brazil in November, RDIF CEO Says. sputniknews.com BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) – Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) CEO Kirill Dmitriev said on Wednesday that Russia is ready to start deliveries of the newly registered COVID-19 vaccine to Brazil in November.

sputniknews (2020-08-26). Russia, Iran, Turkey Issue Joint Statement on Syria Condemning Israeli Attacks, US Theft of Oil. sputniknews.com The statement was formulated on the sidelines of the meeting of the Syrian Constitutional Committee, a United Nations-facilitated negotiating platform aimed at reconciling the Syrian government and the opposition and establishing an enduring peace in the war-torn country.

sputniknews (2020-08-26). US General Milley Holds Phone Talks With Russia's Chief of General Staff. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, held a phone conversation with Russian Chief of the General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov, however, the details of the call will be kept private, a Joint Staff spokesperson, Col. Dede Halfhill, said in a Wednesday statement.

_____ (2020-08-26). Syria Faces Calamity as Trump's New Sanctions Combine With Surging Coronavirus. strategic-culture.org The number of Syrians who are food insecure has risen in the last six months by 1.4 million to 9.3 million, more than half the population, according to the WFP. The Caesar Act and coronavirus do not appear to be weakening Assad, Russia and Iran, but there is every sign they are together plunging ordinary Syrians into a deep and lethal quagmire.

yenisafak (2020-08-26). Protesters rounded up in Belarus; Nobel-winning writer due for questioning. yenisafak.com Belarusian police have rounded up dozens of protesters heading home from peaceful demonstrations, rights groups said on Wednesday, after days in which the authorities exercised comparative restraint towards mass anti-government rallies.The country's most celebrated writer, Nobel Prize-winner Svetlana Alexievich, was expected to appear for questioning later on Wednesday in a criminal investigation into an opposition council, two of whose leaders were jailed this week.President Alexander Lukashenko has faced more than two weeks of mass demonstrations against his 26-year rule since an election which his opponents sa…

yenisafak (2020-08-26). NATO calls for fair Belarus elections, denies military buildup. yenisafak.com NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday that any attempt by the Belarusian government to use the Western alliance as a scapegoat and crackdown on protests was "wrong and unjustified."Speaking in Berlin before a meeting of European Union defence ministers, Stoltenberg also called for free and fair elections in the country after an Aug. 9 election that opponents of President Alexander Lukashenko say was rigged."There is no military NATO buildup in the region, so any attempt by the regime in Belarus to use NATO as an excuse or a pretext to crack down on demonstrators in their own country is absolut…

yenisafak (2020-08-26). France's Macron to travel to Beirut on Sept. 1. yenisafak.com French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Beirut in Lebanon on Sept. 1, his office said on Wednesday.Macron was the first foreign leader to visit Beirut after a massive blast destroyed parts of the Lebanese capital in early August.

Paul Craig Roberts (2020-08-26). Liberal Folly Will Have Unintended Consequences. thealtworld.com In his 1978 book, Bonaparte, Correlli Barnett deconstructs Napoleon so thoroughly that it reads like a carricature of Napoleon's critics. The great general's victories are explained away as the results of the blunders of his opponents. Napoleon was saved time and again by the mistakes of his adversaries. Barnett does not explain how a man who never made a good decision dominated Europe for two decades. If Napoleon prevailed time and again despite his bad decisions, what was the quality of his opponents? | Barnett's Napoleon comes across as an American neoconservative who seeks hegemony via violence and not diplom…

Dr. Paul Craig Roberts (2020-08-26). Is the Russian Government as Insouciant as the American People? globalresearch.ca Something is wrong in the Russian government and in the governments of former Soviet Republics. | In 2014, the president of Ukraine stood aside and disarmed his police and Putin went off to the Olympics, while Washington-financed "Maidan protests" overthrew the …

Andrew Korybko (2020-08-25). Can The US Stop Russia From 'Pulling A Crimea' In Belarus? thealtworld.com US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun is rushing to Moscow from 25-26 August in a desperate attempt to stop Russia from "pulling a Crimea" in Belarus after the ongoing Color Revolution there has thus far failed to depose Lukashenko amid his dangerous saber-rattling with NATO, though it remains to be seen if the US and Russia can succeed in reviving their "New Detente" by reaching a pragmatic "compromise" on a "political solution" to this crisis or whether the situation has already gone so far that its current trajectory of either pro-Western regime change or (re)unification with Russia is irreversible. | Ha…

yenisafak (2020-08-25). Turkey rescues 68 asylum seekers in Aegean. yenisafak.com At least 38 asylum seekers were rescued from a dinghy off the coast of Seferihisar in Turkey's western Izmir province, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.Separately, another 30 migrants were rescued off Izmir's Foca district.After routine checks, the asylum seekers were taken to the provincial migration authority.Turkey has been a key transit point for asylum seekers aiming to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.Earlier this year, the country opened the way to irregular migrants seeking to reach Europe, accusing th…

Mike Walter (2020-08-25). The Heat: Belarus protests. america.cgtn.com Protests continue in Belarus weeks after President Alexander Lukashenko claims a landslide victory in the latest election.

RT (2020-08-25). Turkey will do what is necessary if Greece escalates Mediterranean conflict, foreign minister warns. rt.com Mevlut Cavusoglu said that his country is open to dialogue, but not with Greece's pre-conditions amid the ongoing sea shelf oil drilling dispute. | Turkey's top diplomat discussed the ongoing tensions Tuesday in Ankara during a joint press conference with his German counterpart Heiko Maas. The Turkish representative reiterated that his side would have no hesitation if a conflict with Greece occurs. | In Ankara Maas represented Germany's position and largely the European Union's, saying that the ongoing diplomatic crisis put Turkey's relationship with the EU at a crossroads. | Before his visit to the talks the…

RT (2020-08-25). Russia's Ministry of Education rejects proposed one-month delay to new school year, after appeal from parliamentary opposition MP. rt.com A Russian MP's proposal to start the school year a month later than normal to minimize the risks from the spread of coronavirus has failed to sway the Ministry of Education, meaning the official start date remains September 1. | Vasily Vlasov, of the nationalist LDPR had suggested that this year's summer break, which traditonally ends on the first day of September, should be extended by one month due to the pandemic. | In his letter to the education minister, seen by news agency RIA Novosti, the lawmaker cited Covid-19 statistics which currently show around 5,000 new confirmed cases every day. | "One more mont…

RT (2020-08-25). As Covid-19 drives the planet batsh*t crazy, Russia to study the feces of its own bat population to look for coronaviruses. rt.com With the world in the grip of a pandemic possibly caused by Chinese bats, Russia wants to make sure its own can't start another. Thus, a new study will check the country's bat population for the presence of coronaviruses. | National health watchdog Roszdravnadzor's Institute of Epidemiology will test nocturnal flying mammals from various regions of the country, including Moscow, Volgograd, and the Black Sea coast, enabling the scientists to determine how common coronaviruses are in different species. | The researchers plan to analyze more than 1,500 individuals by checking fecal samples, using a "high-performa…

RT (2020-08-25). Money for 'dead souls': In echoes of Gogol-era, Russia's pension fund pays out millions of dollars to deceased citizens every year. rt.com What would Nikolai Gogol make of this? The Pension Fund of Russia is paying out billions of rubles in pensions to the dead, enabling their relatives to withdraw and use the funds, according to the National Accounting Chamber. | In the famous 19th century novel, chronicling the wanderings of Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, the plot relies on "dead souls" (or deceased serfs) which are still accounted for in property registers. Now almost two centuries on, something similar continues in modern Russia. | The Chamber revealed that the pension fund is often late to receive notice of a citizen's death, leading to payments…

RT (2020-08-25). Despite Western hysteria over Russian hackers, up to 75% of global cyberattacks originate from US soil — top Moscow security chief. rt.com The lion's share of cyberattacks around the world originate from the US — a fact the West avoids mentioning too often. That's according to a high-ranking Russian official, citing research conducted by cybersecurity companies. | Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council Oleg Khramov said in an interview that the majority of hacks are conducted utilizing American IT infrastructure. | From 2016-19, 40 to 75 percent of all attacks were launched from US territory, while Russia was home to no more than two to seven percent of such cases, Khramov told the newspaper Argumenty i Fakty. This "clearly demons…

RT (2020-08-25). Poisoning protest leader Navalny 'would not benefit' Moscow, says Russian Foreign Ministry, labels Western allegations 'offensive'. rt.com Moscow does not stand to benefit from the alleged poisoning of anti-corruption activist Alexey Navalny, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said, noting the haste with which Western media and governments made the insinuation. | The ministry issued a statement on Tuesday evening, following a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, during which the subject of Navalny was raised, among other issues. | Lavrov pointed out the "suspicious haste" with which the narrative about Navalny's alleged poisoning was picked up in Washington and Brussels and instantl…

The Canary (2020-08-25). British Museum removes bust of its slave-owning founding father. thecanary.co The British Museum has removed a bust of its founding father, who was a slave owner, and said it wanted to confront its links to colonialism.Hartwig Fischer, the institution's director, revealed the likeness of Hans Sloane has been placed in a secure cabinet alongside artefacts explaining his work in the context of the British Empire.Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Fischer said: "We have pushed him off the pedestal. We must not hide anything. Healing is knowledge."The British Museum has moved a bust of its founding father due to his links to the slave trade (Tim Ireland/PA)The decision had been taken partly as a…

Anthony Cartalucci (2020-08-25). "Poisoned" Kremlin Critic Flown to Germany as German-Russian Nord Stream 2 Nears Completion. thealtworld.com The perfectly timed poisoning of unpopular, ineffective Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny and the involvement of Germany comes as Washington sought to place maximum pressure on Berlin to cancel the German-Russian Nord Stream 2 pipeline. | Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny — according to German doctors — was allegedly poisoned but is expected to survive. If Navalny was poisoned and the goal was to assassinate him, it was a poorly conceived, poorly executed, and most of all — poorly timed plan. | Navalny's sudden reappearance across the Western media comes just at the height of US attem…

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-08-25). Newly Strengthened Albanian Political Power in North Macedonia Will Not Lead to a Greater Albania. globalresearch.ca North Macedonia conducted elections on July 15 that were originally scheduled for April 12 but were postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. On August 18, the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) and the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) reached …

Stephen Lendman (2020-08-25). Belarus Opposition, Made in the USA. globalresearch.ca Longstanding US plans earmarked Belarus for regime change, wanting pro-Western puppet rule in another nation bordering Russia. | There's nothing spontaneous about mass protests that erupt in nations the US wants transformed into client states. | They're most likely to occur in …

_____ (2020-08-25). Belarus Opposition Candidate Revealed As Western Regime Change Puppet. popularresistance.org Belarus's political and social landscape grows more complex and precarious as time passes, with the aftermath of the recent election still unfolding. But what has already become apparent is that in this game of political chess, the people will not be winners. Because now-deleted webpages reveal opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya may be little more than a Western regime change puppet. And the end result will offer no solutions for ordinary Belarusians at all. | The situation in Belarus is extremely fluid.

_____ (2020-08-25). Belarus's Options In The Midst Of A Color Revolution. popularresistance.org A "color revolution" is a media term for a movement based on legitimate grievances only to be co-opted into a regime-change operation backed by the US and confederates. There have been so many — Georgia in 2003, Ukraine in 2004, Kyrgyzstan in 2005 — that they have run out of colors. Belarus is amidst the "slipper" color revolution. Belarus shows that any small state with a mildly socialist system and independent foreign policy invites subversion by the Yankee hegemon and its collaborators. Even if Belarus had met the highest standards of democracy and efficiency, a western-backed color revolution migh…

Stephen Lendman (2020-08-25). Belarusian President Lukashenko Reelected by a 61.7% Majority. Reintegration into Russia? globalresearch.ca Despite ruling Belarus with an iron fist, most Belarusians support Alexander Lukashenko. | President since 1994, he was legitimately reelected by a 61.7% majority, according to the pro-Western election monitoring group Golos. | It published "data collected by US-backed civic youth …

WSWS (2020-08-25). Lukashenko threatens military crackdown in Belarus as US initiates discussions with opposition leader. wsws.org The German financial newspaper Handelsblatt noted yesterday that the strike movement has brought the Belarusian economy to the brink of collapse.

GTGG (2020-08-25). Joint Statement by the Greens of Turkey and Greens of Greece on recent tension in Eastern Mediterranean Sea. zcomm.org "We, Greek and Turkish Greens, are both deeply concerned about the current build-up of tension in the Eastern Mediterranean."

Comitato No Nato No Guerra (2020-08-25). Appello Ai Leader Dei Nove Stati Con Armi Nucleari (Cina, Francia, India, Israele, Nord Corea, Pakistan, Regno Unito, Russia, Stati Uniti). globalresearch.ca Noi, persone di buona volontà di tutti i ceti sociali, di tutti i continenti, di credo e religioni diverse, richiamiamo la vostra attenzione sulla minaccia di una guerra nucleare totale che puà≤ scoppiare molto facilmente a causa di azioni deliberate …

WSWS (2020-08-25). US stages military buildup to enforce deal to steal Syria's oil. wsws.org The handing over of Syria's oil fields for exploitation by a US company constitutes a war crime, and has escalated dangerous tensions between American and Russian military forces.

Palmqvist S, Janelidze S, Quiroz YT, et al. (2020-08-25). Accuracy of Plasma P-tau217 for Distinguishing Alzheimer Disease From Other Neurodegenerative Disorders. jamanetwork.com This cross-sectional study compares the accuracy of plasma tau phosphorylated at threonine 217 (P-tau217) levels vs other plasma-, MRI-, CSF-, and PET-based markers for distinguishing Alzheimer from other neurodegenerative diseases in 3 cohorts in Arizona, Sweden, and Columbia with or at risk for dementia.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-25). Ehsan Hajsafi to join Greece's Aris Thessaloniki. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 25 (MNA) — A Greek website has reported that the Iranian midfielder, Ehsan Hajsafi, who plays for Tractor Sazi, will leave his team in case it loses the semi-final match at the Iranian Hazfi Cup.