(2020-08-20). The Geopolitics Of The Belarusian Crisis: Anti-Russian, Neutral To China, Pro-Polish. thealtworld.com The Belarusian Crisis is an American Hybrid War against Russian interests in support of Poland's US-backed regional ones related to the "Three Seas Initiative", which won't harm China's interests even in the worst-case scenario despite Beijing's plans for the Eurasian Land Bridge to transit through the Color Revolution-beleaguered former Soviet Republic since the People's Republic has already pioneered several complementary East-West corridors that it could rely on instead. | Geopolitical Basics | The "
(2020-08-20). The Belarusian Labor Strike Movement Could Bring Down Lukashenko. globalresearch.ca Belarus' disproportionate budgetary dependence on five big businesses makes it extremely vulnerable to economic destabilization if the tiny percentage of the country's population employed in those companies join in the nationwide labor strike movement to remove Lukashenko. | "The Economic Factor …
(2020-08-20). New Senate Intelligence Committee volume on "Russian interference" smears WikiLeaks and Julian Assange. wsws.org The one-thousand-page fifth volume of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence investigation is largely devoted to building an elaborate and false narrative against WikiLeaks.
(2020-08-20). Headlines for August 20, 2020. democracynow.org Kamala Harris Accepts Democratic Party's Nomination for Vice President, Hundreds of Wildfires Choke California, as Coronavirus Sidelines Prisoner Firefighters, U.S. Records Nearly 1,300 New Coronavirus Deaths as PPE Shortages Persist, NYC Teachers' Union Threatens Strike If Schools Reopen Without Safety Measures, New Zealand Deploys Troops to Enforce Quarantine; Zambian Vice President Positive for Coronavirus, Emails Reveal Swedish Epidemiologist Urged Coronavirus Spread to Attain Herd Immunity, Iran's Official COVID-19 Death Toll Passes 20,000 as Trump Pushes for New Sanctions, European Union Readies Sanctions A…
(2020-08-20). Memoir of a World Watcher: Diana Johnstone. globalresearch.ca We discuss Diana Johnstone's memoir, "Circle in the Darkness": | Yugoslavia under Tito; bombing of Serbia; Camp Bondsteel; spook revelation journalism; | Paris in 1968; anti-war movement of the '60s; legacy of Charles de Gaulle; Europe occupied since WWII; | the Greens; …
(2020-08-20). Battelships in Beirut —MES EP.68. thealtworld.com Several European navies have deployed vessels to Beirut port under the pretext of providing disaster relief and humanitarian assistance following the catastrophic explosion at the port of Beirut. The French Marine Nationale, British Royal Navy, German Deutsche Marine and Hellenic Navy have all dispatched vessels to Beirut as Lebanese people fear the return of 1982. To discuss this issue with us from Paris is Jean Pierre Duthion, political commentator. | Iraq cancelled a ministerial visit and summoned Turkey's ambassador last week as it blamed Ankara for a drone attack that killed two high-ranking Iraqi military o…
(2020-08-20). EU rejects UK demand for right to return migrants. yenisafak.com The UK has wanted to extend the Dublin system after the end of the transition period at the end of the year. | The system allows countries to return refugees and migrants to the EU country from where they came, and is the basis of the current EU asylum system. | The Guardian reported that the EU rejected extending the system outside the EU, which the UK would be post-Brexit. | The UK offered the same system vice versa, so that they would have to accept migrants who landed in the EU from the UK, except those who arrive by airplane. | The EU said the plan was "very unbalanced," as southern Europe takes in 10 tim…
(2020-08-20). Racists outnumbered at Stone Mountain. liberationnews.org 
This summer of mass protests against police brutality and the brutality of this capitalist system more broadly has stirred up a predictable reaction from the far-right, leading several of Georgia's most notorious racists to plan an Aug. 15 march up Stone Mountain, about 30 minutes east of Atlanta, to prove the vitality of the racist …
(2020-08-20). The Heat: U.S. politics and COVID-19 in Latin America. america.cgtn.com 
Politics and the pandemic. Plus — Latin America passes Europe as the region with the most Covid deaths the world.
(2020-08-20). Western Media Misperceptions About Belarus, Lukashenko & Putin. strategic-culture.org 
The West is trying to engineer popular opinion in Belarus towards a "color revolution," fairly obviously. But they are on a sticky wicket. Western Ukraine was genuinely enthusiastic to move towards the west and the EU, in the hope of attaining a consumer lifestyle. Outside of central Minsk, there is very little such sentiment in Belarus.
(2020-08-20). Berlin Dismisses Washington's Threats: The Construction of the Nord Stream 2 Gas Pipeline with Russia Will Proceed. globalresearch.ca Although the U.S. can threaten Germany, now during the American election campaign, threats cannot prevent the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany. It is interesting to observe how for the first time this century …
(2020-08-20). The Hariri Assassination: Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) Verdict. Fake Justice on Behalf of Israel. globalresearch.ca In May 2007, Security Council Resolution 1757 established the STL "on the outskirts of the Hague." | Ten SC members voted "yes," none "no," Russia, China, South Africa, Indonesia, and Qatar abstaining. | Five judges were involved in proceedings, Judge David Re…
(2020-08-20). Saying Iran Is Paying Bounties To Kill Americans Is Pure Parody. popularresistance.org It was Russia in June, now it's Tehran. Don't US analysts understand that Taliban fighters really don't need any more motivation to target American troops? This is simply politicized (un)intelligence that isn't fooling anyone. | According to CNN, the Iranian government has paid "bounties" to the Haqqani network, a terrorist group with close links to the Taliban, for six attacks on US and coalition forces in Afghanistan in 2019, including one on December 11 which targeted Bagram Air Base, north of Kabul, which wounded four US personnel.
(2020-08-20). As US stalls on extension of New Start treaty seeking to gain control over China, the world is on verge of dangerous arms race. thealtworld.com After three rounds of talks with Russia wrapped up this summer, the US is still equivocating on …
(2020-08-20). Belarus: This Color Revolution Is Already Dead. popularresistance.org The color revolution attempt in Belarus, which we predicted in June, evolved over the last week. But today's events tell us that it will soon be over. | While President Alexander Lukashenko claimed to have won 80% of the votes during last Sunday's election, the 'western' candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya claimed that she had won. (While the 80% is certainly too high it is most likely that Lukashenko was the real winner.) Protests and riots ensued. On Tuesday Tikhanovskaya was told in no uncertain terms to leave the country. She ended up in Lithuania.
(2020-08-20). Why the U.S. Should Keep Its Distance From Belarus. strategic-culture.org Russian leaders have reason to regard Ukraine and Belarus as being within Moscow's rightful sphere of influence. Indeed, those two nations are within Russia's core security zone, and the Kremlin will likely go to great lengths to prevent an even bigger NATO military presence on its borders than the one that exists now.
(2020-08-20). Washington's Gift to President Putin. strategic-culture.org Russia is often portrayed as resisting international norms and rejecting honest olive branches from the West. But Russia has made many attempts at peace and partnership only to be rejected. Watch the video and read more in the
(2020-08-20). 'Efforts to block Turkish energy ships will pay price'. yenisafak.com Anybody who tries to block Turkish energy exploration in its coastal waters will regret it, said the head of a Turkish political party on Thursday."Anyone who dares to confront our navy and research ships in the [Eastern] Mediterranean or the Aegean will pay the heaviest price," Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), said in a written statement.Bahceli reiterated that Turkey's rightful actions are in line with international law, adding that they "upended global plans."Greece, France, Egypt, and other countries have moved to deprive Turkey of Mediterranean energy resources and box it in,…
(2020-08-20). Doctors offer contradictory information on condition of Russia's Navalny. yenisafak.com Medics on Thursday provided contradictory information about the health of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, saying his condition had stabilised, but that there was still a threat to his life.His spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, said on Twitter he was in a serious but stable condition.She had earlier said that he was in a coma in a Siberian hospital after drinking a cup of tea that she said she believed was laced with poison.
(2020-08-20). South Korea says Russia violated its air defense zone. yenisafak.com South Korea on Thursday alleged that at least six Russian aircraft violated its air defense zone.According to South Korean military officials, the Russian military air activity prompted its Air Force to respond and push them out of the Korean Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ), the Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency reported.Details released by the South Korea military said two Tu-95MS strategic bombers and four other Russian military jets on Wednesday entered the KADIZ near South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo in the East Sea."There was no prior notice" about the air activity by the Russian side, the South…
(2020-08-20). Turkey: E-commerce volume up 64% in H1 amid COVID-19. yenisafak.com Spurred by the novel coronavirus pandemic, Turkey's e-commerce volume surged 64% year-on-year in the first half of 2020, the country's trade minister announced Thursday.The January-June figure hit 97.7 billion Turkish liras ($14.2 billion), up from 55.9 billion Turkish liras ($9.98 billion) in the same period last year, Ruhsar Pekcan said.She underlined that 91% of the total e-trade volume comprised of domestic spending in the first six months of the year, versus 81% in 2019.The share of e-commerce in the country's total trade reached 14.2% in January-June, up from 8.4% in the same period last year, Pekcan added…
(2020-08-20). Turkey helps South Sudan produce face masks. yenisafak.com Turkey's state-run aid agency TIKA has provided South Sudan sewing machines and cloth rolls for making masks to help it respond better to the coronavirus pandemic.The 30 sewing machines, and 1,000-meter cloth roll will help in the production of about 15,000 face masks, the Turkish ambassador to South Sudan said while handing them over to the Ministry of Labor in the capital Juba on Thursday."We are ready to support South Sudan whenever needed," Tugrul Biltekin said."We are working closely with the South Sudanese government, and have divided our aid into five phases. This is the last phase, to provide masks," he s…
(2020-08-20). Turkey's Central Bank keeps interest rates steady. yenisafak.com The decision was announced in a statement following the bank's eighth Monetary Policy Committee (MCP) meeting of 2020."The gradual normalization of pandemic-specific financial measures and recent tightening steps taken in liquidity management are judged to support macrofinancial stability," said the bank statement.Saying that uncertainties over domestic and external demand conditions remain significant, the bank stressed that it will continue with liquidity measures.In recent weeks the bank has taken several steps to tighten liquidity conditions to support the Turkish lira such as halving the overnight borrowing…
(2020-08-20). What Belarus Stands to Lose. thenation.com What Belarus Stands to Lose…
(2020-08-19). Lukashenko Just Hinted at a 'Phased Leadership Transition' in Belarus. globalresearch.ca Belarusian President Lukashenko's announcement that presidential elections will follow a planned constitutional referendum possibly paves the way for a "phased leadership transition" in the Color Revolution-beleaguered former Soviet Republic, one which opens up an opportunity for Russia to protect its …
(2020-08-19). Dems Formally Nominate Joe Biden for President, as DNC Features Republicans & Sidelines Progressives. democracynow.org 
Joe Biden is the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee, after he was formally picked by the party to challenge President Trump in November on the second night of the virtual Democratic National Convention. We feature highlights from the night, which featured speeches from 17 so-called rising stars in the Democratic Party, including voting rights activist Stacey Abrams, who unsuccessfully ran for Georgia governor in 2018, as well as Democratic heavyweights like former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. For a second night in a row, the DNC prominently featured the voices of Republicans and former Republicans…
(2020-08-19). Headlines for August 19, 2020. democracynow.org Joe Biden Formally Wins Democratic Presidential Nomination, Postmaster General Promises to Suspend Service Cuts Until After Election, Notre Dame Cancels In-Person Classes Amid COVID-19 Outbreak Linked to Party, Coronavirus Death Toll from U.S. Prisons and Jails Tops 1,000, World Health Organization Says Young People Are Driving Coronavirus Outbreaks, Malian President Deposed in Military Coup Following Weeks of Protests, Senate Intelligence Committee Alleges Trump Campaign Associate Was Russian Agent, Far-Right Activist, Banned from Twitter over Racism, Wins Florida House GOP Primary, RNC to Feature St. Louis Coup…
(2020-08-19). Greg Palast investigates: The looming vote by mail crisis that could decide the 2020 election. nationofchange.org Are Americans playing Russian Roulette with their vote?>
(2020-08-19). Germany's IG Metall trade union preparing to enforce jobs massacre and deep wage cuts. wsws.org Big business and the trade unions are exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to secure the upper hand in the global trade war by imposing savage attacks on workers.
(2020-08-19). The second coming of the Soviet Union? Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine will one day reunite, says Moscow professor. rt.com 
Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine will "sooner or later" reunify into a single state, as they share a common Orthodox-Slavic culture, according to Vladimir Sokolov, Professor at Moscow's RANEPA university. | Sokolov, who teaches in the Department of Civil Service and Recruitment Policy, believes the three neighboring countries will reunite, prompted by the "general decline of Western values." | Read more | | In a…
(2020-08-19). 'We won't budge': Belarus sends MISSILES & DRONES to western border – says it is responding to 'NATO activity'. rt.com 
The Belarusian defense minister has ordered troops in the western Grodno region to be reinforced with tactical missile units, drones, and air defense systems, after President Alexander Lukashenko told him to "keep an eye" on NATO. | Earlier, Lukashenko said that increased NATO activities on the nation's western borders had sparked some concerns in Minsk, adding that movements near the Grodno region, in particular, "got you thinking." During a Security Council meeting on Wednesday, the president also ordered the Defense Ministry to keep a close eye on the alliance. | The Belarusian military apparently took his…
(2020-08-19). Biden plays president, demands Russia fall in line on Belarus. rt.com 
Joe Biden may be an uncertain election away from becoming president, but he's already tweeting like one. Following an entirely predictable script, Biden demanded that Russia "be told not to interfere" in Belarus' affairs. | "The brave citizens of Belarus are showing their voices will not be silenced by terror or torture," Biden tweeted on Wednesday. "The U.S. should support Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's call for fair elections. Russia must be told not to interfere—this is not about geopolitics but the right to choose one's leaders." | The brave citizens of Belarus are showing their voices will not be silenc…
(2020-08-19). Lithuania declares Lukashenko persona non grata ahead of EU sanctions on Belarus. rt.com 
Lithuania has apparently decided not to wait for its European partners, which are still deliberating over their collective response to the protests in Belarus, and has imposed an entry ban against President Alexander Lukashenko. | Seemingly deciding to set an example to the rest of Europe, Vilnius raced to compile a blacklist of Belarusian officials in response to the ongoing protests in the neighboring nation, issuing it before the European Union had come up with a list of its own. | The move was announced by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius, who said his country welcomed the EU's "determination"
(2020-08-19). Abandoning Union State agreement with Russia would cost Belarus 25% of GDP, Lukashenko's financial advisor warns opposition. rt.com 
A key aide to Belarus's embattled President Lukashenko has warned opposition members to think again about any idea of withdrawing from the 'Union State' treaty with Moscow. Valery Belsky says it would collapse living standards. | The two countries form a unique partnership under a 1999 agreement, enthusiasm for which has fluctuated over the past two decades. The deal has helped Belarus maintain considerably higher living standards than other similar post-Soviet states, such as Western-leaning Ukraine and Georgia. According to the International Monetary Fund, Belarus's GDP per capita (when measured by purchasin…
(2020-08-19). A possible future use for bitcoin? Russian bank issues loan using cryptocurrency as collateral for first time. rt.com 
A Russian bank has issued a loan secured by cryptocurrency for the first time ever, marking a new milestone in the history of the controversial digital alternatives to existing financial instruments. | The loan, issued by Expobank to businessman Mikhail Uspensky, used the currency known as 'waves' as collateral. It was founded by Ukrainian entrepreneur Alexander Ivanov in 2016. However, the loan amount and terms of the agreement have not been made public. | Cryptocurrencies such as waves and bitcoin have, until recently, been in a legal grey zone inside Russia. Earlier this year, Russian President Vladimir Put…
(2020-08-19). Trump demands full restoration of UN sanctions on Iran, as Pompeo warns Russia & China not to meddle. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump said the State Department will soon attempt to trigger a "snapback" of UN sanctions on Iran, as the top American diplomat threatened consequences for Moscow and Beijing if they try to block the effort. | "Today I'm directing the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to notify the United Nations Security Council that the United States intends to restore virtually all of the United Nations sanctions on Iran — it's a snap back, not uncommon," Trump told reporters during a White House press conference on Wednesday. | When the United States entered into the Iran deal, it was clear the United…
(2020-08-19). 16-year-old boy found dead on beach after disappearing at sea, says French minister. thecanary.co 
A 16-year-old Sudanese boy who disappeared at sea has been found dead on a beach near Calais, a French minister has said. | Marlene Schiappa, who is in charge of citizenship in France's government, said the teenager was found on the beach of Sangatte on Wednesday morning. | The tragedy comes as a record number of the perilous journeys across the Channel have been attempted during the recent hot weather. | @GDarmanin contre les passeurs qui profitent de la détresse d'êtres humains ! | — MarleneSchiappa (@MarleneSchiappa) (2020-08-19). Berlin's Appeasement to Turkish Aggression Linked to Germany's Plans to Become the Biggest Energy Hub in EU. globalresearch.ca At a time when the European Union was extremely quick to mobilize and condemn Alexander Lukashenko's presidential re-election and is preparing a sanctions package against Belarus, disinterest and appeasement towards Turkish aggression against member states Greece and Cyprus continues …
(2020-08-19). Trade Wars Threaten Post-pandemic Global Economic Recovery. globalresearch.ca The COVID-19 pandemic did not stop U.S. protectionism and its trade disputes with the rest of the world, especially with China and the European Union. In actual fact, it deepened the conflict. This behaviour anticipates very complicated post-pandemic international trade, …
(2020-08-19). Minsk as a Rival of Geneva? No! No! and No! counterpunch.org Editors' Note: This article was written in February 2015, where appeared on Daniel Warner's blog in a Geneva newspaper . The government of Belarus sent a formal complaint about its contents to the government of Switzerland, which was transmitted to me. Given the demonstrations in Belarus today, we thought it might be worthy of republication. February 13,
(2020-08-19). Merkel, Macron call Putin as mass strikes escalate in Belarus. wsws.org Shocked by the eruption of workers' anger in Belarus, Berlin and Paris hope Moscow can suppress it by brokering a deal between the regime and the official opposition.
(2020-08-19). Russia Tests Chinese Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine. telesurenglish.net Russia's company Petrovax Wednesday began the last phase of human trials of the recombinant Ad5-nCoV vaccine, which was got by the partnership between the People's Liberation Army (EPL) and the Chinese biopharmaceutical company CanSino Biologics. | RELATED: | After promising results were obtained in earlier research, Russian scientists coordinated with CanSino Biologics to apply the drug to 625 volunteers at eigh…
(2020-08-19). Open Letter To The Protesters In Belarus. popularresistance.org What you can expect in Belarus after a more or less ‚Äûpeaceful revolution", you can certainly study in detail in almost all other countries in Eastern Europe. Get information about the liquidation of state enterprises, mass layoffs, collapse of collective farms and farms, mass exodus from the countryside and the death of villages in Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Poland … Compare the disintegration of the social infrastructure of Daycare centers, hospitals, old people's homes and the consequences for life expectancy, alcoholism and neglect …
(2020-08-19). Support for Scottish independence reaches record high of 55% in new poll. thecanary.co Support for Scottish independence has reached a record high of 55%, according to a new poll. | The latest research by Panelbase found the results of the 2014 independence referendum — when 55% of Scots voted to stay in the United Kingdom — were reversed. | Pro-independence organisation Business for Scotland commissioned the poll, with chief executive Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp hailing the results as a "huge landmark" showing the "writing is very definitely on the wall for the union". | 55% Yes will send shockwaves throughout the political world. There is no conclusion to draw from this new data other than…
(2020-08-19). Russia reports 4,828 new coronavirus cases. yenisafak.com Russia reported 4,828 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, pushing its nationwide tally to 937,321, the fourth largest in the world.Russia's coronavirus taskforce said 117 people had died over the last 24 hours, bringing its official death toll to 15,989.
(2020-08-19). Belarus: Another Win for Non-Violence? commondreams.org Crowds of workers walked off the job on August 14, 2020, and marched from the Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ) and the Minsk Tractor Works (MTZ) after the opposition called for strikes against Lukashenko's disputed claim to have won re-election. (Photo: Sergei Gapon/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/minskstrike.jpg …
(2020-08-19). Greece sees resurgence of coronavirus since end of lockdown. wsws.org The government's response has been a series of token measures targeting areas with a high number of cases, including Attica and Thessaloniki. Set to run until August 24, the measures subordinate public health to commercial interests.
(2020-08-18). 'What Happens If Julian Assange Dies In A British Prison?'. popularresistance.org For Assange however, justice delayed is not only justice denied. With global attention shifting from Wuhan to Washington, from Minneapolis to Lebanon, the father of two young children has spent another five months in incarceration without access to lawyers or family visitations. It follows what is approaching ten years of what the United Nations has repeatedly labeled arbitrary detention — the British government has so far failed to respond to three separate U.N. reports and correspondences on the matter. | Serena Tinari, a Switzerland-based investigative journalist, condemned Britain's handling of the case…
(2020-08-18). SouthCom Feels Threatened By Russia's 'Fundamental' Support Of Venezuela. popularresistance.org The head of the Southern Command of the United States Armed Forces, Craig Faller, declared that Russia and Cuba represents a threat to them due to the "fundamental" support they give to Venezuela, a country on which the Donald Trump regime has imposed a brutal total blockade and continually threatens military invasion. | In viralized statements on social networks, Faller says that they have had to set off the alarms because of "the size of the threat" represented by "Russian influence" and the support that the Eurasian country gives to the government presided over by Nicolás Maduro. | "I cannot describe the size…
(2020-08-18). U.S., fascists set scopes on socialist-leaning Belarus. workers.org 
Chinese President Xi Jingping and Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on his reelection Aug. 9. USSR-era socialist art in Minsk, Belarus, in February 2019. U.S. imperialism and the Western bourgeois media, however, wasted no time in denouncing Lukashenko's victory as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo used . . . |