(2020-08-23). Iran is Russia's strategic partner: Russian Defense Min. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 23 (MNA) — The Russian Defense Min. Sergey Shoygu referred to the join strategical, regional and international goals and interests between Tehran and Moscow, underlining the developing mutual defense cooperation between the two sides.
(2020-08-23). Leaked dossier reveals chaotic worst-case scenario if no-deal Brexit and coronavirus coincide. thecanary.co The military may be drafted in to airdrop food to the Channel Islands under emergency plans drawn up by the government to protect the UK if a second coronavirus wave coincides with a no-deal Brexit. | A Cabinet Office "reasonable worst-case scenario" document, leaked to the Sun newspaper, also discusses using the Navy to stop British fishermen clashing with illegal European fishing boat incursions. | No-deal chaos: | The document says parts of the UK may face power and petrol shortages if thousands of lorries are stranded in Dover. Meanwhile, shortages of medicines caused by port blockages could lead to a…
(2020-08-23). Austrian leaders condemn attack against Jewish community in Graz. yenisafak.com Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and other senior government politicians said they were shocked over an attack on a Jewish community leader in the southern city of Graz on Saturday, and ordered tighter security at Jewish institutions around Austria.An unknown assailant attacked the Graz Jewish community's president, Elie Rosen, with a wooden club on the premises of their synagogue, which was twice targeted by acts of vandalism in the past week, the community said in a statement late on Saturday.Rosen took shelter in his car and was unhurt. The attacker then fled, according to the statement.Police in Styria, the…
(2020-08-23). Greek Police release Man United's Maguire from custody. yenisafak.com The captain of England's Manchester United, Harry Maguire, was released from police custody Saturday after his arrest in Greece."Harry has pleaded not guilty to the charges. It would be inappropriate for the player or club to comment further while the legal process takes its course," Manchester United said in a statement."Following the appearance in court today we note the adjournment of the case to allow the legal team to consider the case file," it added.Also, a court date has been set on Aug. 25 for Maguire, who can be represented by his lawyer.On Thursday, Maguire and two others were involved in a brawl with…
(2020-08-23). Russia plans COVID-19 vaccine output at 6 mln doses a month. yenisafak.com Russia expects to produce between 1.5 million and 2 million doses per month of its potential COVID-19 vaccine by the year end, gradually ramping up production to 6 million doses a month, the RIA news agency cited industry minister Denis Manturov as saying on Sunday.Large-scale testing of the vaccine, developed by Moscow's Gamaleya institute, is due to start in Russia next week.
(2020-08-23). Erdogan offers condolences to families of Turkey after deadly floods. yenisafak.com The Turkish president offered condolences to families of those who lost their lives in floods in the country's northeast.Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued directives to mobilize all means to heal the wounds of affected people and to take necessary steps to prevent such incidents from happening again, the Turkish Communications Directorate said in a statement.Erdogan also received information about the latest developments in the region and the status of search and rescue operation from Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu and Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli, who arrived at the scene.The death toll from fl…
(2020-08-22). Venezuela Receives Humanitarian Aid To Fight Covid-19. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's Vice Minister for Europe Yvan Gil Saturday announced the arrival of a 73 tons' Humanitarian aid bound from Spain and Portugal, in order to face COVID-19 in the country. | RELATED: | "This shipment is a contribution made by the European Union (EU) and the governments of Spain and Portugal to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. We are talking about 73 tons of medical supplies," Gil said. | Gil pointed out…
(2020-08-22). Vandals scribble Holocaust-denying graffiti on WWII monument to French village massacred & torched by Nazis (PHOTO). rt.com 
Unknown vandals have defaced a memorial wall in French village of Oradour-Sur-Glane, that saw the country's largest massacre of civilians by the Nazis during World War II. French authorities vowed to bring the vandals to justice. | The offensive graffiti was discovered on the memorial wall at the entrance to the Center for Remembrance late on Friday. | The vandals crossed out the inscription 'Martyr Village', spraying 'Liar Village' instead. The graffiti also reads "Reynouard is right", in an apparent tribute to Vincent Reynouard, a prominent French revisionist, Holocaust denier and neo-Nazism proponent, repea…
(2020-08-22). Vandals Deface Site of Nazis' Worst Massacre in France With Holocaust Denying Statements. sputniknews.com Sites and buildings destroyed by Nazis or where they committed atrocities were rebuilt or marked with monuments, but Oradour-sur-Glane village has a different story. Authorities deliberately preserved charred ruins where 642 people, including 247 children, were shot and burned so that their descendants remember the barbaric crimes of the Nazis.
(2020-08-22). Greece denying pushbacks despite evidence: Rights group. yenisafak.com In a recent interview with CNN, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis denied the accusations, saying: "They are an insult to the Greek Coast Guard that has saved tens of thousands of migrants and refugees."However, evidence and reports describing the abuses are too many to be ignored, Eva Cosse, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in a report.Cosse, after interviewing victims and witnesses, said that Greek authorities have been seen forcibly pushing back migrants and asylum seekers from Rhodes, Samos, and Symi islands in small inflatable boats.A victim from Syria, who used the pseudonym of Marwan, describ…
(2020-08-22). Lukashenko calls Belarus protests 'Color Revolution,' accuses foreign countries of meddling. rt.com 
President Alexander Lukashenko has likened recent events in Belarus to color revolutions, saying protesters are trying to follow a similar, foreign-backed template to overthrow the government. | "Everything is clear. As we expected, everything is following the plan of color revolutions by whipping up domestic political tensions in the country," Lukashenko said. | The embattled leader, who has headed Belarus for 26 years, also accused foreign countries of interfering with its internal affairs and of seeking "regime change." | 'Color Revolution' is a term used to describe anti-government movements throughout the…
(2020-08-22). Belarus is being used as 'trampoline' to attack Russia, Lukashenko tells RT, amid post-election crisis. rt.com Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko says he and Vladimir Putin "agree" that the forces allegedly directing the ongoing political crisis in Belarus are aiming to attack Russia next. | "In Russia, I often see the media saying: 'Oh, in Belarus, in Belarus…' But it's happening right here, on the western border [of Russia]," Lukashenko told RT in the city of Grodno, where he spoke at a supporters' rally on Saturday. | "We're being pressured, hounded. Myself and Putin have agreed that they're hounding us here to jump on Russia later. It's a trampoline, and we must destroy it. It's an opinion we share with Pr…
(2020-08-22). Belarusian opposition leader Tikhanovskaya to meet with senior US State Department official — says Lukashenko will 'have to leave'. rt.com 
Exiled Belarusian presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has revealed she will meet with US diplomat Stephen Biegun to discuss this month's disputed election, controversially awarded to incumbent Alexander Lukashenko. | She has also said Lukashenko "will have to leave" office. Tikhanovskaya's meeting with US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun will take place in Lithuania on Monday and focus on the current crisis in Belarus, prompted by the controversial presidential election, her team told Reuters on Saturday, during an online interview she was giving to the news agency. | "During the campaign, I…
(2020-08-22). Selfie boomstick: Kalashnikov unveils new SMART shotgun & 5.56 NATO rifle AK-19 (VIDEO). rt.com 
Ahead of the 'Army-2020' expo, Russian arms maker Kalashnikov unveiled a futuristic-looking shotgun, capable of connecting to smartphones and apparently even taking pictures. This is on top of their new 5.56 NATO-chambered rifle. | The new smooth-bore gun, the –ú– -155 Ultima, was unveiled by the concern ahead of the major arms forum, which will kick off on Sunday at Patriot Expo military theme park outside Moscow. | The weapon, based on the trusty semi-automatic MP-155 shotgun, features a display on its stock and, apparently, an under-barrel digital camera — at least the gun's options…
(2020-08-22). Half of Russians don't want to take world's first Covid-19 vaccine — only 42% willing to try Sputnik V. rt.com 
A majority of Russians don't want to be vaccinated against coronavirus, according to a brand-new survey, which showed only 42 percent of the country wants to be immunized with the homegrown 'Sputnik V' formula, unveiled last week. | On August 11, Russia's president Vladimir Putin announced that the country had registered the world's first Covid-19 vaccine. Developed by Moscow's Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, the vaccine will be available to the general public from January 2021, but is to be offered to teachers and medical workers first. The process of creating the vaccine has bee…
(2020-08-22). Catapulting Russian-Meddling Propaganda. strategic-culture.org 
The New York Times is leading the full-court press to improve on what it regards as Special Counsel Robert Mueller's weak-kneed effort to blame the Russians for giving us Donald Trump. | Ray MCGOVERN | The fresh orgy of anti-Russian invective in the lickspittle media (LSM) has the feel of fin de siècle. The last four reality-impaired years do seem as though they add up to a century. And no definitive fin is in sight, as long as most people don't know what's going on. | The LSM should be confronted: "At long last have you left no sense of decency?" But who would hear the question — much less any answer? The…
(2020-08-22). Palestine, Azerbaijan hail Turkey's natural gas find. yenisafak.com Palestine and Azerbaijan congratulated Turkey on Saturday for the discovery of major natural gas reserves in the Black Sea.Palestine's President Mahmoud Abbas congratulated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call, Turkey's Communications Directorate said in a statement.He hailed Turkey's success as Palestine's success, while Erdogan reiterated Ankara's support for the Palestinian cause.The two leaders also discussed bilateral ties and regional developments, the statement said.Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov phoned his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu to congratulate him on the sig…
(2020-08-22). Former Green Beret arrested for selling classified info to Russia. nationofchange.org "According to the allegations, Mr. Debbins knowingly provided information to self-proclaimed members of Russia's Intelligence Service, the GRU."
(2020-08-22). German Socialist Equality Party campaign against reopening schools finds significant response. wsws.org The Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei's call to build action committees to prepare a general strike in Germany against the reopening of schools has been shared hundreds of times on social media and found thousands of readers.
(2020-08-22). Lukashenko regime, Belarusian opposition seek to stifle mass strike movement. wsws.org Whatever the tactical differences between the opposition and the government, they share a common goal: ending the strike movement as quickly as possible.
(2020-08-22). Venezuela Receives 73 Tons of Supplies & Equipment from Europe. telesurenglish.net Seventy-three tons of donated supplies Saturday arrived in Caracas, Venezuela, from Europe to assist in the fight against COVID-19. | RELATED: | The shipment includes equipment and supplies such as medicine, vaccines, PPE, water purification equipment and family hygiene kits. | The two flights which came from Madrid, were received by Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister for Europe, Yvan Gil, in the company of Jan Harfst, representative…
(2020-08-22). European countries force children back to school amid resurgence of COVID-19. wsws.org The drive to reopen schools after the summer break continues unabated throughout Europe as the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic accelerates across the continent.
(2020-08-22). Over 800,000 People Have Died From COVID-19 in the World. telesurenglish.net Worldometers website Friday warned that the COVID-19 deaths worldwide Friday exceeded 800,000, while new infections reached 23 million. | RELATED: | "The COVID-19 has caused so far 803,374 deaths and 23,130,443 infections," the website assured. | The numbers of coronavirus infections and deaths "have been rising amidst a relaxation of measures to prevent the spread and rebound of the virus in Europe," Wordometers added. | The most…
(2020-08-22). The Biden campaign and the attempt to "rescue" American hegemony. wsws.org The factions of the state backing the Biden campaign have set out to "reclaim America's place in the world" by "getting tough" with Russia and China.
(2020-08-22). Iranian envoy warns on weakening UN position. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 22 (MNA) — The Iranian Ambassador to France warned about undermining and weakening the international status of the United Nation in international bodies.
(2020-08-22). Iran-Russia military coop. 'positive, progressive': Hatami. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 22 (MNA) — Iranian Minister of Defense Brigadier General Amir Hatami said that military cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation is 'positive and progressive'.
(2020-08-22). Reckoning With Labor Law's Racist Roots. popularresistance.org The maintenance of the racist Southern plantation system was the driving force behind the "compromise" struck by President Roosevelt and the Southern Democrats to exclude agricultural laborers from labor protections. In congressional debates this was clearly articulated. Representative Wilcox of Florida extolled, "You cannot put the Negro and the white man on the same basis and get away with it…" and Representative Cox of Georgia agreed, saying that it would be "dangerous beyond conception" to eliminate racial and social distinctions. Bargaining away racial equality, President Roosevelt and his coalition exclud…
(2020-08-22). Lukashenko Reveals What Putin Told Him Before Belarusian President Addressed Supporters. sputniknews.com The president showed up at a rally of his supporters in Grodno following two weeks of opposition-organised protests and strikes in the country. Lukashenko accused foreign countries of funding the riots with the aim of ousting him under the made-up pretext of rigging the election.
(2020-08-22). Proposed German Law Would Mandate Two Walks Each Day for Dogs. sputniknews.com Dog owners in Germany may soon be required by law to walk their furry friends at minimum twice a day, as the country's Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture is set to introduce a new law next year to ensure dogs get enough activity.
(2020-08-22). Police Officers to be Deployed Overnight Near Hospital Where Navalny is Treated. sputniknews.com BERLIN (Sputnik) – Police officers deployed near the Charite hospital in Berlin, where Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny is being treated, said on Saturday that they will stay at their position overnight.
(2020-08-22). Boat Crash Off UK's Southampton Kills 15-Year-Old Girl, Injures 11 Others. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – A 15-year-old girl died on Saturday after a rigid inflatable boat collided with a buoy off Southampton in the southern part of England, the local police in the Hampshire county said.
(2020-08-22). Iranian Envoy to Russia Says Tehran-Moscow Military Cooperation 'Will Reach New Levels'. sputniknews.com The announcement comes as a UN embargo on weapons sales to the Islamic Republic is about to expire amid continuing opposition to the move by the United States.
(2020-08-22). Russia's Povetkin Defeats Whyte Winning WBC Interim Heavyweight Title. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russian boxer Alexander Povetkin has defeated UK's Dillian Whyte, winning the World Boxing Council (WBC) interim heavyweight title.
(2020-08-22). Bismarck, Britain's COVID -19 Crisis and the Failure of the National Health Service. strategic-culture.org The appalling record of Britain's National Health Service in dealing with the continuing COVID-19 pandemic has also revealed the country's false pride, ignorance and arrogance about the NHS in striking contrast with that of Russia and Germany. | It is often commented that after the exhausted and bankrupt British were forced to give up their enormous global empire after World War II, they comforted themselves — very much in the manner of a spoiled and immature child sucking his or her favorite frozen sweet — by assuring each other that they had the most advanced and impressive free health care service…
(2020-08-22). U.S. Isolated From Double-Think & Arrogance on 'Snapback' Sanctions Against Iran. strategic-culture.org More than two years ago, in May 2018, the Trump administration unilaterally walked away from the international nuclear accord with Iran signed by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany. President Trump derided the deal as the "worst ever" and proceeded to re-impose crippling U.S. sanctions on Iran. | This week the United States
(2020-08-22). China and the U.S.: The 21st Century's 'Great Game'. strategic-culture.org Conn M. HALLINAN | From 1830 to 1895, the British and Russian empires schemed and plotted over control of Central and South Asia. At the heart of the "Great Game" was England's certainty that the Russians had designs on India. So wars were fought, borders drawn, and generations of young met death in desolate passes and lonely outposts. | In the end, it was all illusion. Russia never planned to challenge British rule in India and the bloody wars settled nothing, although the arbitrary borders and ethnic tensions stoked by colonialism's strategy of divide and conquer live on today. Thus China, India, Pakistan, Afgh…
(2020-08-22). Protesters hold seventh anti-Kremlin march over detained governor. yenisafak.com Around 1,500 people marched through the streets of the Russian far eastern city of Khabarovsk on Saturday, marking the seventh consecutive weekend of protests after the region's governor was detained in early July.Residents of Khabarovsk, 6,110 km (3,800 miles) east of Moscow, have protested since the detention of Sergei Furgal, the region's popular governor, on July 9 in connection with murder charges which he denies.His supporters say the detention is politically motivated.People marched on Saturday with posters reading "Freedom to Furgal" and "Belarus – Khabarovsk is with you" – a sign of support for oppositio…
(2020-08-22). France delays launch of COVID-19 economic reboot plan to September. yenisafak.com The French government said on Saturday it would unveil details of its 100 billion euro ($118 billion) plan to reinvigorate the economy in the first week of September, instead of next Tuesday, as it focuses on preparing the new school term."The recovery plan is ready, the timetable for its implementation still stands," government spokesman Gabriel Attal said in a statement.Schools are set to reopen on Sept. 1, after most were closed during a two-month lockdown earlier this year to fight the coronavirus, and the government is working to ensure protective measures will be adequate, Attal said.France has already outl…
(2020-08-22). Pakistan congratulates Turkey over gas discovery. yenisafak.com Pakistan's president on Saturday congratulated Turkey over the natural gas discovery in the Black Sea."I must congratulate our friends, President @RTErdogan and the people of Turkey, on their biggest natural gas discovery in the Black Sea. Friends revel and rejoice in the happiness and prosperity of friends. Mashallah," Arif Alvi said in a Twitter post.The development remained one of the top trends "HayirliOlsunTurkiye– #PakGreetsTurkey" on Twitter and other social media sites, with users congratulating Ankara over historic discovery.On Friday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced some 320 billion cubic mete…
(2020-08-22). Turkey: Hot air balloons up in the skies after months. yenisafak.com Colorful hot air balloons dotted the skies of Pamukkale in southwestern Turkey on Saturday morning, as the popular tourist activity resumed after a pause of over five months due to the coronavirus pandemic.The UNESCO World Heritage Site in Denizli province is famous for its mineral-rich thermal waters and white travertine terraces.The balloon tours, which give visitors the chance to take in the area's natural splendor from up above, were grounded on March 15 as part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.Pamukkale's Kocacukur area swarmed with tourists on Saturday morning, who lined up for their balloon rides…
(2020-08-22). Russian oppositionist Alexei Navalny flown to German hospital after doctors dispute poisoning claims. wsws.org Russian doctors declared Friday that Navalny's critical illness was caused by a metabolic disorder brought on by hypoglycemia, not poisoning.
(2020-08-21). "We're Back": Greta Thunberg Kicks Off Third Year of Fridays for Future Protests in Germany After Meeting With Merkel. commondreams.org "We want leaders to step up, take responsibility, and treat the climate crisis like a crisis." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/greta_berlin.jpg …
(2020-08-21). NATO Poses a Threat to Belarus: Why Did Russia Reaffirm Its CSTO Support to Belarus but Not to Armenia? globalresearch.ca Russia's reaffirmation of its CSTO mutual defense obligations to Belarus was made in response to Lukashenko's claims that NATO poses a threat to Belarus, which Moscow evidently believes are at least credible enough to remind the alliance about its red …
(2020-08-21). Belarus: Why Is Lukshenko Being Color Revolutioned Just Now? globalresearch.ca The globalist Powers That Be have clearly decided to topple the long-standing sole-ruler of Belarus, President Aleksander Lukashenko. The question is why at just this time? There is a case to be made that one reason is he is …
(2020-08-21). Former US Allies Britain, France, Germany join Russia and China in Forcefully Rejecting Trump Iran Sanctions. commondreams.org The "Trump administration is perfectly capable of maintaining publicly that international UNSC sanctions on Iran have been restored even if no one goes along with Washington," writes Cole. (Photo: Brendan Smialowski / AFP) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/trump_alone.jpg …
(2020-08-21). 'Black Suns' at Louvre Lens: Coal mines transformed into gift shops. peoplesworld.org 
Lens, a small town, but a highly important one in the industrial era of the late 19th century, located in the former French-Belgian coal belt, is now the home of the Louvre satellite museum Louvre-Lens and the site of the first major post-COVID lockdown exhibition in France and perhaps the first in the world. Soleils …
(2020-08-21). Murders of women rising in Turkey; government does nothing. peoplesworld.org 
Nearly 250 women have been killed in Turkey so far this year, new statistics suggest, prompting a call for international solidarity from women's organizations in a bid to save lives. Four women were detained in Istanbul Thursday after they unveiled a banner in Taksim Square charging that the "patriarchal state" was responsible for the death …
(2020-08-21). 'Purely a medical decision': Anti-corruption activist Navalny won't be allowed to fly until his doctor allows it, says Kremlin. rt.com 
There are no obstacles preventing Moscow protest leader Alexey Navalny from flying abroad for treatment other than receiving permission from his doctor, according to Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov. | Navalny was taken to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk on Thursday morning, after becoming ill on a flight from Tomsk to Moscow. Members of his team believe the activist has been poisoned, and have arranged to fly him to the European Union. His associates have appealed to the Kremlin to allow him to be evacuated to a German specialist hospital, but Moscow insists the decision to let him go must be mad…
(2020-08-21). Fighting Russia has become an existential necessity for NATO, if tensions are reduced alliance has no purpose — Russia FM Lavrov. rt.com 
Confrontation with Russia has become the sole reason for NATO's existence, and this encourages instability in Europe, creating artificial dividing lines on the continent. That's according to Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. | The veteran diplomat told the Moscow daily Trud that everyone knows there are no real threats to security in Europe but that NATO needs to invent them in order to keep itself relevant. Lavrov also drew attention to the fact that Russia has repeatedly proposed measures to reduce tensions and reduce the risk of incidents on the continent. | "Now, just like during the Cold War, fighti…
(2020-08-21). Newly-detected asteroid put on RISK LIST as calculations predict it could hit Earth. rt.com 
A freshly detected asteroid has been put straight onto the European Space Agency's 'risk list' as calculations forecast that it could smash into Earth in 10 years. | The agency detected the space rock this week and immediately added it to the list of potentially hazardous near-Earth objects, as calculations predict that it may hit our planet on August 31, 2029. | The data indicates that the object, known as 2020 PG6, will be traveling at an average speed of over 46,000kph as it races towards Earth. Thankfully, if the asteroid does stray into Earth's path, it's unlikely to cause a significant amount of damage a…