Monthly Archives: August 2020

2020-08-29: News Headlines

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-08-29). Dem Convention Made No Mention Of Russiagate Or Impeachment, Because Those Were Fake Things. thealtworld.com Despite their dominating mainstream news cycles for years on end, at no time during the four-day Democratic National Convention was the word "impeachment" ever uttered, nor was any mention made of the Mueller investigation into allegations of collusion between Trump and the Russian government. | Politico Eight months after Democrats mounted a historic effort to remove Donald Trump from office, not a single speaker uttered the word "impeachment" during thei…

_____ (2020-08-29). U.S. Sanctions Russian Research Institute That Developed Covid-19 Vaccine. strategic-culture.org The US Commerce Department blacklisted a Russian research institute that helped create the world's first Covid-19 vaccine. | Ben NORTON | 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 institutes, including the Russian Defense Ministry's 48th Central Research Institute, which has worked with other non-military medical centers to develop and test the world's first Covid-19 vaccine. | In the midst of the global c…

Monterey Peace and Justice Center (2020-08-29). Saturday 8/29: The Beginning of the End of Nuclear Weapons. indybay.org Monterey Peace & Justice Center YouTube livestream: www.youtube.com/channel/UCP1w-ymh_t13xi8y4WoYK7Q | Or join in the event via Zoom: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_k1NGi-bkSaaGulDZ4pUvPw

sputniknews (2020-08-29). Russia Presents Device That Detects Toxins, Pathogens Including COVID-19 in Air in Matter of Seconds. sputniknews.com The device, which was first conceived back in 2015, has been perfected over the last five years — and the timing couldn't be better, as countries are lifting their lockdowns while trying to prevent a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-08-28). Normal Has Failed. Be As Weird As You Like. thealtworld.com Consumerism is unsustainable. Competition is unsustainable. Imperialism is unsustainable. | Our species is standing on the brink of an extinction-level event due to ecosystemic collapse or nuclear war, and it is because of the way that we have lived on this planet up until this point. If we keep moving in this direction we will go the way of the dinosaur in the not-too distant future and take most terrestrial life with us. Maybe even all of it. | The imperfect and immature nature of our newly evolved capacity for language and abstract thought, combined with our social nature as primates, has caused our species to…

South Front (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 …

Comitato No Nato No Guerra (2020-08-28). Appeal to the Leaders of the Nine Nuclear Weapon States. globalresearch.ca Initiative of the No War No NATO Campaign: | We, the people of good will, of all walks of life, living on all continents and professing different creeds and religions, direct your attention to the threat of an all-out nuclear war …

Comitato No Nato No Guerra (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 …

Carla Stea (2020-08-28). "Modern Attila 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 …

Dmitriy Kovalevich (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 …

WSWS (2020-08-28). US and Russian military units clash in Syria. wsws.org The northeastern region of Syria has become a tinderbox after Washington revealed its plans to bring in a US company to exploit Syrian oil.

Carla Stea (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 …

Finian Cunningham (2020-08-28). Trump and Dems take turns playing 'Russian card' — which only proves it's the joker. thealtworld.com As the White House stakes pile up, both sides are playing the "Russian card" and claiming Moscow's interference. Yet at the same time, both sides are apt to deny their opponents' claims of such interference — when it suits them. | And what that proves is the fingering-Russia game is a charade. So, can both the Republicans and the Democrats be simultaneously right and wrong? | President Donald Trump earlier this month

_____ (2020-08-28). Syria: What Actually Happened In Collision Between US And Russian Forces. popularresistance.org On Tuesday, four US service members were reported injured with concussion-like symptoms in an incident involving Russian forces. However, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Ullyot said on Wednesday that the injuries were the fault of the Russians, and that the US service members withdrew to deescalate – a far different story than that told by video footage of the event. | "At approximately 10 a.m. (Syria Time), Aug. 25, a routine Defeat-ISIS Coalition security patrol encountered a Russian military patrol near Dayrick, in northeast Syria. During this interaction, a Russian vehicle struck a Coa…

_____ (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.

sputniknews (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.

yenisafak (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.

James Bovard (2020-08-28). FDR's Roosevelt's Fraud at Yalta and the Mirage of the "Good War" counterpunch.org This year is the 75th anniversary of the end of World War Two. One of the biggest frauds of the final stage of that war was the meeting at Yalta of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and President Franklin Roosevelt. Yalta has become a synonym for the abandonment of oppressed people

_____ (2020-08-27). Nuclear Power In The Green New Deal? popularresistance.org Over the last few years, there has been a growing interest in a Green New Deal and there are many versions proposed in different countries. At the same time, there has also been criticism of these proposals on many counts, including the fact that they typically don't include nuclear energy. | This criticism misses a basic point: a Green New Deal is, by its very definition, much more than an emissions reduction plan. As we argue below, the other attributes that characterize Green New Deals, rule out nuclear energy as an option. | Like the original New Deal of U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s, all…

South Front (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 …

Stephen Lendman (2020-08-27). Politicizing Alexey Navalny's Illness. globalresearch.ca Politicized claims that Putin critic Navalny (with scant public support) was poisoned appear greatly exaggerated. | On Tuesday, Moscow's Health Department Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination director Sergey Shigeev explained the following: | "There is a lot of information in the media …

Max Parry (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 …

Max Parry (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). 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). 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,"

sputniknews (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.

sputniknews (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.

sputniknews (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.

yenisafak (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…

WSWS (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.

Andrew Korybko (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 …

Melvin Goodman (2020-08-26). The USA: Global Leader in Election Interference Abroad and Now at Home. counterpunch.org Putin's impact on the election is modest compared to the damage that Trump and Republican legislators throughout the country can inflict. Voter suppression remains a huge problem, particularly in the wake of the Supreme Court decision in 2013 to weaken the Voting Rights Act. The campaign against mail-in voting is creating uncertainty and cynicism throughout the country as is Trump's constant ravings about vote by mail causing a fraudulent election.

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2020-08-26). Catholics Against Nukes: Archbishop Wester, the Church and Nuclear Deterrence. globalresearch.ca In what is a turn-up for the books, a senior voice of the Catholic Church made something of an impression this month that did not incite scandal, hot rage, or the commencement of an investigation. It did, however, agitate a …

news.un (2020-08-26). UN again calls for full ratification of nuclear test-ban treaty. news.un.org Achieving a nuclear-free world is the best way to honour lives devastated by these weapons, the UN disarmament chief told a virtual meeting held on Wednesday to commemorate the International Day against Nuclear Tests, observed annually on 29 August.

Leonid Savin (2020-08-26). The world is going to multipolarity. thealtworld.com Leonid Savin, a Russian political analyst, is of the opinion that the world is moving in the direction of "multipolarity" as the world is fed up with unipolar moves by Washington. | "The world is going to multipolarity, and humanity is tired of Washington's dominance and unipolar operations," Savin tells the Tehran Times. | Savin also says Moscow is looking to the East as Russians have bitter memories of the West. | "Russian decision-makers started looking to the East more and more. Because historically, we faced serious threats from the West." | Following is the full text of the interview: | Q: Iran and Russia a…

Raul Diego (2020-08-26). Cyber Command Gets New Surveillance Powers Under Guise of Battling Election Meddling. mintpressnews.com US Cyber Command and the Pentagon are availing themselves of the Russian meddling narratives and added a few others to justify the creation of a cyberwar army with international and domestic capabilities via the National Guard.

_____ (2020-08-26). Might Belarus Become The Next Syria? popularresistance.org There are signs that Russia is intervening in the Belarusian crisis (finally!) | First and foremost, we can see a truly radical change in Lukashenko's policies: if his initial instinct was to unleash brutal repression of both the violent rioters and the peaceful demonstrators, now he has made a 180 and the outcome is quite amazing: on Sunday there were large anti-Lukashenko demonstrations yet not a single person was detained. Not one. Even more amazing is this: the Polish-run Nexta Telagram channel (which is the main medium used by the Empire to overthrow Lukashenko) initially called for a peaceful protest, but a…

_____ (2020-08-26). Trump and Pompeo Craft No-Win Solutions for the World. strategic-culture.org You have to hand it to the sociopaths running U.S. foreign policy, they are very adept at creating no-win scenarios for their opponents. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was just handed a major defeat at the United Nations Security Council, who voted down a resolution to extend the arms embargo against Iran. | That embargo is set to expire in October as part of the U.S. unilaterally pulling out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known colloquially as the Iran Nuclear Deal. | But Pompeo and President Trump only wanted that vote, in my opinion, to force out into the open their ability to impose the 's…

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-26). The world is going to multipolarity: Russian analyst says. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 26 (MNA) — Leonid Savin, a Russian political analyst, is of the opinion that the world is moving in the direction of "multipolarity" as the world is fed up with unipolar moves by Washington.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-26). Iraq continuing anti-ISIL fight with Iran, Syria & Russia. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 26 (MNA) — The spokesman for the Joint Operations Command, Major General Tahsin al-Khafaji informed that the 'quadruple security center' comprised of Iraq, Iran, Russia and Syria, is continuing its fight against the ISIL.

sputniknews (2020-08-26). Russia, Iran, Turkey Issue Joint Statement on Syria Condemning Israeli Attacks, US Theft of Oil. sputniknews.com The statement was formulated on the sidelines of the meeting of the Syrian Constitutional Committee, a United Nations-facilitated negotiating platform aimed at reconciling the Syrian government and the opposition and establishing an enduring peace in the war-torn country.

sputniknews (2020-08-26). Russia Ready to Start COVID-19 Vaccine Supplies to Brazil in November, RDIF CEO Says. sputniknews.com BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) – Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) CEO Kirill Dmitriev said on Wednesday that Russia is ready to start deliveries of the newly registered COVID-19 vaccine to Brazil in November.

sputniknews (2020-08-26). US General Milley Holds Phone Talks With Russia's Chief of General Staff. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, held a phone conversation with Russian Chief of the General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov, however, the details of the call will be kept private, a Joint Staff spokesperson, Col. Dede Halfhill, said in a Wednesday statement.

sputniknews (2020-08-26). Russian COVID Vaccine for Kazakhstan to Be Produced by Partner of Russia's Sovereign Fund. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said on Wednesday that the production of Russia's coronavirus vaccine, dubbed Sputnik V, for Kazakhstan would be carried out by one of its international partners.

WSWS (2020-08-26). EU denounces Russia over alleged poisoning of oppositionist Alexei Navalny. wsws.org Doctors at Berlin's Charité hospital claimed Monday they had found indications that Alexei Navalny, the head of Russia's pro-NATO liberal opposition, was poisoned.

Joseph Gerson (2020-08-26). Nightmare of an October Surprise. commondreams.org "Several weeks ago, he announced that he would like to host Putin in the United States before the November election," writes Gerson, "Was that just one more of our political clown's outrageous statements? Or, might it have been a negotiating signal?" (Photo: Mikhail Klimentyev/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/trump_vlad_0_0.jpg

Dr. Paul Craig Roberts (2020-08-26). Is the Russian Government as Insouciant as the American People? globalresearch.ca Something is wrong in the Russian government and in the governments of former Soviet Republics. | In 2014, the president of Ukraine stood aside and disarmed his police and Putin went off to the Olympics, while Washington-financed "Maidan protests" overthrew the …

2020-08-28: News Headlines

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-08-28). Normal Has Failed. Be As Weird As You Like. thealtworld.com Consumerism is unsustainable. Competition is unsustainable. Imperialism is unsustainable. | Our species is standing on the brink of an extinction-level event due to ecosystemic collapse or nuclear war, and it is because of the way that we have lived on this planet up until this point. If we keep moving in this direction we will go the way of the dinosaur in the not-too distant future and take most terrestrial life with us. Maybe even all of it. | The imperfect and immature nature of our newly evolved capacity for language and abstract thought, combined with our social nature as primates, has caused our species to…

Ben Norton (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 …

RT (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…

South Front (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 …

Comitato No Nato No Guerra (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 …

Comitato No Nato No Guerra (2020-08-28). Appeal to the Leaders of the Nine Nuclear Weapon States. globalresearch.ca Initiative of the No War No NATO Campaign: | We, the people of good will, of all walks of life, living on all continents and professing different creeds and religions, direct your attention to the threat of an all-out nuclear war …

Dmitriy Kovalevich (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 …

Carla Stea (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). 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.

sputniknews (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.

yenisafak (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.

_____ (2020-08-27). Nuclear Power In The Green New Deal? popularresistance.org Over the last few years, there has been a growing interest in a Green New Deal and there are many versions proposed in different countries. At the same time, there has also been criticism of these proposals on many counts, including the fact that they typically don't include nuclear energy. | This criticism misses a basic point: a Green New Deal is, by its very definition, much more than an emissions reduction plan. As we argue below, the other attributes that characterize Green New Deals, rule out nuclear energy as an option. | Like the original New Deal of U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s, all…

RT (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.

RT (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…

RT (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…

South Front (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 …

Stephen Lendman (2020-08-27). Politicizing Alexey Navalny's Illness. globalresearch.ca Politicized claims that Putin critic Navalny (with scant public support) was poisoned appear greatly exaggerated. | On Tuesday, Moscow's Health Department Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination director Sergey Shigeev explained the following: | "There is a lot of information in the media …

Max Parry (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 …

Max Parry (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). 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…

sputniknews (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.

sputniknews (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.

sputniknews (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). 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,"

yenisafak (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…

WSWS (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.

Andrew Korybko (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 …

Jamal Rich (2020-08-26). 'We Charge Genocide' petition's call for justice still echoes seven decades later. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—The historic We Charge Genocide petition that indicted the anti-Black crimes and violence of U.S. capitalism before the whole world during the Cold War was the topic of a Black August event here on Aug. 13, co-hosted by the Claudia Jones School for Political Education and the Paul Robeson House & Museum. Professor Charisse Burden-Stelly, …

Melvin Goodman (2020-08-26). The USA: Global Leader in Election Interference Abroad and Now at Home. counterpunch.org Putin's impact on the election is modest compared to the damage that Trump and Republican legislators throughout the country can inflict. Voter suppression remains a huge problem, particularly in the wake of the Supreme Court decision in 2013 to weaken the Voting Rights Act. The campaign against mail-in voting is creating uncertainty and cynicism throughout the country as is Trump's constant ravings about vote by mail causing a fraudulent election.

RT (2020-08-26). Believe it or not, Russia's Army has completely solved its notorious HAZING problem… or at least the Defense Ministry thinks so. rt.com The Russian Army has almost completely rid itself of the decades-old evil of bullying and "barrack hooliganism," Deputy Defense Minister Andrei Kartapolov has announced, adding that this will motivate more young people to serve. | In Kartapolov's words, the military authorities have "paid special attention to restoring order in the Armed Forces." The "preventive measures" undertaken in recent years have led to a "noticeable decrease" of hazing in the barracks, he said. | As a result, Russian recruits have been increasingly motivated to serve in the Armed Forces, the ministry added. Last September, Army supremo…

RT (2020-08-26). Russians overwhelmingly oppose microchipping of humans, fear becoming cyborgs without even knowing it — state-backed poll. rt.com The majority of Russians are opposed to implanting microchips into the human body — a popular idea in sci-fi movies, yet rare in reality — a recent survey has discovered. | While a whopping 77 percent of those surveyed by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center VCIOM (a state-linked outfit) said they are against the idea in principle, 45 percent elaborated that they were afraid of being implanted without even knowing it. | Other hyper-anxious citizens stressed that their fears were based on the presumption that microchips could be hazardous for their health or be used for 24-hour surveillance.

RT (2020-08-26). Russian expert says severity of Covid-19 may increase with 2nd wave, expects virus to stick around until at least summer 2021. rt.com Now for some bad news. If Covid-19 follows historic patterns it will likely come in three waves and normal life won't resume until the summer of next year. That's according to leading Russian virus expert Mikhail Paltsev. | The scientist told the Telegram channel of the Russian anti-coronavirus internet hotline that historically all viral pandemics occur in three waves. The first is rather strong, the second one is even stronger, and the third is less potent due to the formation of herd immunity. | Professor Palstev reiterated that, for example, the Spanish flu occurred in three waves at the beginning of the l…

RT (2020-08-26). Siberian doctors who treated Moscow protest leader Navalny issue open letter addressing critics of their efforts to save activist. rt.com The Russian doctors who treated Alexey Navalny last week have issued an open letter in response to criticism of their efforts to save his life. They are offended by some commentary, which they believe is politically motivated. | The Siberian medics say they did their best in a high-pressure situation, and that media coverage suggesting otherwise is "unacceptable" and part of what they term a "political diagnosis." Aside from the staff at the Omsk emergency hospital where Navalny was taken after falling ill on a flight to Moscow, other leading Russian health figures have also signed the letter. | They include t…

RT (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…

news.un (2020-08-26). UN again calls for full ratification of nuclear test-ban treaty. news.un.org Achieving a nuclear-free world is the best way to honour lives devastated by these weapons, the UN disarmament chief told a virtual meeting held on Wednesday to commemorate the International Day against Nuclear Tests, observed annually on 29 August.

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2020-08-26). Catholics Against Nukes: Archbishop Wester, the Church and Nuclear Deterrence. globalresearch.ca In what is a turn-up for the books, a senior voice of the Catholic Church made something of an impression this month that did not incite scandal, hot rage, or the commencement of an investigation. It did, however, agitate a …

Leonid Savin (2020-08-26). The world is going to multipolarity. thealtworld.com Leonid Savin, a Russian political analyst, is of the opinion that the world is moving in the direction of "multipolarity" as the world is fed up with unipolar moves by Washington. | "The world is going to multipolarity, and humanity is tired of Washington's dominance and unipolar operations," Savin tells the Tehran Times. | Savin also says Moscow is looking to the East as Russians have bitter memories of the West. | "Russian decision-makers started looking to the East more and more. Because historically, we faced serious threats from the West." | Following is the full text of the interview: | Q: Iran and Russia a…

Raul Diego (2020-08-26). Cyber Command Gets New Surveillance Powers Under Guise of Battling Election Meddling. mintpressnews.com US Cyber Command and the Pentagon are availing themselves of the Russian meddling narratives and added a few others to justify the creation of a cyberwar army with international and domestic capabilities via the National Guard.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-26). The world is going to multipolarity: Russian analyst says. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 26 (MNA) — Leonid Savin, a Russian political analyst, is of the opinion that the world is moving in the direction of "multipolarity" as the world is fed up with unipolar moves by Washington.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-26). Iraq continuing anti-ISIL fight with Iran, Syria & Russia. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 26 (MNA) — The spokesman for the Joint Operations Command, Major General Tahsin al-Khafaji informed that the 'quadruple security center' comprised of Iraq, Iran, Russia and Syria, is continuing its fight against the ISIL.

_____ (2020-08-26). Might Belarus Become The Next Syria? popularresistance.org There are signs that Russia is intervening in the Belarusian crisis (finally!) | First and foremost, we can see a truly radical change in Lukashenko's policies: if his initial instinct was to unleash brutal repression of both the violent rioters and the peaceful demonstrators, now he has made a 180 and the outcome is quite amazing: on Sunday there were large anti-Lukashenko demonstrations yet not a single person was detained. Not one. Even more amazing is this: the Polish-run Nexta Telagram channel (which is the main medium used by the Empire to overthrow Lukashenko) initially called for a peaceful protest, but a…

sputniknews (2020-08-26). Russia, Iran, Turkey Issue Joint Statement on Syria Condemning Israeli Attacks, US Theft of Oil. sputniknews.com The statement was formulated on the sidelines of the meeting of the Syrian Constitutional Committee, a United Nations-facilitated negotiating platform aimed at reconciling the Syrian government and the opposition and establishing an enduring peace in the war-torn country.

sputniknews (2020-08-26). US General Milley Holds Phone Talks With Russia's Chief of General Staff. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, held a phone conversation with Russian Chief of the General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov, however, the details of the call will be kept private, a Joint Staff spokesperson, Col. Dede Halfhill, said in a Wednesday statement.

sputniknews (2020-08-26). Russia Ready to Start COVID-19 Vaccine Supplies to Brazil in November, RDIF CEO Says. sputniknews.com BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) – Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) CEO Kirill Dmitriev said on Wednesday that Russia is ready to start deliveries of the newly registered COVID-19 vaccine to Brazil in November.

sputniknews (2020-08-26). Russian COVID Vaccine for Kazakhstan to Be Produced by Partner of Russia's Sovereign Fund. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said on Wednesday that the production of Russia's coronavirus vaccine, dubbed Sputnik V, for Kazakhstan would be carried out by one of its international partners.

_____ (2020-08-26). Trump and Pompeo Craft No-Win Solutions for the World. strategic-culture.org You have to hand it to the sociopaths running U.S. foreign policy, they are very adept at creating no-win scenarios for their opponents. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was just handed a major defeat at the United Nations Security Council, who voted down a resolution to extend the arms embargo against Iran. | That embargo is set to expire in October as part of the U.S. unilaterally pulling out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known colloquially as the Iran Nuclear Deal. | But Pompeo and President Trump only wanted that vote, in my opinion, to force out into the open their ability to impose the 's…

WSWS (2020-08-26). EU denounces Russia over alleged poisoning of oppositionist Alexei Navalny. wsws.org Doctors at Berlin's Charité hospital claimed Monday they had found indications that Alexei Navalny, the head of Russia's pro-NATO liberal opposition, was poisoned.

Joseph Gerson (2020-08-26). Nightmare of an October Surprise. commondreams.org "Several weeks ago, he announced that he would like to host Putin in the United States before the November election," writes Gerson, "Was that just one more of our political clown's outrageous statements? Or, might it have been a negotiating signal?" (Photo: Mikhail Klimentyev/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/trump_vlad_0_0.jpg

Dr. Paul Craig Roberts (2020-08-26). Is the Russian Government as Insouciant as the American People? globalresearch.ca Something is wrong in the Russian government and in the governments of former Soviet Republics. | In 2014, the president of Ukraine stood aside and disarmed his police and Putin went off to the Olympics, while Washington-financed "Maidan protests" overthrew the …

RT (2020-08-25). Poisoning protest leader Navalny 'would not benefit' Moscow, says Russian Foreign Ministry, labels Western allegations 'offensive'. rt.com Moscow does not stand to benefit from the alleged poisoning of anti-corruption activist Alexey Navalny, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said, noting the haste with which Western media and governments made the insinuation. | The ministry issued a statement on Tuesday evening, following a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, during which the subject of Navalny was raised, among other issues. | Lavrov pointed out the "suspicious haste" with which the narrative about Navalny's alleged poisoning was picked up in Washington and Brussels and instantl…