Daily Archives: August 30, 2020

2020-08-30: News Headlines

news.un (2020-08-30). 'Wisdom' of Guatemala's indigenous people needed for sustainable development: A UN Resident Coordinator blog. news.un.org The wisdom and knowledge of indigenous people in Guatemala is central to the realization of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs, targets agreed by countries around the world to end poverty, maintain peace and preserve the health of the planet. In this blog, the UN Resident Coordinator in Guatemala Rebeca Arias Flores explains how sustainable development is not new, but simply a new name that draws on ancient wisdom that is renewed with each generation of indigenous people.

Lee Siu Hin, Immigrant Solidarity Network (2020-08-30). Fall 2020 National Immigrant Solidarity Network Immigrant News Alert! indybay.org ICE Is Leaving Immigrants To Die In Detention, Trump Used Looted Venezuelan Public Money To Build Border Wall With Mexico…

Monterey Peace and Justice Center (2020-08-30). 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 (2020-08-30). 'Team up for Toys': Narendra Modi Urges Indians to Prop up Domestic Producers in Blow to China. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): India imports around 90 percent of its needs of plastic toys from China. The initiative to curb Chinese imports comes at a time when New Delhi and Beijing are accusing each other of disturbing the years-old peace and tranquillity at the border by various means.

_____ (2020-08-29). Venezuela: Aggression In October? popularresistance.org A US-sponsored military aggression against Venezuela could take place before the November 3 elections in that country. On August 22, Admiral Remigio Ceballos, chief of the strategic operational command of the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB), said that "The international intelligence agencies allied to Venezuela inform us that Colombia is preparing an aggression, and the FANB will respond with force and forcefulness to any aggression against the sovereignty and independence of Venezuela, under the command of our Commander in Chief Nicolas Maduro Moros". Coinciding with this, they met in Bogotá with Presiden…

_____ (2020-08-29). CIA's Addiction to Afghanistan War. strategic-culture.org It is America's longest overseas war and shows no clear sign of ending despite a shaky peace deal underway between the Trump administration and Taliban militants. A phased withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan over the next year could yet be derailed, resulting in continued American military operations in the South Asian country — nearly two decades after President GW Bush launched Operation Enduring Freedom in October 2001. | US involvement in Afghanistan is the archetypal quagmire. Hundreds of thousands killed or maimed, trillions of dollars wasted, a failed state — despite American pretension…

_____ (2020-08-29). These Six Banks Have Frozen $4.6 Billion Belonging To Venezuelans. popularresistance.org The looting, theft and hijacking of resources from Venezuela has been of great magnitude, six banks withhold under the excuse of US sanctions, around 4.6 billion dollars much needed by and belonging to the Venezuelans, currently facing a spike in Covid-19 cases. The website La Tabla cited the data published by the Venezuelan NGO dedicated to the study, promotion, education and defense of human rights, "Organización Sures", which explained that this Venezuelan money is in the following banks: | Novo Banco: $ 1,547,322,175.89, | Bank of England: $ 1,323,228,162.57, | Clearstream: $ 517,088,580.00, | Citibank: $ 458…

sputniknews (2020-08-29). 'Game of Chicken': US Risks War With Beijing by Stoking South China Sea Tensions With FONOPs. sputniknews.com Military tensions are growing between the US and China as Washington continues to pursue a policy of attempting to dominate global affairs, Mike Wong, the vice president of the San Francisco chapter of Veterans for Peace, told Radio Sputnik's Loud & Clear Friday.

sputniknews (2020-08-29). Venezuela Reportedly Sends Ship Full of Aluminium to Iran Following Fuel Deliveries From Tehran. sputniknews.com The two countries have been actively cooperating after unilateral US sanctions started affecting their economies. Tehran has namely delivered several shipments to help Caracas restart its massive oil refining industry.

yenisafak (2020-08-29). Over 1,250 suspects held in operations across Turkey. yenisafak.com At least 1,281 suspects were nabbed in simultaneous operations across Turkey over the past 24 hours, the Interior Ministry said on Saturday.In a statement, the ministry said 63,591 security personnel were part of the "Turkey Peace Security" operations carried out in different areas of the country.It said search operations were carried out at shopping malls, abandoned buildings, fair grounds, event and entertainment venues, bus terminals and other public transport stations, piers and ports, routes leading to airports, internet cafes, and other public places.Along with the suspects arrested for various crimes, 24…

news.un (2020-08-29). UN envoy welcomes 'commonalities' shared by Syrians in Geneva talks. news.un.org Syrian opponents meeting in Geneva as part of efforts to find a peaceful end to nearly a decade of conflict in their country have found common ground on which to pursue further discussions, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said on Saturday.

Phyllis Bennis (2020-08-28). The Israel-UAE Deal Isn't About Peace at All. commondreams.org Palestinian demonstrators burn pictures of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a protest against a US-brokered deal between Israel and the UAE to normalize relations, in the northern Gaza Strip refugee camp of Jabalia, on August 15, 2020. (Photo: Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/trumpnetanyahudemonstration.jpg

A Guest Author (2020-08-28). On socialist Vietnam's response to COVID-19. workers.org By Dr. Ngo Thanh Nhan and Merle Ratner This slightly edited co-written article was presented as a talk by Dr. Ngo Thanh Nhan on Aug. 20 to a Workers World Party webinar on "COVID can be defeated: Cuba, China, Venezuela & Vietnam lead the way." The presentation began with a . . . |

Every Protest Needs a Dance (2020-08-28). Leap of Peace, Day of Mourning near Golden Gate Bridge. indybay.org Mourning two pandemics, COVID and racism, and calling out police for brutality…but first, the dance of peace.

_____ (2020-08-28). When Is a Peace Deal Not a Peace Deal? When It Is a War Deal. strategic-culture.org President Trump called it "historical" citing previous peace agreements in the region (the last one being between Jordan and Israel in 1994) while his son-in-law, awkwardly, heaped praise on him in a White House moment which made the president look like a belligerent tyrant of an African state and Jared Kushner his overpaid media consultant flown in for the event. | And yet, the only thing really which can be trumpeted as "historical" is the level of how far Trump, Nethanyahu and MbZ in the UAE are prepared to go in pulling off a great sham and deceiving us all about what this "peace deal" really is. The problem…

yenisafak (2020-08-28). Foreign missions condemn rights abuses in Zimbabwe. yenisafak.com In a joint statement issued Friday, the envoys urged Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa to walk the talk, after pledging two years ago to work with all citizens."It is in this spirit that the Heads of Mission express their deep concern with the current political, economic, social, and health crisis that most Zimbabweans are facing today."The Heads of Mission stand by the people of Zimbabwe in their desire for a peaceful and prosperous democracy," the joint statement read.The mission heads noted that the government was criticizing almost everyone including the Catholic Bishops for raising their voices against h…

Vijay Prashad (2020-08-27). Why Cuban Doctors Deserve the Nobel Peace Prize. counterpunch.org Five years ago, I read the story of Dr. Félix Báez, a Cuban doctor who had worked in West Africa to stop the spread of Ebola. Dr. Báez was one of 165 Cuban doctors of the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade who went to Sierra Leone to fight a terrible outbreak in 2014 of a disease first detected in 1976. During his time there, Dr. Báez contracted Ebola.

Mark Gruenberg (2020-08-27). Trump's message to white supremacists: It's OK to gun down protesters. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—One of Donald Trump's "very fine people," Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old who news reports said "admires the police," was arrested August 26 for gunning down three peaceful protesters against racial repression and police violence in Kenosha, Wisconsin. One of his victims is in the hospital. The other two—one shot point-blank in the head, video shows—are …

_____ (2020-08-27). For Democracy And Transparency In The Plurinational State Of Bolivia. popularresistance.org We are witnessing the systematic destruction of democracy at the hands of the de facto government of Jeanine AnÃÉez and its allied forces of repression in the streets, on the highways, and the communities across Bolivia. | Through this letter, the members of the Progressive International demand that you take urgent action within your mandate to restore the fundamental rights of the Bolivian people to peace, protest, and democratic self-determination. In our message to you, we emphasize the urgency of your action to protect the integrity of the electoral process in the Plurinational State, to prevent…

yenisafak (2020-08-27). US' Pompeo pays surprise visit to Oman. yenisafak.com US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Oman Thursday for an unannounced stopover."Arrived in Oman and will meet with Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said," Pompeo wrote on his Twitter account.Before Oman, Pompeo paid a visit Israel, Sudan, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during his Mideast tour."I look forward to discussing efforts to build unity among the Gulf Cooperation Council and build on the momentum to advance regional peace and prosperity," Pompeo added.Although his visit was not announced by the State Department, some media reports revealed that Pompeo is visiting two countries within…

commondreams (2020-08-27). 'Climate Denial Is Not a Victimless Crime' – Greenpeace Response to Hurricane Laura. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-08-27). Citing 'Unbreakable Commitment,' Harris Vows Biden Would Never Place Conditions on US Military Aid to Israel. commondreams.org "Unconditional military aid to Israel," one critic wryly noted, "puts Biden/Harris far to the right of notorious peacenik George H.W. Bush." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/biden_bibi.jpg

Bianca Mugyenyi (2020-08-27). Venezuela's Foreign Minister Slams Canadian Actions. commondreams.org "Those who believe Canada should support a rules-based international order rather than the US empire, must continue to press Ottawa," writes Mugyenyi. (Photo: Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/handsoffvenezuela.jpg

yenisafak (2020-08-26). Pakistan's Imran Khan phones Afghan head of peace talks. yenisafak.com Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday telephoned Abdullah Abdullah, the Afghan government representative who will lead talks with the Taliban aimed at ending the 19-year war in Afghanistan.Khan said bilateral relations between the countries are based on commonalities of faith and culture, according to a statement from his office.The phone call came after a Taliban delegation held talks Tuesday with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and spy chief Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed."Highlighting Pakistan's positive contribution to the Afghan peace process, the prime minister stressed that the Afghan le…

Manuela Solé (2020-08-26). Venezuelan Special Forces Agents Arrested for Extrajudicial Killings. venezuelanalysis.com Popular movements protested the assassination of two young journalists from a community TV station last Friday.

WSWS (2020-08-26). Police riot in Detroit against peaceful protesters. wsws.org On Saturday night, the Detroit Police Department went on a rampage against peaceful protesters, arresting 44 after tear-gassing and beating people in the streets for unlawful assembly.

_____ (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). Protesters rounded up in Belarus; Nobel-winning writer due for questioning. yenisafak.com Belarusian police have rounded up dozens of protesters heading home from peaceful demonstrations, rights groups said on Wednesday, after days in which the authorities exercised comparative restraint towards mass anti-government rallies.The country's most celebrated writer, Nobel Prize-winner Svetlana Alexievich, was expected to appear for questioning later on Wednesday in a criminal investigation into an opposition council, two of whose leaders were jailed this week.President Alexander Lukashenko has faced more than two weeks of mass demonstrations against his 26-year rule since an election which his opponents sa…

yenisafak (2020-08-26). Pompeo in UAE says hopeful to build on UAE-Israel accord momentum. yenisafak.com U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a short visit to the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday as part of a Middle East tour following a U.S.-brokered deal on normalising relations between Israel and the UAE announced on Aug. 13."Excited to arrive in the United Arab Emirates and congratulate the Emirati people on the historic Abraham Accords— the most significant step toward peace in the Middle East in over 25 years. Hopeful we will‚ÄØ build on this momentum towards regional peace," Pompeo said on Twitter, referring to the UAE-Israel agreement aimed at normalising relations.Pompeo visited…

commondreams (2020-08-26). Heavy Weaponry Used in Libya To Disperse Peaceful Protesters Demanding Economic Rights. commondreams.org ______________________________…