(2020-08-28). U.S. imposes sanctions on Russian research institute that developed Covid-19 vaccine. thegrayzone.com The US Commerce Department blacklisted a Russian research institute that helped create the world's first Covid-19 vaccine. 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 …
(2020-08-28). Washington Schemes to Heat Up the Arctic. counterpunch.org 
One of the more bizarre indications that Trump Washington is interested in the Arctic was made a year ago when he said he would like to buy Greenland, a vast territory that is administered by Denmark. It is about the same size as Saudi Arabia, and slightly smaller than India — a big country in which there is
(2020-08-28). Award-winning investigative journalist ridiculed on Twitter after calling out Ivanka Trump for 'LEGOGATE' fib. rt.com 
With 'Russiagate' done and dusted, and the 'Ukrainegate' impeachment a flop, some intrepid journalists have scraped the bottom of the barrel and come up with a new Trump family scandal: 'Legogate.' | Speaking to the Republican National Convention on Thursday, the US president's daughter and advisor, Ivanka Trump, shared a personal anecdote about moving to Washington DC with her family. "My son Joseph promptly built Grandpa a Lego replica of the White House. The president still displays it on the mantel in the Oval Office and shows it to world leaders, just so they know he has the greatest grandchildren on Eart…
(2020-08-28). Video: US-Russia "Road War" in Northeastern Syria. globalresearch.ca Four US service members were slightly injured during a standoff with the Russian Military Police near the border-town of Al-Malikiyah in the Syrian province of al-Hasakah. According to reports, the US troops received "mild injures" after their MaxxPro MRAP vehicle …
(2020-08-28). Belarus Crisis Through the Lens of Ukraine. globalresearch.ca On August 9, presidential elections were held in Ukraine's neighbor, Belarus. Economically, they are mutually dependent on each other, and Russia is too, but currently it seems as if trade, like flights, could soon be put on hold. Meanwhile, far …
(2020-08-28). Apelo Aos Dirigentes Dos Nove Estados Detentores De Armas Nucleares (China, Franàßa, Ândia, Israel, Coreia do Norte, Paquistà£o, Rússia, Reino Unido e Estados Unidos da América). globalresearch.ca Nós, pessoas de boa vontade, de todas as etnias e de todas as classes socioeconómicas, a viver em todos os continentes e a professar credos e religiàµes distintas, dirigimos a vossa atenàßà£o para a ameaàßa de uma guerra nuclear total …
(2020-08-28). "Modern Attilla the Hun" Ravages Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Syria, Iran… China and Russia Block The Momentum, Are They the Next Targets? globalresearch.ca In 1991-1992, just prior to, and following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the US gloated over its global supremacy which, of course guaranteed its unfettered dominance of United Nations agencies, the most powerful of which is the UN Security …
(2020-08-28). Cholesterol drug combinations could cut health risk for European patients. imperial.ac.uk More patients could benefit from combinations of cholesterol-lowering drugs to reduce their risk of stroke and heart attacks.
(2020-08-28). Belarus: NATO Lobby Acknowledges That Its Color Revolution Failed. popularresistance.org It is over. The 'patchy strikes' were never real industrial actions. A few journalist of the Belarus state TV went on a strike. They were unceremoniously fired and replaced with Russian journalists. A few hundred workers at the MTZ Minsk Tractor Works did a walk out. But MTZ has 17,000 employees and the 16,500+ who did not walk out know very well why they still have their jobs. Should Lukashenko fall it is highly likely that their state owned company will be sold off for pennies and immediately 'right sized' meaning that most of them would be out of work.
(2020-08-28). Victory For The Humboldt 3! popularresistance.org Es lebe die freiheit — long live freedom — is the cry of every Palestinian and all people longing for freedom from colonialism.They were also the last words of Hans Scholl, a member of the White Rose anti-fascist resistance movement in Nazi Germany, before his execution on February 22 1945. The White Rose brought the Nazis' crimes to public awareness, and demanded justice for their victims. | Over seventy years later we, the Humboldt 3, drew inspiration from the White Rose. Along with Israeli anti-Zionist activists Ronnie Barkan and Stavit Sinai, I disrupted a talk given at the Humboldt University of…
(2020-08-28). British Soldier Arrested For Opposing UK Arming Saudi Arabia. popularresistance.org A British soldier has been arrested for opposing the United Kingdom's role in the Saudi-led war against Yemen. Video shows Lance Corporal Ahmed Al-Babati of the Royal Signals being led away by military police from his protest outside Britain's Ministry of Defense in London. Al-Babati earlier released a video explaining his decision to risk his freedom rather than participate in what he feels is a grossly immoral war. "Our government continues to arm and support Saudi Arabia," he said. "We tried to make our voices heard by protesting in London, Manchester, Liverpool and many other cities.
(2020-08-28). Merkel on Greece-Turkey East Med Row: All EU Countries Have Obligation to Support Athens. sputniknews.com Tensions in the eastern Mediterranean have been escalating since Turkey renewed its efforts to explore energy reserves near Cyprus. Ankara claims rights to parts of the island's offshore resources despite vehement opposition from Greece and some other EU states.
(2020-08-28). Russian FM: US Sanctions on Institute Working on COVID Vaccine Aimed at Promoting Their Own Pharma. sputniknews.com On Wednesday, the US slapped sanctions on five Russian institutes, accusing them of developing chemical and biological weapons. The restrictions were specifically imposed on a research institute of the Russian Defence Ministry that developed the first COVID-19 vaccine together with the Gamaleya Institute.
(2020-08-28). Kosovo Endgame: A Perfect Storm of Betrayal. strategic-culture.org It is difficult to avoid the impression that the denouement of the Kosovo political saga is approaching at an accelerated pace. On September 4 an important meeting will be held in Washington, with President Trump's attendance at some stage strongly suggested. Its purpose is to sort out the finer details of what should soon be unveiled as a "comprehensive and legally binding" settlement between Serbia and its province of Kosovo. Kosovo has been illegally occupied by NATO since 1999 and was spurred on in 2008 to unilaterally proclaim its "independence." | A few preliminary facts need to be stated before embarkin…
(2020-08-28). Banksy-funded rescue boat is helping to save refugees in Mediterranean. thecanary.co British street artist Banksy has funded a refugee rescue boat that is helping to save people encountering danger in the Mediterranean Sea. | The Louise Michel, a vessel that used to be owned by the customs authorities in France, launched under its new guise last week and features a painting from Banksy depicting a young girl holding on to a heart-shaped safety float. | The boat was renamed after a 19th-century French feminist anarchist, and is spattered in pink paint after the secretive artist "decorated her with a fire extinguisher". | It was bought with the proceeds of some of Banksy's works and is captained by…
(2020-08-28). Germany would be ready to sanction Russia over Navalny case: Maas. yenisafak.com Germany would be ready to impose diplomatic sanctions against Russia if it concludes that Russian state agencies were behind the poisoning of a critic of President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Friday."Concerning Russia's readiness to clear up the case of (Alexei) Navalny we will act like we did in the case of the Tiergarten murder," Maas said, referring to Germany's expulsion of Russian embassy employees over Moscow's lack of cooperation in a probe into the murder of a Georgian man in a Berlin park.
(2020-08-28). Germany calls for dialogue between Turkey, Greece. yenisafak.com German Chancellor Angela Merkel Friday reiterated her call for dialogue between Turkey and Greece over the offshore energy exploration in Eastern Mediterranean. | "I made an effort to reduce tension. Sometimes this is only possible with both parties speaking over and over again," said Merkel during her traditional annual summer news conference. | "The discussion regarding the distribution of economic zones can only be carried out together. Germany is making an effort for this," she added. | "As EU member states, we all have a duty to take our Greek friends' rights seriously and support them where they are right."
(2020-08-28). Turkish, British defense chiefs discuss East Med, Libya. yenisafak.com Turkey's defense chief and his British counterpart spoke over the phone Friday about recent developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and Libya.Hulusi Akar and Ben Wallace spoke amid escalating tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean between Turkey and Greece.On disputes over maritime boundaries in the Eastern Mediterranean, Akar on Thursday stressed that Turkey would not usurp anyone's land or sea, but at the same time, would not allow any attack on its territory.Turkey has long opposed efforts of various countries to exclude it from its rightful maritime jurisdiction and deprive it from exploring energy resources…
(2020-08-28). Spanish police arrest pandemic-denier for inciting hatred. yenisafak.com Spanish police said on Friday they had arrested a man near the northeastern city of Zaragoza, who believed the coronavirus pandemic to be a hoax, for inciting hatred and violence across several anonymous social-media profiles.The 38-year-old, who claimed that health professionals and the media were behind what he called the "COVID farce", urged his followers to attack politicians and journalists, police said."All this would be solved with a shot to the back of (Spanish Prime Minister) Pedro Sanchez's head," he wrote on one of his accounts.In other posts he said the headquarters of Spain's doctors' union should be…
(2020-08-28). Turkish aid agency sends medical aid to Afghanistan. yenisafak.com A Turkish aid agency Friday sent medical aid to Afghanistan to help the country fight COVID-19.The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency's (TIKA) Afghanistan office in Kabul facilitated the process.The two countries have strong historical, cultural and religious ties, and Turkey has always stood with Afghanistan, said Afghanistan's Deputy Health Minister Abdul Kadir in a statement. Kadir thanked Turkey for its contributions to Afghanistan's development.As part of the fight against COVID-19, the agency delivered to Afghanistan's Health Ministry the second batch of aid as well, said Zuhtu Cal, TIKA's coordina…
(2020-08-28). Top Turkish, Libyan officials discuss mutual issues. yenisafak.com Turkey's foreign and defense ministers on Friday met separately with Khaled al-Mishri, the head of Libya's High Council of State.Foreign Minister Mevlàºt àáavu≈üoƒülu, in a statement, said the two discussed Turkish cooperation with "brotherly" Libya, which he said grows stronger every day.Saying both countries are determined to speed up joint economic and commercial projects, he added that Turkey will continue to support the political process in Libya.In a separate statement, Turkey's National Defense Ministry said Hulusi Akar discussed the latest developments in Libya with Al-Mis…
(2020-08-28). Top Turkish diplomat regrets Japan PM's resignation. yenisafak.com The Turkish foreign minister on Friday expressed sorrow at the resignation of the Japanese prime minister due to health issues.In a Twitter post, Mevlut Cavusoglu said Shinzo Abe made a great contribution in the sense of improving diplomatic ties between Turkey and Japan.Cavusoglu thanked Abe for his efforts in this regard and wished him recovery.Earlier, the 65-year-old Japanese premier announced his resignation due to health concerns, saying: "I have decided to step down as prime minister as poor health should not lead to wrong political decision."The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will hold a poll of se…
(2020-08-28). Turkey to become battery production hub: Tech minister. yenisafak.com Turkey aims to become a hub for battery production with its investments in battery modules, packages and cells, a senior official said Friday.To reach this goal, the country will support electric-electronic firms' investments in the automotive sector, Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank told a ceremony by Korean automotive giant Hyundai that marked the launch of mass production of i20 model automobiles in Turkey's industrial province of Kocaeli.Hyundai's Turkey factory will cover half of all i20 output across the globe, with 90% of all vehicles produced to be exported, Varank noted.The minister also s…
(2020-08-28). Pakistan lauds Turkey's support on Kashmir. yenisafak.com Pakistan on Thursday praised Turkey for its support for the people of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.Following a meeting in the capital Islamabad with Turkey's envoy to the South Asian country, the chairman of Pakistan's Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir, Shehryar Afridi, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's stance on Kashmir has helped internationally highlight the issue."President Erdogan has played vital role in exposing Hindutva designs against the people of Kashmir and Indian minorities as the goons of proscribed Rashtariya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) were lynching Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and…
(2020-08-28). Turkey says determined to preserve Idlib de-escalation zone. yenisafak.com Turkey is determined to preserve the de-escalation zone in Idlib, Syria despite the violations of cease-fire and the brutality of Assad regime, the country's presidential spokesman said on Friday.Turkey's Ibrahim Kalin met visiting US special envoy for Syria James Jeffrey and his delegation in Istanbul.The Syria crisis, especially Idlib, political process in the war-torn country, works of Syrian Constitutional Committee, anti-terrorism efforts, asylum seekers, and bilateral and regional issues were the items of the meeting's agenda.During the talks, Kalin stressed that any political, economic, military support to…
(2020-08-27). Belarus's Options in the Midst of a Color Revolution. counterpunch.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
(2020-08-27). Dozens of journalists covering latest protests rounded up in Minsk for 'document check' — Russian embassy investigating. rt.com 
Belarusian authorities have apprehended over 60 journalists who were planning to cover a major protest in Minsk on Thursday evening. They include members of the Russian, American and British press corps in the capital of Belarus. | Photographer Sergey Bobylev of Moscow news agency TASS was among those held. He said he was stopped on the Svobody Square in central Minsk, before an opposition rally. Opponents of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko have disputed the outcome of this month's controversial presidential elections, in which he was officially re-elected with 80 percent of the vote. | Bobylev, who…
(2020-08-27). Putin claims July detention of 33 Russian 'Wagner mercenaries' in Belarus was conspiracy orchestrated by Ukrainian & US spooks. rt.com 
Their arrest came as a surprise. Was Russia really using mercenary soldiers to overthrow the leader of its closest ally? Everyone knew relations between Moscow and Alexander Lukashenko were strained, but this seemed extreme. | That was the claim originally made when 33 members of the 'Wagner' Private Security Company were detained by the KGB in Belarus. State news agency Belta alleged that law enforcement sources said they'd received information about the arrival of more than 200 Russian militants on Belarusian territory to destabilize the situation during the country's fraught election campaign. | Read more…
(2020-08-27). Immigration added 313,000 to UK population last year, with non-EU arrivals at record levels. rt.com 
The UK experienced a net immigration bump of 313,000 people in the year ending March 2020, according to new statistics, with the majority of arrivals coming from outside the European Union. | While the coronavirus pandemic has since slashed all forms of international travel, immigration to the UK increased to its highest level since the Brexit vote last year. In the first quarter of 2020, around 715,000 people moved to the UK, while 403,000 left, according to an Office for National Statistics (ONS) report published on Thursday. Overall, the population increased by 313,000. | Our latest quarterly migration figu…
(2020-08-27). 'I'll strip them of their clothes': When Navalny's health recovers, businessman Evgeny Prigozhin plans to financially ruin him. rt.com 
When Alexey Navalny recovers from his alleged poisoning, he'll have another battle ahead. A businessman dubbed "Putin's chef," has vowed to take every single penny of a 88 million rubles ($1.2 million) debt owed by the activist. | Evgeny Prigozhin, the owner of a catering company named 'Concord,' has acquired the right to collect a large settlement against the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), a group Navalny founded in 2011. In 2019, a Russian court ordered that FBK, Navalny and his lawyer Lyubov Sobol pay 88 million rubles ($1.2 million) to 'Moskovsky Shkolnik' (Moscow Schoolboy), a food production company.
(2020-08-27). Dutch socialist youth demand abolition of first class in railways to prevent overcrowding. peoplesdispatch.org Even during the raging COVID-19 pandemic, trains in the Netherlands have been running with overcrowded second class coaches and almost vacant expensive first class coaches…
(2020-08-27). Video: Russian, Syrian Forces Operation against ISIS Terrorists. globalresearch.ca Russian and Syrian forces eliminated 327 ISIS militants during a joint security operation that took place in the desert areas of Homs and Deir Ezzor from August 18 to August 24. | According to the Russian side, strikes of the Syrian …
(2020-08-27). Masks Aren't Helpful in Beating COVID-19: Europe's Top Health Officials. globalresearch.ca Denmark boasts one of the lowest COVID-19 death rates in the world. As of August 4, the Danes have suffered 616 COVID-19 deaths, That's less
(2020-08-27). HBO's Welcome to Chechnya is Latest Anti-Russian Cold War Propaganda. dissidentvoice.org In 2017, explosive allegations first emerged that the authorities of the Chechen Republic were reportedly interning gay men in concentration camps. After a three year period of dormancy, the accusations have resurfaced in a new feature length documentary by HBO Films entitled Welcome to Chechnya. Shot between mid-2017 and early last year, the film has …
(2020-08-27). HBO's 'Welcome to Chechnya' Is Latest Anti-Russian Cold War Propaganda. globalresearch.ca In 2017, explosive allegations first emerged that the authorities of the Chechen Republic were reportedly interning gay men in concentration camps. After a three year period of dormancy, the accusations have resurfaced in a new feature length documentary by HBO …
(2020-08-27). Germany seeking to impose arms embargo on Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 27 (MNA) — Leveling accusations against Iran, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas pointed to efforts to impose an arms embargo against the Islamic Republic in the future.
(2020-08-27). Lebanon: Inconvenient Truths About Syria, Iran, Hezbollah And The Shia 'Street'. popularresistance.org There's been a lot of nonsense passing as truth in post-blast Lebanon reporting. Most centers around alarmism about Hezbollah's nefarious influence, the West's "opportunity" to destroy it, and the supposed struggle with Russia, China, and Iran for paternalist-preeminence in a country that isn't ours (or theirs) to preside over in the first place. There's little discussion in most mainstream reporting on the minor matter of why Hezbollah gained influence in the first place. Shia Muslims are difficult to provoke and almost impossible to suppress once aroused. Long led by a more "quietist" strand of conservative, ap…
(2020-08-27). Vladimir Putin Reveals His Daughter Developed COVID Antibodies After Taking Russian Vaccine. sputniknews.com Following the announcement of the world's first COVID-19 vaccine on 11 August, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that one of his daughters had been inoculated with it.
(2020-08-27). Observers: US Sanctions on Russian Institute Working on Sputnik V Caused by Fear to Lose Leadership. sputniknews.com As Moscow announced the beginning of post-registration trials of anti-COVID vaccine Sputnik V on 26 August, the US added a group of Russian research institutes, including the one testing the anti-coronavirus drug, to its sanctions list. International observers have discussed the US move unveiled amid the global effort to curb the pandemic.
(2020-08-27). Russian Prosecutors Launch Pre-Trial Probe Over Alexei Navalny's Hospitalisation in Omsk. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Transport police prosecutors in the western Siberian region have launched a pre-trial probe over the hospitalisation of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny in the city of Omsk.
(2020-08-27). UK's Johnson Reprises Skripal Saga for Navalny 'Poisoning'. strategic-culture.org Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson is the latest Western leader to wildly jump on the bandwagon claiming that Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny was poisoned, and by implication insinuating the Kremlin had a sinister hand in it. | "The poisoning of Alexei Navalny shocked the world,"
(2020-08-27). 'Turkey, Ukraine should pursue joint tech production'. yenisafak.com "From now on, we should focus on getting quick results in the work we've initiated towards joint project and product development and joint technological research," Mustafa Varank said in a meeting with Oleh Urusky, Ukraine's vice prime minister for strategic industries.This would transform the countries' "strategic cooperation into a more systematic and institutionalized structure," he said in the Turkish capital Ankara.Varank said the countries' close historical, cultural, and geographical ties were strengthened by a strategic partnership announced in 2011.Calling the Ukrainian official's visit a milestone in fo…
(2020-08-27). Putin says alleged mercenaries were lured to Belarus by foreign spy operation. yenisafak.com President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that a group of Russians who were detained in Belarus prior to its Aug. 9 election and accused of being mercenaries had been lured to Belarus by a Ukrainan-U.S. intelligence operation.Belarus had accused the men of seeking to destabilise the country ahead of its election, marking an unusual diplomatic row with close ally Russia. At the time, Russia had said the men were private security workers on their way to a third country."These people, I repeat, were travelling for work to a third country. They were lured there, dragged across the border… It was an operation of Ukr…
(2020-08-27). EU mulls Belarus sanctions as opposition calls for Merkel's aid. yenisafak.com European Union foreign ministers on Thursday sought sanctions against Belarus to pressure President Alexander Lukashenko to hold new elections as the country's opposition appealed to German Chancellor Angela Merkel for help.Eager to support mass protests against Lukashenko's 26-year iron rule, EU ministers are considering travel bans and asset freezes on up to 20 people responsible for a crackdown on demonstrators two weeks after an election they say was rigged."The announcement of sanctions has not led to any change in behaviour in Belarus," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters, referring to the thr…
(2020-08-27). British government to use treason laws targeting Russia and China to suppress domestic dissent. wsws.org Under the changes being considered, merely voicing opinions and facts associated with the hindrance of British interests abroad—however the government defines this—will make citizens and groups open to accusations of treason.
(2020-08-27). Rattled by crisis, US-aligned Polish government steps up intervention in Belarus. wsws.org Warsaw is attempting to bolster the EU-backed opposition in Belarus, as the Belarusian president turns to the Kremlin in response to the strikes and mass protests against his government.
(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 …
(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…
(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 webinar. . . . |
(2020-08-26). Nobel Prize winner Svetlana Alexievich questioned in Minsk as case opens against Belarus opposition for 'attempt to seize power'. rt.com 
Many assumed despite playing a prominent role in Belarus' opposition, Svetlana Alexievich's fame made her somewhat 'untouchable.' Nevertheless, the 2015 Nobel Prize in Literature winner was summoned for questioning on Wednesday. | The Belarusian Investigative Committee wanted to 'discuss' the case it has opened against the country's opposition for allegedly making "calls to seize state power." The writer, who sits on the movement's 'Coordination Council', arrived at the committee's building accompanied by other council presidium members Pavel Latushko, Maxim Znak and Maria Kolesnikova. | After the meeting ende…