Monthly Archives: August 2020

2020-08-29: News Headlines

yenisafak (2020-08-29). Saudi envoy discusses Lebanon developments with Geagea. yenisafak.com Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari held talks Saturday in Beirut with the leader of the Lebanese Forces party, Samir Geagea.The discussions dwelt on the domestic situation in Lebanon and regional developments, the official Lebanese news agency said, without giving any further details.Saturday's meeting comes amid a deep political crisis in Lebanon following the Aug. 4 explosion at the Beirut port, which shook the country to its core.Saudi Arabia, along with a number of Arab and foreign countries, has refrained from providing support to Lebanon as a sign of dissatisfaction with the government of Hassan Dia…

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

_____ (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…

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-28). Nasrallah congratulates anniv. of Second Liberation Day. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 28 (MNA) — Secretary-General of the Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance Movement Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah has given a speech on the occasion of the ninth night of Muharram.

yenisafak (2020-08-28). Turkey says determined to preserve Idlib de-escalation zone. yenisafak.com Turkey is determined to preserve the de-escalation zone in Idlib, Syria despite the violations of cease-fire and the brutality of Assad regime, the country's presidential spokesman said on Friday.Turkey's Ibrahim Kalin met visiting US special envoy for Syria James Jeffrey and his delegation in Istanbul.The Syria crisis, especially Idlib, political process in the war-torn country, works of Syrian Constitutional Committee, anti-terrorism efforts, asylum seekers, and bilateral and regional issues were the items of the meeting's agenda.During the talks, Kalin stressed that any political, economic, military support to…

Gareth Porter (2020-08-27). After Beirut Blast, Israel Revives Tales of Hezbollah Ammonium Nitrate Terror Plots. globalresearch.ca Israeli intelligence is polishing off a dubious propaganda campaign to suggest Hezbollah was to blame for the recent catastrophe in Beirut. But the factual record either contradicts Israeli claims or reveals a complete dearth of evidence. | *** | Israeli officials have …

news.un (2020-08-27). 'Widespread' COVID-19 transmission, limited testing, deepen Syria's humanitarian woes. news.un.org COVID-19 is having a dramatic impact on health services in Syria, where limited testing is obscuring the real extent of the pandemic, the UN's Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator said on Thursday.

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 …

_____ (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). French Foreign Minister Warns Lebanon May Disappear as State Unless Urgent Reforms Made. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Lebanon should form a new government and implement a series of urgent reforms, as it is currently on the verge of distress and disappearance due to the consequences of both the Beirut blast and a political crisis in the country, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Thursday.

South Front (2020-08-26). Video: Massive Explosion Rocks Syria's Arab Gas Pipeline. Terrorist Attack. globalresearch.ca A large explosion rocked the Arab Gas Pipeline in Syria on August 24 causing a blackout in the country's capital Damascus and multiple other cities and towns. | The explosion occurred between the towns of Ad Dumayr and Adra the a …

_____ (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…

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-26). Iranian envoy to UK reacts to UNSC's rejection of US bid. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 26 (MNA) — The Iranian ambassador to London has reacted to the isolation of the United States at the UN Security Council for the second time and said there is no consensus on US bid to return Iran's sanction.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-26). Hezbollah chief salutes resistance members, their families. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 26 (MNA) — Secretary-General of the Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance Movement Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah expressed deep gratitude to those wounded during the resistance against the arrogance.

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.

imperial.ac.uk (2020-08-26). Syrian conflict the focus of redesigned global health degree. imperial.ac.uk Collaborations with on-the-ground expertise helped refocus Imperial's Global Health BSc on one of the world's worst health crises.

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.

yenisafak (2020-08-26). France's Macron to travel to Beirut on Sept. 1. yenisafak.com French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Beirut in Lebanon on Sept. 1, his office said on Wednesday.Macron was the first foreign leader to visit Beirut after a massive blast destroyed parts of the Lebanese capital in early August.

2020-08-28: News Headlines

Ahmed Abdulkareem (2020-08-28). Massive Ansar Allah Operation in Central Yemen Reveals Alliance Between al-Qaeda and Islamic State. mintpressnews.com A recent operation carried out in Yemen's al-Badya province by Ansar Allah revealed an active alliance between al-Qaeda and IS forces who, documents reveal, were hoping to recreate a Mosul or Raqqa-like scenario in central Yemen.

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 …

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 …

yenisafak (2020-08-28). Turkey says determined to preserve Idlib de-escalation zone. yenisafak.com Turkey is determined to preserve the de-escalation zone in Idlib, Syria despite the violations of cease-fire and the brutality of Assad regime, the country's presidential spokesman said on Friday.Turkey's Ibrahim Kalin met visiting US special envoy for Syria James Jeffrey and his delegation in Istanbul.The Syria crisis, especially Idlib, political process in the war-torn country, works of Syrian Constitutional Committee, anti-terrorism efforts, asylum seekers, and bilateral and regional issues were the items of the meeting's agenda.During the talks, Kalin stressed that any political, economic, military support to…

Gareth Porter (2020-08-27). After Beirut Blast, Israel Revives Tales of Hezbollah Ammonium Nitrate Terror Plots. globalresearch.ca Israeli intelligence is polishing off a dubious propaganda campaign to suggest Hezbollah was to blame for the recent catastrophe in Beirut. But the factual record either contradicts Israeli claims or reveals a complete dearth of evidence. | *** | Israeli officials have …

news.un (2020-08-27). 'Widespread' COVID-19 transmission, limited testing, deepen Syria's humanitarian woes. news.un.org COVID-19 is having a dramatic impact on health services in Syria, where limited testing is obscuring the real extent of the pandemic, the UN's Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator said on Thursday.

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 …

_____ (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). French Foreign Minister Warns Lebanon May Disappear as State Unless Urgent Reforms Made. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Lebanon should form a new government and implement a series of urgent reforms, as it is currently on the verge of distress and disappearance due to the consequences of both the Beirut blast and a political crisis in the country, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Thursday.

South Front (2020-08-26). Video: Massive Explosion Rocks Syria's Arab Gas Pipeline. Terrorist Attack. globalresearch.ca A large explosion rocked the Arab Gas Pipeline in Syria on August 24 causing a blackout in the country's capital Damascus and multiple other cities and towns. | The explosion occurred between the towns of Ad Dumayr and Adra the a …

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-26). Iranian envoy to UK reacts to UNSC's rejection of US bid. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 26 (MNA) — The Iranian ambassador to London has reacted to the isolation of the United States at the UN Security Council for the second time and said there is no consensus on US bid to return Iran's sanction.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-26). Hezbollah chief salutes resistance members, their families. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 26 (MNA) — Secretary-General of the Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance Movement Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah expressed deep gratitude to those wounded during the resistance against the arrogance.

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.

imperial.ac.uk (2020-08-26). Syrian conflict the focus of redesigned global health degree. imperial.ac.uk Collaborations with on-the-ground expertise helped refocus Imperial's Global Health BSc on one of the world's worst health crises.

_____ (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.

yenisafak (2020-08-26). France's Macron to travel to Beirut on Sept. 1. yenisafak.com French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Beirut in Lebanon on Sept. 1, his office said on Wednesday.Macron was the first foreign leader to visit Beirut after a massive blast destroyed parts of the Lebanese capital in early August.

Patrick Cockburn (2020-08-25). Syria Faces Calamity as Trump's New Sanctions Combine With Surging Coronavirus. counterpunch.org "If I don't buy masks or medicine, I may die or survive, but if I don't buy bread for the family, we will all die of starvation," says a retired 68-year-old teacher in Damascus, explaining why he does not have masks, sterilisers or medicines. "We need two bundles of loaves every day which costs us at least 600 Syrian pounds (24 US cents), but if we buy masks, they will cost us about 1000 SP (40 cents). The choice is between bread and masks."

RT (2020-08-25). Reports of gunfire & explosions as IDF launches flares in response to 'security incident' at Lebanese border (PHOTO, VIDEOS). rt.com The Israeli military said it responded to a "security incident" along the border with Lebanon, firing off a barrage of flares amid reports of explosions and gunfire in the area. | The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Following a…

yenisafak (2020-08-25). Pakistani charity builds school in southeastern Turkey. yenisafak.com A Pakistani charity has helped establish a school for Syrian children in southeastern Turkey.The primary school, which opened on Monday in the Gaziantep province near the Syrian border, has been funded by Pakistan's Baitussalam Welfare Trust with the support of Kuwait's Said association, said Ali Sahin, the chairman of Turkey-Pakistan Inter-parliamentary Friendship Group."Thanks for my Pakistani brothers for being in Gaziantep," he tweeted.The project is part of the "100 philanthropists in the 100th year" campaign which marks the centenary of Gaziantep's liberation.Gaziantep Governor Davut Gul said nearly 500,000…