(2020-08-11). Headlines for August 11, 2020. democracynow.org Lebanese Gov't Steps Down in Wake of Catastrophic Beirut Explosion and Mounting Protests, Trump Mulls Barring Americans from Reentry into U.S.; Coronavirus Cases Rise in Kids, Russia Approves First COVID-19 Vaccine; New Zealand Goes Back into Lockdown, Unrest in Chicago Sparked by Police Shooting Leads to 100+ Arrests, 16 People Arrested in Portland, OR Protests, Including Hate Crime Survivor Demetria Hester, Belarus in Turmoil as Lukashenko Cracks Down on Protests, Opposition Candidate Flees to Lithuania, Bolivia Protests Against Interim Right-Wing Gov't Intensify; Union Calls for General Strike, Fires in Brazil…
(2020-08-11). Coronavirus vaccine registered in Russia, says Putin. thecanary.co 
Russian president Vladimir Putin says a coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine developed in the country has been registered for use and one of his daughters has already been inoculated.Putin emphasised that the vaccine underwent the necessary tests and has proven efficient, offering a lasting immunity from coronavirus.However, scientists have been sounding the alarm that the rush to start using the vaccine before Phase 3 trials — which normally last for months and involve thousands of people — could backfire.Speaking at a government meeting, Putin emphasised that the vaccine has undergone proper testing and p…
(2020-08-11). Don't Stigmatise the Nuke! Opponents of the Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty. dissidentvoice.org It would seem a logical step, at least from an existential perspective: to ban something so utterly horrendous to life; to forbid its use in any circumstances, whatever rationale employed to justify its use. But the nuclear weapon has its admirers. There are those who continue to worship its sovereign properties, and those who leave …
(2020-08-11). The "Election Interference" Fearmongers Think You're Stupid. counterpunch.org Xi Jinping and Ali Khamenei prefer Joe Biden to Donald Trump. Vladimir Putin prefers Donald Trump to Joe Biden. That's according to William Evanina, Director of the US National Counterintelligence and Security Center. "Many foreign actors," he says, "have a preference for who wins the election, which they express through a range of overt and
(2020-08-11). Democracy — We've had the Russia Report, now where is the America Report? truepublica.org.uk By Rob Woodward — TruePublica: The long-awaited Russia report was published with a call for "immediate action" by the government and intelligence services to tackle the threat from just one country — Russia. The reality was that while Russia may have been meddling at the edges of Britain's democracy, America has been actively involved in …
(2020-08-11). Saudi Arabia abusing old regulatory gap in IAEA: Mousavi. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi said that Saudi Arabia continues to refuse to accept IAEA inspections, despite currently pursuing a comprehensive nuclear program.
(2020-08-11). Extending arms embargo on Iran lacks legal basis. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (MNA) — A Chinese diplomat at the UN said that extending the Arms Embargo on Iran in whatever form lacks legal basis and will undermine efforts to preserve the Nuclear Deal.
(2020-08-11). Russia 1st country to register COVID-19 vaccine, says Putin. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (MNA) — According to President Vladimir Putin, Russia has become the first country in the world to register a vaccine against COVID-19.
(2020-08-11). Iran, Russia discuss on broadening bilateral media coop. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (MNA)- Spokespersons of Iranian and Russian Foreign Ministry discussed about ways to expand bilateral cooperation in the field of media and to counter unrealistic atmosphere created by western states through video conference on Tue.
(2020-08-11). The AFL-CIO Aided US Interference in Venezuela. popularresistance.org The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) Solidarity Center has a long history of working hand in glove with the U.S. government in undermining democracy and left labor movements throughout the world. | The center emphasizes it has shifted away from these Cold War tactics in recent years. But newly obtained documents show that the Solidarity Center has worked closely with the US to undermine the Venezuelan government in the recent past. Across much of the world, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) acted as an international a…
(2020-08-11). If Trump Wins, Russia Did It, If Biden Wins, It Was China And Iran. popularresistance.org Mass media throughout the western world are uncritically passing along a press release from the US intelligence community because that's what passes for journalism in a world where God is dead and everything is stupid. | The press release, from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and authored by National Counterintelligence and Security Center Director William Evanina, claims that Russia wants Donald Trump to win re-election in November and is pushing to advance than goal, while China and Iran are doing the same with Joe Biden. What this completely unsubstantiated narrative means, of course, is th…
(2020-08-11). 75 Anniversary of the Nuclear Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. strategic-culture.org 2020 marks the 75 anniversary of the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The United States still remains the only nation to use atomic weapons on its enemies. But was incinerating untold numbers of Japanese really necessary? The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were a political act to begin the Cold War, deliberately carried out by American leaders to assert U.S. hegemony. Watch the video and read more in the Editorial article.
(2020-08-11). Prince Peter Kropotkin and the Murder of the Liberator Tsar. strategic-culture.org Why did London host a convention of anarchists in July 1881 less than three months after they had murdered the Liberator Tsar of Russia? | The International Anarchist Congress of London, from July 14 to July 20, 1881 was highly unusual in many ways, though it has almost totally been forgotten by history, save as a curiosity. | It was the last such gathering to be held for more than a quarter of a century until the International Anarchist Congress of Amsterdam in August 1907. During that time, there were four other unsuccessful attempts to call international congresses, in Geneva in 1882, in Paris in 1889, in Chic…
(2020-08-11). Progressive Groups Pressure Biden and Trump to Include Nuclear Disarmament in Campaign Platforms. commondreams.org "The United States urgently needs a leader who will have the courage to look at, think hard about, and speak openly about the dire perils posed by our country's vast nuclear arsenal." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/cropped-gettyimages-871194038_0_0.jpg …
(2020-08-11). Cosa fa l'Italia per il disarmo nucleare? globalresearch.ca Nel 75 ∞ anniversario del bombardamento atomico di Hiroshima e Nagasaki, il presidente della Repubblica Sergio Mattarella ha ribadito che ´l'Italia sostiene con forza l'obiettivo di un mondo libero da armi nucleari ª. Gli ha fatto eco il presidente della Commissione Difesa …
(2020-08-10). Elliott Abrams' Appointment as the Next U.S. Special Representative for Iran. Spells Disaster. globalresearch.ca The appointment of Elliott Abrams to replace Brian Hook as the next U.S. Special Representative for Iran is another low point for the Trump administration's disastrous policy towards Iran. The dangerous conflict resulting from Trump's withdrawal from the nuclear agreement …
(2020-08-10). US: Crimes against Humanity at Home and Abroad. dissidentvoice.org 
Photo Credit: Albert Eisenstaedt This month marks the second year since former President of Bolivia, Evo Morales, announced to the world a campaign promoted by a group of Latin American writers and academics to declare August 9 as International Day of US Crimes against Humanity. Appropriately the day is to remember the second nuclear bomb …
(2020-08-10). Belarus on the brink? Unloved in Moscow, a pariah again in the West & facing protests at home, Lukashenko is running out of road. rt.com 
Alexander Lukashenko will likely ride out the gathering storm across Belarus. However, he cannot remain the president forever. Which means Russia needs to work out a realistic long term strategy toward its closest ally. | There is little that Russia's leaders like less than political instability. The 2016 Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation uses the word 'stability' no fewer than 24 times, and the term has appeared regularly in the speeches of Russia's President Vladimir Putin throughout the 21 years he has been either president or prime minister. Given a choice between revolution and the status q…
(2020-08-10). Slovakia expels 3 staff at Russian embassy, Moscow 'will retaliate'. rt.com 
Slovakia has expelled three staff at the Russian embassy in Bratislava, the Slovak Foreign Ministry said on Monday. | "According to information from the Slovak intelligence services, their activities were in contradiction with the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations," Reuters quoted a ministry spokesman as saying in an emailed statement. | Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Monday it will respond in kind to Slovakia's expulsion of Russian diplomats, RIA Novosti reported. | The diplomatic workers were declared persona non grata on August 6, according to Slovak media.
(2020-08-10). 'It's not brotherly': Russian Foreign Ministry condemns neighboring Belarus for violent police attacks on journalists. rt.com 
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has criticized Belarusian law enforcement agencies for their "disproportionate actions" against Russian journalists working in Minsk, covering Sunday's controversial election. | While reporting on Sunday's hotly contested Belarusian presidential election – in which incumbent Alexander Lukashenko officially won 80 percent of the vote – several Russian media personnel were detained. Among them were multiple journalists from TV Rain, Maxim Solopov from Riga-based Meduza, and Semyon Pegov, a Russian war correspondent and founder of the WarGonzo project. Earlier,…
(2020-08-10). Russian watchdog says Apple abused dominance of mobile app market, orders US tech giant to stop restricting competition. rt.com 
Apple has been found guilty of exploiting its app market dominance by Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS). The investigation began after leading anti-virus software developer Kaspersky Lab lodged a complaint last year. | The Russian company insisted that Apple's policy in the parental control applications market for mobile devices with its iOS operating system was unfair. | Monday's ruling follows criticism from Telegram founder Pavel Durov over the predatory practices of Silicon Valley's kingpins. "Apple and Google impose an insane 30 percent sales tax on all digital goods sold on every mobile phone i…
(2020-08-10). Millions of tourists & overcrowded hospitals: Crimea advertises for doctors as hospitals struggle to cope with Covid-19 infections. rt.com 
With the summer holiday season in full swing, some tourists seem to have taken coronavirus with them to the coast. That's prompted Crimea to search for more doctors as infections in crowded resorts are overloading local hospitals. | With Russia's international borders partially closed, the Black Sea peninsula is experiencing a mass influx of travelers looking to have a domestic warm-weather beach holiday. In July, 1.43 million tourists visited Crimea, and hotels and boarding houses reported that they were 80 percent occupied. | According to official data, Crimea recorded 32 new cases of Covid-19 on Saturday, a…
(2020-08-10). Rules for thee but not for me: Pompeo denounces proposed Russian law as 'burdensome' limitation on US propaganda outlets. rt.com 
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has voiced his opposition to a proposed Russian rule that would require labeling of propaganda content, saying it would burden "independent" information work by outlets such as Voice of America. | "This decree will impose new burdensome requirements that will further inhibit RFE/RL's and VOA's ability to operate within Russia," Pompeo Pompeo called VOA and its sist…
(2020-08-10). Not Just a Bad President, Trump is a "Holmesian Bad Man." Act Accordingly. aclu.org "If you want to know the law, you must look at it as a bad man does, who cares only for the material consequences," wrote legendary Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, "Not as a good one, who finds his reasons for conduct, whether inside the law or outside of it, in the vaguer sanctions of conscience." , , Donald Trump is a Holmesian bad man, and an even worse president, pushing the bounds of corruption and authoritarianism, unbound by norms, the rule of law, a sense of shame, or even care for others. To deal with such a bad man and bad president — one who truckles to adversaries like Russian P…
(2020-08-10). The Jakarta Method: How the U.S. Used Mass Murder to Beat Communism. globalresearch.ca The so-called Long Peace after 1945 was covered in the blood of innocent people. Americans generally prefer to remember the Cold War as a mostly peaceful triumph punctuated by a handful of debacles, but for many of the people living …
(2020-08-10). Young people have a major role to play in ridding the world of nuclear weapons. news.un.org Nuclear weapons are still one of the most serious threats to mankind, and the dangers are growing. Young people can play an important role in ensuring that they are eliminated once and for all, says the UN's top disarmament official, ahead of International Youth Day on 12 August.
(2020-08-10). Israel says ready for war with Lebanon: Gantz. yenisafak.com Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Monday Israel is ready for a war with Lebanon if such war is imposed on Tel Aviv. | In his briefing to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Gantz warned that such war would have serious consequences on Lebanon. | "While [Hezbollah leader Hasan] Nasrallah is our biggest enemy in the north, he is Lebanon's biggest problem." He said. | Gantz also said that the situation in the Middle East in the past decade was fragile and uncertain, stressing that Israel will continue efforts to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear power, and from operati…
(2020-08-10). Russian tourists return to sunny Turkish beaches. yenisafak.com After Turkey and Russia negotiated a resumption of flights between the two countries, Russian tourists once again chose the resort city of Antalya for their "safe vacation" amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.Turkey ranked first among countries visited by Russian nationals for tourism last year with nearly 7 million tourists coming to the country. This year, in line with measures taken to curb the spread of the coronavirus, Turkey once again began to host Russian tourists.After five months of pause, tourists from Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport took off for Turkey's Antalya province where they landed…
(2020-08-09). NYT digs up more unnamed sources for 'Trump-Russia' narrative as media resurrects hysteria ahead of 2020 election. rt.com 
The New York Times has once again broadcast the musings of anonymous officials to insinuate Donald Trump is somehow in cahoots with Russia, amid a growing resurgence in debunked Russiagate theories ahead of the November election. | The paper ran an exclusive report purportedly detailing the US president's battle with intelligence agencies over allegations that Moscow had interfered with the 2016 presidential contest. According to unnamed sources cited by the NYT, Trump was unresponsive and dismissive of an intelligence assessment which claimed that he is Russia's "favored" candidate in the 2020 race. One anony…
(2020-08-09). Lebanese officials 'do not expect' to find survivors in Beirut rubble, Russian rescue team says, as death toll reportedly hits 220. rt.com 
A first-response team from Russia has finished looking for survivors of powerful blasts in Beirut. They say Lebanese officials don't think anyone is still alive under the rubble, while the death toll has jumped from 158 to 220. | "Representatives of Lebanon's Defense Ministry… officially stated that they are no longer expecting to find anyone alive under the rubble," Russia's Emergencies Ministry spokesperson told the media. He added that the Russian team had recovered six bodies during its work in Beirut and treated more than 90 injured. | The Russian team arrived in Lebanon's capital to help with the relie…
(2020-08-09). Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the threat of nuclear extinction. peoplesdispatch.org It is difficult to believe that the US view of the justness of its possession of nuclear power, while threatening others, is not underpinned by the belief of many in white supremacy…
(2020-08-09). Lessons of Nagasaki survivors should motivate the world to eliminate all nuclear weapons — UN chief. news.un.org UN Secretary General António Guterres on Sunday marked 75 years since the atomic bombing of Nagasaki with praise for the hibakusha, the survivors, who transformed their decades-long plight into a warning about the perils of nuclear weapons and an example of the triumph of the human spirit.
(2020-08-09). The Rapid Postwar Increase of America's Nuclear Arsenal. globalresearch.ca Hitler had, as early as June 1942, decided against the development of an atomic bomb — on both racial and pragmatic grounds. By the summer of 1944, Allied intelligence accounts were flowing in that a Nazi atomic bomb was non-existent.
(2020-08-09). Russia says terrorists attacked eight cities in Syria. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 10 (MNA) — The Head of the Russian Reconciliation Center in Syria announced on Sun. that terrorists of Tahrir al-Sham (Jabhat al-Nusra, Al-Nusra Front) invaded eight cities in Syria's Idlib and Aleppo provinces.
(2020-08-09). There Is No Political Solution To The Syrian Conflict. popularresistance.org US Secretary of State, John Kerry, of the Obama administration, created a mantra for the media: "There is no military solution to Syria." He said it so many times, he seemed to convince everyone. However, after 9 years of conflict it appears there is neither a military, nor political solution for Syria. Despite the fact that the Syrian government under President Assad, with help from Russia, has regained 70% of the territory, and all the major cities are calm, still there is no possibility for recovery or reconstruction of hospitals, schools, homes and lives due to the US sanctions.
(2020-08-09). Investigators Find Labyrinth of Underground Rooms at Epicenter of Beirut Explosions, Report Claims. sputniknews.com As many as 60 people remain missing following Tuesday's massive blasts in the Lebanese capital, with over 150 killed and up to 6,000 suffering injuries of varying severity. Researchers say the ammonium nitrate believed to have caused the explosions had an explosive power equivalent to that of a small nuclear bomb.
(2020-08-09). France to host fundraising conference for Beirut. yenisafak.com France's President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday will bring the international community together to raise funds for Beirut in the aftermath of the deadly blast earlier this week.The virtual conference will be held at 1200GMT with Macron hosting the conference from his vacation home in the south of France.The conference is backed by the United Nations and will involve major world leaders, including Lebanon's President Michel Aoun and US President Donald Trump.Leaders from the EU, Britain, China, Russia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, and the UAE are also expected to participate.Two massive explosions tore through…
(2020-08-08). Video: The Privatization of Nuclear War. A "First Strike" Use of Nuclear Weapons as a Means of "Self Defense" globalresearch.ca An important transition in nuclear doctrine occurred in the immediate wake of 9/11. | The Cold War MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) doctrine was scrapped by the Bush Jr administration in 2002, replaced by the first strike pre-emptive use of nuclear …
(2020-08-08). CODEPINK Denounces Elliott Abrams' Appointment As US Special Representative For Iran. popularresistance.org The appointment of Elliott Abrams to replace Brian Hook as the next U.S. Special Representative for Iran is another low point for the Trump administration's disastrous policy towards Iran. The dangerous conflict resulting from Trump's withdrawal from the nuclear agreement will be exacerbated by a man committed to Washington's failed policies of regime change, including in his present-day position as Trump's representative for Venezuela. | Elliott Abrams has made a career of lying and committing criminal acts that have led to the death and suffering of innocent people from Guatemala to Iraq.
(2020-08-08). Georgian actions amounted to declaration of war on Russia — former President Medvedev has no regrets about 2008 conflict. rt.com 
Russia had to intervene to protect people in South Ossetia and Abkhazia in 2008, when Georgia shelled civilians and "peacekeepers," former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said, calling the move a 'difficult decision." | At the time, Georgia was led by Mikhail Saakashvili, who later fled to Ukraine and remains wanted on criminal charges back home. Medvedev called the behavior of Saakashvili "criminal," and criticized the "scoundrels" who ordered troops to open fire on the houses of civilians and Russian "peacekeepers." | "I made a difficult, but the only possible decision — to stand in defense of Abkhazi…
(2020-08-08). Incorrectly designed and rushed Covid-19 vaccine could actually AGGRAVATE infection, Russian virology expert warns. rt.com 
Russia's domestically produced Covid-19 vaccine could be dangerous and even cause infection if improperly designed, says Alexander Chepurnov, the former lab head at the Vector State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology. | A rapidly produced vaccine has already been completed and trialed in Russia, and will soon be registered and undergo mass production. The country is just one of many in the race to produce an effective immunization against the disease. According to Chepurnov, if the vaccinated person already has specific antibodies, coronavirus could actually intensify after receiving the vaccine.
(2020-08-08). 'Flagrant example of unfair competition': Russia slams US over 'baseless' ban on China's TikTok. rt.com 
Washington's recent order banning cooperation with the popular TikTok video-sharing service is an attempt to protect the dominance of American web giants, and violates the rules of the World Trade Organization, Moscow has said. | The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova On Thursday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order that…
(2020-08-08). Goodbye, greenback! As they abandon dollar in trade, Russia & China could create 'financial alliance,' leading Russian expert says. rt.com 
Moscow and Beijing's ditching of the US dollar could result in the creation of a "financial alliance," according to a top Russian analyst. Alexey Maslov believes the partnership is approaching a "breakthrough moment." | Maslov, director of the Institute of Far Eastern Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences, predicts that Russia-China "de-dollarization" could lead to the two nations forming a de-facto fiscal alliance. | "The collaboration between Russia and China in the financial sphere tells us that they are finally finding the parameters for a new alliance with each other," he said, speaking to Japanese p…
(2020-08-08). Narrow escape: Massive rock-fall caught on VIDEO during road construction in Dagestan, Russia. rt.com 
People were seen fleeing to safety as a huge stone fell during road construction in a mountainous area in Russia's southern Republic of Dagestan. While it was a terrifying sight, casualties were thankfully avoided. | An avalanche of rocks crashed down upon the unfinished road from great heights, sending clouds of thick black dust billowing into the air. | Construction workers reacted swiftly and escaped, with one of them finding safety in the cabin of his excavation vehicle. | Even those filming the disaster from dozens of meters away were forced to shut down their phones and retreat. | Nobody was hurt, but…
(2020-08-08). Belarus elections may mark a key moment in European geopolitics. peoplesdispatch.org Five-time president Alexander Lukashenko is likely to win due to the lack of strong opposition candidates but the possibility of major protests remains. The country is a key part of both Russian and western strategies in the region…
(2020-08-08). Iran calls on IAEA to clarify Saudis' secret nuclear program. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 09 (MNA) — Iran's ambassador to IAEA Kazem Gharibabadi has called for the IAEA to put forward a report on Saudi Arabia's secret program of building yellowcake uranium processing plant.
(2020-08-08). Sunday 8/9: The Bomb: Understanding its History and the Hope for a Nuclear-Free Future. indybay.org Online…
(2020-08-08). Book review: Michael Shellenberger's reheated critique of climate 'alarmism'. indybay.org California-based Michael Shellenberger first courted controversy in 2004 with his 'death of environmentalism' critique of the environment movement and has continued to attract controversy by promoting nuclear power, demonising renewable energy ("renewables are worse for the environment than fossil fuels") and demonising the environment movement that he claims to be part of.
(2020-08-08). Militants Shell 8 Towns in Syria's Idlib, Aleppo Provinces, Russian Military Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Syrian militants from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham* terrorist group shelled eight towns in the northwestern Idlib and Aleppo provinces, the head of Russia's Syria reconciliation centre said Saturday.
(2020-08-08). 'Russiagate' Hoax Unravels, but Their Anti-Russia Sanctions Don't. strategic-culture.org Eric ZUESSE | It was reported only on 'fringe' media (such as "Disobedient Media" now gone from the Web) until recently. However, the evidence that the entire "Russiagate" charge — that Russia's Government had "hacked" the Democratic National Committee in 2016 — is an Obama Administration hoax (which was continued into Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report), is now starting to come out into public view and be endorsed publicly by retired U.S. intelligence professionals who can't be fired. It's not yet published in any mainstream U.S. news media, however. So, in this place will be chronologically pre…