2020-08-31: News Headlines

Staff (2020-08-31). European banks profiteering from environmental crimes in the Amazon. therealnews.com Top European banks are providing cash, liquidity and technical knowledge to international oil companies for extracting oil from the Amazon leaving trail of death and destruction in the wake of profiteering…

Andrew Korybko (2020-08-31). Is Russia Backtracking on China's "Belt and Road" (BRI)? Moscow's Balancing Act Between China and India. globalresearch.ca The critical assessment of China's Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) last month by the influential Director of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of Far Eastern Studies coupled with India's eagerness all summer to court the Eurasian Great Power into …

Ben Norton (2020-08-31). US Sanctions Russian Research Institute that Developed COVID-19 Vaccine. globalresearch.ca Russia won the race to develop the first vaccine against the novel coronavirus. The United States has responded by slapping sanctions on a Russian research facility involved in creating it. | The US government has blacklisted several Russian scientific institutes, including …

_____ (2020-08-31). Rescuers Penalized For Saving Lives At The World's Deadliest Border. popularresistance.org Humanitarian organizations are being penalized for fulfilling responsibilities abandoned by European governments at the world's deadliest border, activists have warned after an eventful weekend in the Mediterranean. | Late on Friday, the Louise Michel rescue ship was alerted by a charity reconnaissance plane Moonbird to a boat carrying 130 refugees in distress inside Malta's search-and-rescue zone. | The ship, funded by street artist Banksy and run by a seasoned team of rescuers, had already picked up 89 people in previous operations and so, unable to bring everyone on board, the crew waited for hours into Saturd…

yenisafak (2020-08-31). UN sends 16 truckloads of aid to Syria's Idlib. yenisafak.com The UN on Monday sent 16 truckloads of humanitarian aid to northwestern Syria where millions of people are in need of assistance due to internal conflict.The trucks carrying supplies entered Idlib province through the Cilvegozu border gate in Turkey's south.The aid will be distributed among residents of Idlib, and nearby rural areas.Syria has been ravaged by civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters.Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced, according to UN estimates.Idlib falls within a de-escalation zone forged under an ag…

Morning Star (2020-08-31). Belarusian Communists say EU is backing a 'coup' in their country. peoplesworld.org Communists in Belarus have called for international support and solidarity to stop a "bloody coup" to remove President Alexander Lukashenko from power. The Communist Party of Belarus (CPB) warned of serious consequences if plans being pressed by the U.S., EU, and their NATO allies are successful, drawing comparisons to the so-called "color revolutions" seen in …

RT (2020-08-31). Russiagate without end: US appeals court REVERSES earlier decision to end Flynn criminal case. rt.com A full-bench US federal appeals court has reversed an earlier decision to dismiss the 'Russiagate' case against former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, returning it to the judge who refused to let the charges be dropped. | In a 8-2 ruling on Monday, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Judge Emmet Sullivan, and sent the case back to him for review. Sullivan had been ordered by a three-judge panel in June to drop the case against Flynn immediately, but hired an attorney and asked for an en banc hearing instead. | Flynn's attorney Sidney Powell said the split was "as expected" based on the tone of…

Nilantha Ilangamuwa (2020-08-31). Sri Lanka and Turkey: an Interview with the Turkish Ambassador, R. Demet Şekercioğlu. counterpunch.org As a part of my series on talking to the foreign diplomats in Sri Lanka for our newly initiated talk show; The New Normal, I have had an opportunity to sit with newly appointed Turkish Ambassador to Sri Lanka. In this exclusive interview she has detailed with me about diplomatic relationship between Sri Lanka and

Stephen Lendman (2020-08-31). EU Supports US Coup Plot Against Belarus, Imposes Illegal Sanctions. globalresearch.ca Nearly always, EU countries are subservient to Washington's geopolitical agenda — no matter how unlawful. | Support by Britain, France, Germany (the E3), and Brussels for Iran's right to buy and sell conventional arms once the UN embargo on the practice …

Robert F. Kennedy Jr (2020-08-31). Video: Robert F Kennedy Jr. in Berlin: COVID-19 Is Destroying Us All, Making the Powerful Elites More Powerful!! globalresearch.ca By the Children's Health Defense Team | Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. spoke to hundreds of thousands in the streets of Berlin, Germany, August 29, 2020. | With Groàüer Stern Square and the Siegesà§ule Monument as a backdrop, Mr. Kennedy talked about …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-08-31). Mustapha Adib is Lebanon's new PM. peoplesdispatch.org Mustapha Adib, Lebanon's ambassador to Germany, has won the support of the major political blocs but is part of an establishment whose credibility is at a historic low following the Beirut blasts…

_____ (2020-08-31). The Dissolution of Liberal Universalism. strategic-culture.org For a long time, the towns and cities of Europe (and the rest of the world) grew organically around the social, economic and political needs of the people. The result was the well-known, and much-loved, forms of ancient city, town and village, built from wood, brick or stone. This pattern remained unchanged for centuries. Then came two 'World Wars'. | In their wake arose the initial, liberal-globalist push, and concomitantly, the bland, de-cultured "internationalist style" of architecture (the forerunner to today's identity-and-gender-blurring politics). The two impulses were connected: They both arose out from t…

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-31). Iran's deputy FM holds talks with Austrian FM in Vienna. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Agu. 31 (MNA) —Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araghchi met and held talks with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg on Monday evening.

sputniknews (2020-08-31). Minsk Will Have to Respond to Baltic States' Sanctions, Belarusian Foreign Ministry Says. sputniknews.com MINSK (Sputnik) – Minsk will be forced to adequately respond to the sanctions of the Baltic states, Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesman Anatoly Glaz said.

sputniknews (2020-08-31). China says Czech Senate Speaker to Pay 'Heavy Price' for 'Political Opportunism' of Taiwan Visit. sputniknews.com Czech Senate speaker Milos Vystrcil arrived in Taipei on 30 August on a visit to promote business links with Taiwan, dismissing anticipated objections from Beijing over a perceived violation of the European state's one-China policy.

sputniknews (2020-08-31). Mediterranean Crisis: Turkey Slams 'Imperialist' France Over Syria-Style 'Red Lines'. sputniknews.com On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a "red line policy" vis-à -vis Turkey amid the ongoing Turkish-Greek dispute in the Mediterranean, saying Ankara seems to only respect words backed by action. Tensions in the potentially hydrocarbons-rich body of water have escalated amid competing claims over which group of nations owns what.

yenisafak (2020-08-31). Who is the leader of the Muslim world? Egyptians say 'Turkey' all the way. yenisafak.com Despite all the smear campaigns launched against Turkey in Egypt under the administration of putschist Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the people of Egypt continue to stand by Turkey and have deemed Erdogan the leader of the Muslim world.A poll conducted with the participation of 1,047 Egyptians by Turkey-based research company Areda Survey yielded quite the shocking results and shed light on how the people of Egypt really feel towards Turkey.When asked, "Who is the leader of the Muslim world besides your own country?", 31,4 percent of respondents answered "Turkey," with Saudi Arabia lagging far behind with only 10,4 perce…

yenisafak (2020-08-31). Turkey's quaint town Birgi eyes to be must-visit stop. yenisafak.com A historical town in western Turkey craves to be a tourist hub with new projects reviving its nearly 3,000-year-old history.Located in the Odemis district of Izmir on the Aegean coast, Birgi dates back to 750 B.C., according to estimates.With the traces of Phrygian and Lydian civilizations, Persian and Pergamon kingdoms, Roman and Byzantine empires, the Aydinid dynasty, and the Ottoman period, Birgi has been hosting a vibrant social life for thousands of years with its water resources and fertile lands.The historical premises, which succeeded in bringing the architectural texture formed during the time of Aydinid…

yenisafak (2020-08-31). Galatasaray to face Azerbaijan's Neftci in Europa League. yenisafak.com The draw for the Europa League 2nd qualifying round was made in the UEFA headquarters in Switzerland.Galatasaray will visit Neftci in the first and only leg on Sept. 17.The tournament's second qualifying round will be single leg.The winning team will advance to the Europa League's third qualifying round.

yenisafak (2020-08-31). Ankara slams terrorist YPG/PKK-affiliated visit to Moscow. yenisafak.com Turkey on Monday slammed a visit to Moscow by a terrorist YPG/PKK-affiliated group, saying Russia should avoid steps that serve the interests of terrorists who threaten both Turkey and Syria."We are concerned that a group consisting of elements of the so-called 'Syrian Democratic Council,' led by the terrorist group PKK/YPG, will be invited to the Russian Federation and accepted at a high level by Russian officials," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.Reports since the statement indicate the meeting may have already happened."We expect the Russian Federation to act in accordance with the spirit of A…

yenisafak (2020-08-31). Turkish top diplomat meets inter-parliamentary head. yenisafak.com "We support parliamentary diplomacy as an effective tool of foreign policy," Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Twitter.Cavusoglu added that Turkey is ready to work with the IPU in multilateral platforms, including the UN.

yenisafak (2020-08-31). Germany says it supports Belarus protesters. yenisafak.com The German government supports those protesting against the results of the Aug. 9 presidential election in Belarus, a spokesperson said on Monday.Steffen Seibert, chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman, told a press conference that there were convincing reports of police detaining "peaceful protestors" in Belarus, during what he called "impressive protests" over the weekend.He hailed the protestors' courage despite pressure from President Alexander Lukashenko, and called on him to "recognize the reality in the country."There needs to be an open dialogue between the government, opposition and the society in Belarus,…

yenisafak (2020-08-31). N.Macedonia gov't wins confidence vote. yenisafak.com North Macedonia's parliament has approved a new left-wing coalition government.The Social Democrats had declared victory in snap elections held on July 15, and late Sunday, after two days of debate, lawmakers voted 62-51 in favor of the new government led by Social Democrat leader Zoran Zaev, while seven members were absent.Zaev and his coalition partners won 62 of the parliament's 120 seats in the election which returns Zaev back at the prime minister's office.According to the power-sharing deal with the ethnic Albanian Democratic Union for Integration party, Zaev will hand the office over to an ethnic Albanian…

yenisafak (2020-08-31). EU offers 400 mln euros in guarantees to WHO-led COVID-19 vaccine initiative. yenisafak.com The European Commission said on Monday it would contribute 400 million euros ($476 million) in guarantees to an initiative led by the World Health Organisation to buy COVID-19 vaccines.Countries wishing to be part of the WHO initiative, dubbed COVAX, had to submit expressions of interest by Monday.($1 = 0.8396 euros)…

yenisafak (2020-08-31). Russia expels 3 Slovak diplomats in reciprocal move. yenisafak.com The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Monday it expelled in a reciprocal move three Slovak diplomats.The decision was conveyed to the Slovak Ambassador in Russia Peter Priputen, the ministry said in a statement on its official website."On Aug. 31, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the Russian Federation, Peter Priputen, for a strong protest about the unjustified expulsion of three diplomatic employees of the Russian Embassy in Slovakia in August this year," it said.Moscow considers the step by Bratislava as "unfriendly" and "contrary to the traditional spirit of co…

Marcus J. Moore (2020-08-31). The Culture Is Still Catching Up With Georgia Anne Muldrow. thenation.com The Culture Is Still Catching Up With Georgia Anne Muldrow…

yenisafak (2020-08-30). Turkey slams Islamophobic act by 'modern barbarians'. yenisafak.com "They shamelessly burn the Qur'an, the sacred book of Islam, in the middle of Europe. They then claim to be the paragons of reason, logic, freedom and justice," Ibrahim Kalin said in a tweet."They label anyone not like them as anti-reason bigots and retros. Modern barbarians know no limits in primitive mindset."The incident took place in the Swedish city of Malmo on Friday evening, where far-right activists of the anti-Muslim group Stram Krus (Hard Line) burned a copy of the Quran at a rally in the largely migrant neighborhood of Rosengard.The Turkish Foreign Ministry has also vehemently criticized the incident,…

yenisafak (2020-08-30). At least three migrants die as boat catches fire off Italy. yenisafak.com At least three migrants died when a fire broke out on a boat carrying them close to the southern coast of Italy on Sunday, police and health officials said.Another five migrants were injured and taken to hospital, health authorities in the Italian port city of Crotone said.Two police officers were hurt as they tried to help the migrants, the Crotone police force said, without going into further details.

Otis Grotewohl (2020-08-30). Workers and communists in Belarus unite behind Lukashenko. workers.org As the corporate-owned press continues its biased coverage of the neoliberal gatherings in Belarus disputing the re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko, the Communist Party of Belarus (CPB) has helped organize rallies in Minsk to celebrate his election victory. Since its foundation in 1996, the CPB has supported Lukashenko and attributed . . . |

Subodh Varma (2020-08-30). COVID-19: How and why India is losing the battle. peoplesdispatch.org It has become customary to say that given its huge population, India is doing much better than say, the US or Europe. This is how officialdom is trying to explain away the shockingly high numbers of total confirmed cases (over 340,000 on August 29) and total deaths (nearly 63,000) — both of which put India at the third position globally, behind the US and Brazil. | However, the comparison is not really valid. India needs to be compared not with the US and Europe but to regions of the world where the population's age, economic standards and healthcare access is similar. Such a comparison reveals that, in fac…

RT (2020-08-30). Web security service Cloudflare sends DOZENS of websites & online games down after 'third-party transit provider incident'. rt.com Cloudflare, a popular service designed to provide security and keep websites online, has run into technical problems, sending down multiple websites and spoiling the weekend for online gamers. | Widespread internet outages were reported across both the United States and Europe on Sunday. | Services such as the Discord chat, Xbox Live and PlayStation Network gaming platforms, the video-on-demand Hulu network and others have been affected by the connectivity problems. | So its 6am on a sunday and | -EA servers went down | -ALL COD Servers are down | -Discord is down | -Destiny is down | -League Launcher is down…

RT (2020-08-30). France probes senior military officer accused of 'spying for Russia' — suspect worked at NATO command centre. rt.com A French lieutenant colonel has been accused of treason and spying for Russia, French media report. The country's defense minister says the officer is under investigation, insisting that "safeguard measures" have been taken. | The high-profile scandal within the French military — and, potentially, the of whole NATO — was first reported by Europe 1 radio on Sunday. It said the officer, who has been stationed at the alliance's facility in Italy, is suspected of having transmitted "ultra-sensitive" documents to the Russian secret services. | The suspect is reportedly a man in his 50s who's been working…

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-08-30). U.S. Control of Alexandroupolis Port Will Not Help to Protect Greece from Turkey. globalresearch.ca The Greek Private Asset Utilization Fund (HRADF) will sell a 67% stake of Alexandroupolis Port in northern Greece near the border with Turkey and Bulgaria. Two American companies are believed to be interested in the deal. Selling a port of …

yenisafak (2020-08-30). Montenegro holds parliamentary polls amid pandemic. yenisafak.com More than half a million voters are expected to cast their ballots on Sunday in Montenegro's fifth parliamentary elections since independence.Candidates from 11 coalitions, six alliances, and five parties are vying for a place in the 81-seat parliament.The main contest is expected between President Milo Djukanovic's pro-West Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), which has ruled the country for 30 years, and the opposition Democratic Front (DF), which leans more towards Russia and Serbia.However, neither of the two is projected to win a majority in parliament.Montenegrins can vote at 1,217 polling stations until 8…

Donald Monaco (2020-08-30). The Twilight of Democracy in the United States. Architecture of a Totalitarian Police State. globalresearch.ca The United States has erected the legal and institutional architecture of a totalitarian police state. | Institutionally, the national security autocracy has merged with the military, law enforcement and a vast private intelligence network to create a massive physical apparatus of …

Newsclick (2020-08-30). The raging power struggle in North Africa and Mediterranean. peoplesdispatch.org Newsclick's Prabir Purkayastha talks about the faultlines emerging in west Asia and north Africa where Turkey and the Gulf monarchies have been engaging in a geopolitical contest…

Steven Sahiounie (2020-08-30). The US and Russia Collide, while Syrians Call for US Withdrawal. globalresearch.ca Wednesday's collision between Sheiks and elders of the Arab Al-Uqaydat …

Shane Quinn (2020-08-30). Prior to the Cold War: US Nuclear Plans Entailed Blowing Up Hundreds of Chinese, Soviet and Eastern European Cities. globalresearch.ca On 30 August 1945, Major General Lauris Norstad dispatched a document to his superior, General Leslie Groves, outlining a total of 15 "key Soviet cities" to be struck with US atomic weapons.

_____ (2020-08-30). US Sanctions Russian Institute That Developed COVID-19 Vaccine. popularresistance.org Russia won the race to develop the first vaccine against the novel coronavirus. The United States has responded by slapping sanctions on a Russian research facility involved in creating it. | The US government has blacklisted several Russian scientific institutes, including the Russian Defense Ministry's 48th Central Research Institute, which has worked with other non-military medical centers to develop and test the world's first Covid-19 vaccine. | In the midst of the global coronavirus pandemic and a historic economic crisis, Washington has escalated its global campaign of economic warfare, imposing sanctions o…

_____ (2020-08-30). VIDEO: Kosovo Endgame: a Perfect Storm of Betrayal. strategic-culture.org From a Western Perspective Kosovo was liberated from a bloody conflict but for the Serbs and some others it was "partitioned" by a global bureaucracy. Watch the video and read more in the

sputniknews (2020-08-30). Development of Russo-Turkish Cooperation is Important for the Whole World, Istanbul Mayor Says. sputniknews.com This week, a delegation of the Russian-Turkish Business Council (RTBC) and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu held a meeting led by the Chairman Ahmet Palankoev discussing measures to boost the bilateral trade turnover amid the coronavirus outbreak. The mayor has shed light on potential spheres that could prove lucrative for both sides.

sputniknews (2020-08-30). German Police Push Back 'Anti-Corona' Protesters as They Attempt to Storm Parliament – Videos. sputniknews.com Saturday's demonstrations in Berlin saw tens of thousands of people, as per authorities' data, take to the streets to protest against the anti-coronavirus measures put in place by the German government to curb the spread of COVID-19.

yenisafak (2020-08-30). Turkey to EU: 'Be fair, Turkey will not pull back'. yenisafak.com Turkey's Vice President Fuat Oktay sat down Saturday in an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency to discuss the latest developments in Eastern Mediterranean, regional and international issues, and the country's foreign policy.He stressed that Ankara "expects fairness [from the EU]. Nobody should expect Turkey to pull back in line with this fairness."When Turkey resumes exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean, do you have different goals there? Do you plan to do something else? Why does Europe react so actively?Unfortunately, we do not remember Europe supporting Turkey for any issues in favor of Ankara, standin…

yenisafak (2020-08-30). Turkish president marks 98th anniversary of Victory Day. yenisafak.com Turkey on Sunday celebrated the 98th anniversary of Victory Day, which commemorates the resounding defeat of the Greek forces at the hands of the Turks in the Battle of Dumlupinar in 1922.President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, senior government and high-ranking military officials, and opposition leaders laid a wreath at Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Turkish Republic's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in the capital Ankara."Our critical achievements in different fields are the clearest indication of our will to protect the rights and interests of our country," Erdogan wrote in the Anitkabir memorial book.He also wrote: "We ar…

yenisafak (2020-08-30). COVID-19 vaccine diplomacy: Mexico courts allies across ideological spectrum. yenisafak.com Mexico is pressing ahead with an effort to forge COVID-19 vaccine alliances across a wide ideological spectrum of countries from France to Cuba as a World Health Organization (WHO) vaccine initiative will fall short of its needs.Mexico joined in early June the WHO's global COVAX plan, which aims to deliver at least 2 billion doses of approved vaccines by the end of next year and ensure "equitable access."But Martha Delgado, a Mexican deputy foreign minister whom President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador put in charge of Mexico's international response, told Reuters its share of that program was unlikely to be enough…

yenisafak (2020-08-30). OIC condemns Quran burning in Sweden. yenisafak.com The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Sunday condemned the burning of a copy of the Muslim holy book Quran in the southern Sweden city of Malmo.In a statement, the Jeddah-based bloc described the burning as an "act of incitement and provocation" and "contradicts with global efforts to combat extremism and incitement to hatred based on religion and faith".A copy of the Quran was burned by supporters of racist Danish leader Rasmus Paludan, the leader of the anti-Islamic group Tight Direction (Stram Kurs), in Malmo on Friday.The rally was marred by violence, which left several police officers injured. At…

yenisafak (2020-08-30). Lukashenko gets birthday call from Putin as Belarus protests rumble. yenisafak.com Russian President Vladimir Putin used a birthday phone call on Sunday to invite Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko to visit Moscow, a Kremlin show of support as thousands of protesters streamed into central Minsk demanding Lukashenko step down.President Lukashenko, who turned 66 on Sunday, is struggling to contain three weeks of protests and strikes since winning an Aug. 9 election that his opponents say was rigged. He denies electoral fraud and has said the protests are backed from abroad."It was agreed to hold a meeting in Moscow in the coming weeks," the Kremlin said in a statement after the leaders' call.

yenisafak (2020-08-30). France in Lebanon: Solidarity or renewed neocolonialism? yenisafak.com Massive explosions that rocked Beirut on Aug. 4 made headlines around the world, with Hiroshima-like visuals that seemed hard to fathom.France, led by President Emmanuel Macron, rushed to the rescue of the ailing nation — with supplies, crisis and health care workers, and strong leadership.But why the immediate moves? Were Macron's actions a result of a shared history or a view on the future?Two enormous blasts erupted in the Port of Beirut after a neglected stockpile of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse was left for more than six years to decay and then ignited by fireworks stored in the same…

yenisafak (2020-08-30). Turkey to start space trials of domestic rocket engines, says Erdogan. yenisafak.com Turkey will start space trials of its liquid-propellant rocket engines, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday."I would like to announce the start of the first space trials of domestically developed liquid-propellant rocket engine technology," Erdogan said at the opening ceremony of Turkey's leading defense company Roketsan's production facility and research center in the capital Ankara.Early this year, Erdogan promised the launch of a national space program in 2020 joining the ranks of China, the US, India and Russia.

Abdel Bari Atwan (2020-08-30). The UAE-Israel Deal: Selling Illusions. thealtworld.com Gulf rulers think they're buying protection against Iran and Turkey, just like the Palestinians bought into the fake promise of independence | Shimon Peres, Israel's shrewd former prime minister, once described the Oslo Accords as Israel's 'greatest invention.' The UAE-Israel agreement due to be formally signed next month can be seen as an equally great and duplicitous 'invention' by its architect Jared Kushner and his mentor Benjamin Netanyahu. | The former agreement, signed in the White House Rose Garden on 13 September 1993, sold the Palestinians the illusion that they would get an independent state on the 196…