(2020-08-07). Headlines for August 7, 2020. democracynow.org Study Predicts U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Could Reach 300,000 by December, Georgia High Schoolers Suspended for Sharing Images of Unmasked Students in Crowded Halls, India's COVID-19 Cases Top 2 Million as WHO Warns of Worsening Outbreaks in Africa, Peru's Health System in Collapse as COVID-19 Death Toll Reaches 20,000, Congressional Talks on New Coronavirus Stimulus on Brink of Collapse, "Make Billionaires Pay Act" Would Tax Richest 0.001% to Fund Healthcare for Millions, Police Fire Tear Gas at Anti-Government Protesters as Anger Rages over Beirut Blast, New York Attorney General Files Suit to Dissolve NRA over Ex…
(2020-08-07). Leftist groups urge Danish government to receive more refugees. peoplesdispatch.org Leftist groups in Denmark have demanded the social democrat-led government to raise the country's refugee quota and receive at least 500 refugees annually, which was the case before 2016…
(2020-08-07). USAF Vet Could Face '20 Days for 20 Bombs' for Protest Against US H-Bombs Stationed in Germany. counterpunch.org 
Hamburg, Germany With this week's commemorations of the US atomic massacres at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, there will be countless hours spent on speeches, sermons, hymns, and warnings; tons of ink spilled in op/eds, editorials and articles. All will solemnly promote the need to pursue a world without nuclear weapons. However, many of the same voices
(2020-08-07). Migrants Die In The Atlantic Ocean Trying To Reach Spain. telesurenglish.net About 50 migrants Thursday died in the Atlantic Ocean after their barges sank while trying to reach the Canary Islands in Spain. | RELATED: | Spanish outlets revealed that one of the boats broke down off the coast of Mauritania, and at least 40 people died. Also, 10 migrants died after another vessel shipwrecked near to the coast of Western Sahara. The only survivor told AFP that their boat broke down. | "For a l…
(2020-08-07). Neil deMause on Reopening Coverage, Nicole Porter on Covid and Prisons. fair.org 
Media…
(2020-08-07). Germans battle virus deniers, landlords, and the right wing. peoplesworld.org 
On Saturday, crowds came to Berlin from all over Germany for a parade, estimated at 17,000 to 20,000 by the police but over a million by some exuberant adherents. Many or most politicians, media, and a majority of Germans were debating over whether, how soon and with what anti-virus restrictions schools, vacation travel, and soccer …
(2020-08-07). Unregulated capitalism drives 'The Business of Drugs'. peoplesworld.org 
Much of the world is facing a crisis around the use and abuse of various sorts of substances. Headlines around the world show many deaths each day due to overdoses. In the U.S., approaches to this issue have typically involved prohibition, enforcement, and corrections. Other jurisdictions such as the Netherlands and Portugal have successfully tried …
(2020-08-07). Cyprus Is No Longer a Tax Haven for Russia's Oligarchs. globalresearch.ca Moscow announced the unilateral termination of the transnational agreement with Cyprus on the avoidance of double taxation. Effectively, Cyprus will no longer be a tax haven for Russia's rich. Russia seems to be moving in this direction without compromise so …
(2020-08-07). Video: Russian S-300 Air Defense System Spotted in Libya? globalresearch.ca Russia has deployed an advanced S-300 air defense system to Libya to support the forces of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar against the Turkish military and its proxies, local media reported on August 5. | According to photos surfacing online, the supposed …
(2020-08-07). Pompeo Warned Moscow in July Call Against Alleged Bounties on US Soldiers – Report. sputniknews.com Unnamed US officials told the New York Times on Friday that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gave a vague warning to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last month that Russia should refrain from offering bounties to Taliban fighters to kill US soldiers in Afghanistan, as the Times has claimed was happening.
(2020-08-07). Facebook Removes Foreign Pro-Trump Troll Farms. telesurenglish.net Facebook and Instagram Thursday took action to prevent their platforms from being used by U.S. President Donald Trump's supporters to promote his reelection campaign. | RELATED: | A Romania-based troll farm pushed pro-Trump content under the names of "Black People Vote For Trump" on Instagram and "We Love Our President" on Facebook. | The content published in those fake accounts and pages was allegedly managed by U.S. ci…
(2020-08-07). Thousands march across Turkey to denounce violence against women. peoplesdispatch.org Thousands of women marched in different cities in Turkey on Wednesday, August 5, demanding that the government take strong steps to stop the violence against women and asking it to not withdraw from the Istanbul convention. | Wednesday's protests were part of the ongoing movement that started last month after the brutal murder of a 27-year-old woman, Pinar Gultekin. Protests were held in several cities across Turkey including Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara, Adana and Antalya. In Izmir, the women carried out a sit-in when the police used force and detained several of the protestors. | Hundreds of protestors gathering in…
(2020-08-07). Students Suspended for Taking Pictures of Crowds in Georgia School's Reopening. truthout.org A high school in Paulding County, Georgia, is facing steep criticism for how it has handled reopening its schools after several images on social media revealed a lack of social distancing and mask-wearing among the student body. | But rather than addressing these concerns or taking precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the district instead appears to be disciplining students that have shared these images on social media. | Hannah Watters, a 15-year-old student at North Paulding High…
(2020-08-07). Top Turkish officials due in Lebanon after huge blast. yenisafak.com Turkey's top officials will visit Lebanon's capital on Saturday following a massive deadly explosion shaking Beirut this week, according to Turkish authorities.Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu are expected to meet Lebanese President Michel Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Hassan Diab, the office of the vice president said on Friday.A fire at a warehouse at the Port of Beirut led to a huge blast on Tuesday causing massive material damage in several neighborhoods of the capital. At least 154 people were killed and around 5,000 others injured in tragic in…
(2020-08-07). Putin and Lukashenko discuss Belarus' detention of 33 Russians: Kremlin. yenisafak.com Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin expressed confidence on Friday that tensions over the detention of 33 Russian citizens in Minsk can be resolved, the Kremlin said.The arrests further strained relations between the two traditional allies, already soured this year by a dispute over oil, in the run-up to a presidential election in Belarus on Sunday, seen as Lukashenko's toughest political challenge in years.The two leaders spoke by telephone, the Kremlin added.
(2020-08-07). Turkey's first martyred pilot: Cengiz Topel. yenisafak.com The first martyr of the Turkish Air Force, Pilot Captain Cengiz Topel, was remembered on Friday, 56 years after his plane was shot down on Aug. 7, 1964, during a warning flight on Greek Cypriot soldiers opening fire on Turkish civilians on the island.Topel was among the Turkish civilians' first line of defense against the Greek Cypriot soldiers, amid attacks that would escalate over the coming decade until Turkey's peace intervention against a Greek Cypriot coup attempting to topple the internationally recognized government of the Republic of Cyprus.Topel's legacy lives on both in Turkey and the Turkish Republic…
(2020-08-07). Lebanon to probe Beirut blast for foreign interference. yenisafak.com The president of Lebanon on Friday said the causes of a massive explosion in the capital Beirut's port had yet to be determined, without ruling out the possibility of foreign interference.Michel Aoun said in a press conference in the presidential palace that he asked French President Emmanuel Macron to provide photos of the blast via satellite.He added that if such photos were not available with France, he would ask other countries, without naming them.Aoun said the investigation into the blast would include port officers and that no legal cover would be offered to any person found to be responsible.A fire at a w…
(2020-08-07). Mosques in Germany receive threat letters. yenisafak.com At least two mosques in the central German state of Hesse received threat letters this week, local Muslim community representatives said on Friday. | Suspected neo-Nazis sent threat letters to mosques in the small town of Fuerth and the nearby district Wahlen, Salih Ozkan, a representative of the Turkish-Muslim umbrella group DITIB, told local media. | He said the letters contained threats of violence against Muslims, and were signed by a group calling itself "NSE 2020". | He called on the police to carry out a serious investigation and provide greater protection for the mosques. | It was not immediately clear wh…
(2020-08-07). Russia offers to supply Philippines with COVID-19 vaccine. yenisafak.com Russia is willing to supply a coronavirus vaccine to the Philippines, or team up with a local firm to mass produce it, its ambassador to Manila said on Friday, as infections in the Southeast Asian nation surge.Russia is expecting regulatory approval for its first potential COVID-19 vaccine this month, with doses to be administered to frontline health workers first.But the frenetic race globally to develop a COVID-19 vaccine is raising some concern that speed could compromise safety and that some countries could be putting national prestige before solid science."We are ready to supply vaccines to the Philippines,"
(2020-08-07). 'Fluctuations in macroeconomic indicators don't reflect Turkey's reality'. yenisafak.com Fluctuations in macroeconomic indicators do not reflect the reality of the Turkish economy, the country's industry and technology minister said on Friday.Turkey's economy is on the path of production, employment, and innovation, Mustafa Varank wrote on Twitter."We will take Turkey to the levels it deserves with steps to boost the investment appetite for development," he said.His remarks came after the Turkish lira lost ground to other currencies.Late Thursday, the dollar/lira exchange rate hit an all-time high of over 7.30.After the Central Bank took steps Friday to tighten liquidity conditions, the exchange rate…
(2020-08-07). Turkey rushes to help Lebanon amid deadly explosion. yenisafak.com Turkey got mobilized both with state-run aid organizations and charity foundations to heal the wounds of the Lebanese capital Beirut, which was rocked with a catastrophic explosion on Tuesday.A massive blast took place in a warehouse containing explosives at the Port of Beirut, causing widespread damage in several surrounding suburbs of the capital, leaving at least 154 people dead and injured thousands.Following the incident, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call extended his condolences to his counterpart Michel Aoun and the Lebanese people, noting that Turkey stands by Lebanon and is ready to provide…
(2020-08-07). Turkey seizes 28,000 packets of smuggled cigarettes. yenisafak.com Turkish security forces on Friday seized more than 28,000 packets of smuggled cigarettes hidden in two trucks in the country's southeast, according to security sources.Provincial gendarmerie forces stopped the trucks in the Ceylanpinar district of Sanliurfa province as part of anti-smuggling efforts, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.They searched the trucks and found 28,040 packets of contraband cigarettes.Police arrested two suspects, who were later remanded in custody by a court.* Writing by Gozde Bayar…
(2020-08-07). Another PKK terrorist surrenders to Turkish forces. yenisafak.com One more PKK terrorist surrendered to security forces in southeastern Turkey, the National Defense Ministry said on Friday. | The PKK terrorist fleeing from the shelter areas in northern Iraq surrendered to the border post in the Cizre district of Sirnak province, the ministry said on Twitter. | "While the operations of the Turkish Armed Forces against the PKK terrorist group continue without slowing down, escapes from the organization continue," the statement added. | On Monday, the Turkish Interior Ministry announced that a total of 123 terrorists have turned themselves in to Turkish security forces in 2020.
(2020-08-07). Russia Needs a New Gorbachev. thenation.com Russia Needs a New Gorbachev…
(2020-08-06). EU to mobilize over ‚Ǩ33 million to support Lebanon. yenisafak.com The European Union is mobilizing over ‚Ǩ33 million for Lebanon after Tuesday's deadly explosion at Beirut's port, the head of the EU Commission told Lebanon's premier over the phone on Thursday.According to a readout of the phone call issued by the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen told Hassan Diab the bloc will provide further support depending on the ongoing humanitarian needs assessment.The EU's long-term support to help with the city's reconstruction also discussed during the phone call.The 27-member bloc Wednesday announced that it activated its "Civil Protection Mechanism" and send…
(2020-08-06). Apocalyptic Scenes from the Site of the Deadly Beirut Blast. mintpressnews.com 
A massive explosion rocked Beirut on Tuesday, flattening much of the city's port, damaging buildings across the capital and sending a giant mushroom cloud into the sky. More than 100 people are feared dead and thousands injured, with bodies buried in the rubble, officials said. | It was not clear what caused the blast, which struck with the force of a 3.5 magnitude earthquake, according to Germany's geosciences center GFZ, and was heard and felt as far away as Cyprus more than 200 kilometers (180 miles) across the Mediterranean. Lebanon's interior minister said it appeared that a large cache of ammonium nitrate i…
(2020-08-06). Ireland and Slavery: Debating the 'Irish Slaves Myth'. counterpunch.org 
Over recent months, social media in Ireland and the United States has been saturated with claims and counterclaims about 'Irish slaves' and a broader controversy about Irish complicity in the transatlantic slave trade. The timing of the 'debate' is far from coincidental: a series of false and malicious assertions that the American far Right have
(2020-08-06). Austria's Foreign Ministry warns against travel to Spain except Balearic & Canary islands. rt.com 
Austria's Foreign Ministry has warned against trips to Spain except for the Balearic and Canary Islands. The measure will take effect from Monday, and people returning to Austria will be required to present a negative test for coronavirus. | The measures are the latest blow to Spain's tourism-dependent economy. Britain, Germany and Switzerland recently warned their citizens against summer holidays on Spanish beaches or at least in certain regions of the country. | New coronavirus cases in Spain have started rising again and hit a post-lockdown record of 1,772 new infections on Wednesday, Reuters reports. | The…
(2020-08-06). 'He won't hold onto power until 2036': Lukashenko '100% guarantees' that Putin won't be Russia's leader for life. rt.com 
The leader of Russia's number one ally has told Ukrainian TV that he doesn't believe Vladimir Putin will remain in the Kremlin for another 16 years, a prospect made possible by recent constitutional changes. | Putin "will never be president until 2036, I guarantee you one hundred percent," Belarus' Aleksandr Lukashenko told Kiev-based journalist Dmitry Gordon. "[Putin] will not hold onto power with his half-dead hands, he will find a way for a person, or people, to come to power who will continue the development of Russia along its current path." | The Russian president is currently 67, a decade younger than A…
(2020-08-06). Belarus president claims he was INTENTIONALLY infected with Covid-19. rt.com 
Days after the puzzling announcement that he's been fighting Covid-19 without leaving his post, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko told a Ukrainian journalist that someone had intentionally infected him with the virus. | The extraordinary claim appeared in the 2.5-hour-long interview Lukashenko gave to the popular Ukrainian journalist Dmitry Gordon. | We're leaning towards [the version] that someone planted the coronavirus on me. I'm now looking into when it might've happened. | Lukashenko added that he won't name his suggestions publicly for now. | The president also revealed that he ignored doctors' p…
(2020-08-06). Norway halts reopening, reimposes 10-day quarantine for 3 European states. rt.com 
Norway is halting its planned easing of coronavirus restrictions and will likely reimpose others to prevent a full lockdown of society, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said on Thursday. "We need to slow down now to avoid a full stop down the road," Solberg told reporters. | Earlier, Norway said it will reimpose a 10-day quarantine from Saturday for all travelers from France, Switzerland and the Czech Republic, due to the rising number of coronavirus cases in those countries. | Norway will also reimpose quarantine for people traveling from Monaco and from certain regions in neighboring Sweden, while lifting quarant…
(2020-08-06). Poland's President Duda sworn in as most opposition MPs stay away. rt.com 
Poland's conservative President Andrzej Duda was sworn in for a second five-year term before parliament members on Thursday. Most opposition parliamentarians and former presidents and prime ministers did not attend. | Duda is being criticized for what some say was disregard for the constitution during his first term, and his almost total acceptance of the ruling right-wing party's policies that have put Poland at odds with European Union leaders, AP said. | Duda has been a close ally of the ruling right-wing coalition of the Law and Justice party and two small partner parties. | He won 51.03 percent of votes i…
(2020-08-06). Hostage taker who demanded 'freedom for Palestinians' surrenders to police in France's Le Havre. rt.com 
The 34-year-old armed assailant who kidnapped six people inside a La Havre bank in France's Normandy and demanded freedom for Palestinians has surrendered to police and is now in custody after an hours-long standoff with police. | The as-yet unidentified man held six people at gunpoint in the bank on Thursday evening and demanded that "unjustly imprisoned Palestinian children" in Israel be released, and that free passage be granted to Palestinians under 40 into the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. | According to police, the man had a history of psychological issues. RTL news also reported he has a criminal record,…
(2020-08-06). Greece & Egypt sign deal on exclusive economic zone amid tensions with Turkey. rt.com 
Egypt and Greece signed an agreement on Thursday, designating an exclusive economic zone in the eastern Mediterranean between the two countries, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said. The area contains promising oil and gas reserves. | Shoukry made the announcement after meeting his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias in Cairo, Reuters reports. The agreement is within the framework of international law and contributes to security and stability in the region, Dendias said. | Cairo and Athens are at odds with Turkey, which last year angered the two states by signing a maritime delimitation agreement with the…
(2020-08-06). Russians & Iranians SPAMMED with State Dept's promises of riches after US offers $10mn for HACKERS 'interfering with election'. rt.com 
Russian and Iranian citizens are receiving text messages hyping a $10 million bounty the US State Department has offered for information on anyone interfering in US elections on behalf of foreign governments. Desperate much? | Reports of unsolicited messages talking up the cyber-bounties began pouring out of Russian cities on Thursday as residents who received them deluged their local news outlets with screenshots of the bizarre spam. A number of Iranians also received the odd messages Thursday night. | | The message reads: The US State Department is offering $10mln for information on the interference into t…
(2020-08-06). Sergey Furgal for President? LDPR leader refuses to rule out choosing ousted Khabarovsk governor as 2024 presidential nominee. rt.com 
The former Governor of Khabarovsk, Sergey Furgal, won't be excluded from the opposition LDPR party,even if found guilty, and could stand for Russian President if acquitted of murder, according to its leader, Vladimir Zhirinovsky. | Furgal, who was elected to his post in September 2018, was arrested on July 9 on suspicion of ordering three murders —two successful and one failed— in the mid-2000s. Following his detention, he was flown to Moscow, where he is currently awaiting trial. | "We won't rule it out. He's still ours. We will keep him in the ranks of the LDPR, we will support him, we will give hi…
(2020-08-06). 'The Moscow consensus': as West's centuries-long hegemony comes to an end, Russia & other emerging markets have ideas of their own. rt.com 
Russians and Americans often seem like they are talking over each other. Both sides have their own view of the world, and increasingly, are able to agree on very little. | The Western view is that Russia is our enemy. It is trying to destabilize the international order and undermine democracy so that its president, Vladimir Putin, can re-establish the USSR for the benefit of his corrupt cronies. Against him stand those of the civilized world, who believe in the values of democratic individual freedoms, justice and the rule of law. | Is that a fairly accurate picture of how many governments and commenters see R…
(2020-08-06). Twitter introduces new labels for government and state-linked media accounts. thecanary.co 
Twitter is to begin adding labels to the accounts of government officials and state-affiliated media groups to provide more context on who the account represents.The new feature will initially focus on senior political officials who are the voice of their state abroad and accounts belonging to state-backed media, its editors and senior staff.The social media platform said that for political figures, the labels would currently only be applied to accounts from the countries that make up the five permanent members of the UN Security Council — China, France, Russia, the UK and the US.Personal accounts of heads o…
(2020-08-06). Post-communism to barbarism: The Law and Justice Party's bid for absolute power in Poland. peoplesdispatch.org Poland's Supreme Court has upheld the election of president Andrzej Duda. His victory is another step in the consolidation of the ruling Law and Justice Party's hegemony over the country…
(2020-08-06). Beirut Blast: Authorities Confirm 137 Dead, Over 5,000 Injured. telesurenglish.net Lebanon's Health Minister Hamad Hasan confirmed that the explosion in downtown Beirut on Tuesday has caused 137 deaths and over 5,000 injuries so far. | RELATED: | His government, which is coordinating with Arab and European countries to ensure medical aid, continues to search for survivors among the rubble. | On Tuesday, in a warehouse in the port of Beirut, 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate generated an explosion…
(2020-08-06). Germany: Right-wing terror in Erfurt. wsws.org On August 1, three Guineans were brutally attacked by neo-Nazis in Erfurt and had to be taken to hospital.
(2020-08-06). Tehran, Baku stress expansion of bilateral coop. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 06 (MNA) — Iranian Minister of Labor, Cooperatives and Social Welfare Mohammad Shariatmadari and Azerbaijan's Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population Sahil Babayev stressed on the expansion of bilateral cooperation.
(2020-08-06). UK Reinstates Quarantine for Passengers Arriving From Andorra, Belgium, Bahamas. sputniknews.com LONDON (Sputnik) – Passengers coming to the United Kingdom from Andorra, Belgium, and the Bahamas will have to self-isolate for two weeks upon arrival, UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced Thursday.
(2020-08-06). Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS): To Nancy Pelosi — Did Russia Hack the DNC Emails? globalresearch.ca The lack of detail demanded by Pelosi may simply mean the absence of credible evidence of Russian interference as well as the absence of Clapperesque officials to conjure it up. | *** | MEMORANDUM FOR: Speaker Nancy Pelosi | FROM: Veteran Intelligence Professionals …
(2020-08-06). A Lethal Traffic Stop in Georgia. thenation.com A Lethal Traffic Stop in Georgia…
(2020-08-06). Jamaica Celebrates Its 58th Independence Day With Resilience. telesurenglish.net Jamaica celebrates Thursday the 58 anniversary of its independence from the United Kingdom amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | "Despite COVID-19, we remain committed to making this the decade of growth for Jamaica to anchor our peace, prosperity, and resilience," Prime Minister Andrew Holness tweeted. | He also referred to the efforts made in fiscal, monetary, and structural reforms, which have let Jamaica be "in a…
(2020-08-05). Headlines for August 5, 2020. democracynow.org Massive Explosion Tears Through Beirut, Leaving Hundreds Missing and Thousands Injured, Lebanon's PM Says 2,700 Tons of Ammonium Nitrate Sparked "National Catastrophe" in Beirut, Mississippi Becomes Biggest U.S. Coronavirus Hot Spot as Governor Mandates Masks, Georgia Prisoners Live-Stream Video from Prison Uprising Amid Coronavirus Outbreak, Chicago Schools Cancel September Classes as Union Threatens Strike over Coronavirus Safety, U.N. Warns Coronavirus School Closures Have Impacted Over 1 Billion Students, Brazil COVID-19 Deaths Approach 100,000 as Infections Surge in India, Black Lives Matter & Ferguson Activ…
(2020-08-05). Trump Has A Path To Victory. It's Voter Suppression. therealnews.com 
The real threat facing the 2020 election isn't Russian interference or voter fraud, it's the GOP's massive voter suppression effort, argues journalist Greg Palast.
(2020-08-05). Turkey 'neutralized' more than 100 terrorists in July. yenisafak.com Turkish security forces "neutralized" more than 100 terrorists in July, a government official said on Wednesday.Speaking at a monthly news briefing, Turkish Interior Ministry spokesman Ismail Catakli said the country "neutralized" 105 terrorists, including 80 PKK/KCK, 23 Daesh/ISIS, two leftist terror group members.Catakli added that five of them were on the gray category of the Interior Ministry's wanted terrorists list with up to a bounty of 500,000 Turkish liras ($71,246) on each head.The wanted list is divided into five color-coded categories, with red as the most wanted, followed by blue, green, orange and g…
(2020-08-05). Cyprus ready to help EU 'fill E. Mediterranean power vacuum' amid alleged US disengagement. rt.com 
The European Union must do more to fill a power void in the eastern Mediterranean brought on by a perceived US disengagement from the region, Cyprus' foreign minister said on Wednesday. The island nation is ready to host an EU task force to achieve that goal, AP quoted Nikos Christodoulides as saying. | The EU has so far failed to use its ample "soft power" to position itself as the leading player in a region fraught with problems such as terrorism and illegal immigration, the minister said. | The bloc should pursue a more muscular policy, with a larger military footprint in the region, the diplomat noted, lau…
