2020-08-24: News Headlines

John McDevitt (2020-08-24). 'It's a death trap:' Angola inmate put in isolation for organizing against COVID-19. liberationnews.org "Because of COVID, you know, many are at risk due to pre-existing conditions…."

Frances Madeson (2020-08-24). African Asylum Seekers Jailed in Louisiana Stop Eating in Protest. counterpunch.org In the Mankon language, spoken in northwest Cameroon, mughu is a word for hell. Northwest Cameroon was home to more than a dozen of the 48 African asylum seekers now confined in Louisiana at Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center, where COVID has taken a firm grip. Along with men from Uganda, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, and Burkino

Raul Diego (2020-08-24). Hoping to Seize on UAE-Israel Deal, Pompeo and Kushner Head East in Search of New Allies for Israel. mintpressnews.com Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Trump adviser Jared Kushner are hitting the road in an attempt to strong-arm more Arab states into normalizing relations with Israel, turning their backs on Palestine and isolating Iran.

Dennis Webster (2020-08-24). Dubious Nairobi shack study sparks controversy. peoplesdispatch.org A recent In the paper, four leading economists attempt to establish whether the public water utilities in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi would be met with "political consequences" if they cut off services. As access to water is extended to an increasing number of people in developing countries, the authors are co…

Kester Kenn Klomegah (2020-08-24). Belarus and the Lessons from Sudan. Comparative Analysis of "Color Revolutions" globalresearch.ca The political development unfolding in Minsk, with high possibility to spill over and spread throughout the former Soviet republic of Belarus is sensitive and delicate. | The first information that emerged about opposition rallying against elected President Alexander Lukashenko was worrying …

news.un (2020-08-24). One step at a time: UN women's health agency helping shift dangerous social norms. news.un.org One of the largest chiefdoms in Zambia's Eastern Province is challenging harmful social norms, including child marriage, risky initiation and impunity for perpetrators of sexual abuse, according to the UN women's health agency, UNFPA.

yenisafak (2020-08-24). Pandemic claims more lives in Libya, Oman, Qatar. yenisafak.com Local health authorities in Libya, Oman and Qatar on Monday confirmed additional fatalities due to the coronavirus pandemic, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported only fresh infections. | In a statement, Libya's National Center for Disease Control said 11 people had died from COVID-19 and 572 others tested positive, while 11 patients had recovered. | The country's tally now rose to 11,009 confirmed cases, including 199 deaths, and 1,096 recoveries. | In Oman, 28 deaths and 740 infections were recorded as well as 526 recoveries over the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry said in a statement. | The Gulf sta…

yenisafak (2020-08-24). Turkey delivers 12 off-road vehicles to Somalia. yenisafak.com Turkey has delivered 12 off-road vehicles to Somalia as part of bilateral military and financial cooperation agreements, the National Defense Ministry said on Monday.In a statement, it said the vehicles, which are meant for use over rough terrain, were supplied for the Somali 3rd (Eagle) Infantry Battalion.They were handed over to Somalia's chief of defense force on Aug 22.The two countries are longstanding partners, engaging in close cooperation in different fields.

yenisafak (2020-08-24). Netanyahu, Pompeo discuss Arab-Israeli normalization. yenisafak.com Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held talks Monday with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who arrived in Israel as part of a regional tour. | The talks dwelt on the normalization of ties between Israel and other Arab states following this month's US-sponsored deal to normalize relations between Tel Aviv and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). | "I discussed with Secretary of State Pompeo the possibility of normalizing additional countries' relations with Israel, and I hope that there will be good news in the near future," Netanyahu told a joint press conference. | He said the Israel-UAE deal "opened a new p…

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2020-08-23). Echo Chamber US Politics: The "All About Trump" Democratic National Convention. globalresearch.ca It was hard to stomach. The usual suspects, the usual scripts tatty from overuse. The 2020 Democratic National Convention was a prolonged display of avoidance, evasion and theatrical amnesia. There were moments of formality masquerading as promise: Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez…

news.un (2020-08-23). FROM THE FIELD: Ugly veggies in Kenya destined for lunch not landfills. news.un.org Hundreds of tons of fresh and edible vegetables which are typically dumped because they do not meet the aesthetic requirements for export are ending up on the plates of hungry Kenyan students thanks to the UN's World Food Programme (WFP).

news.un (2020-08-23). Protecting people from conflict, cyclones and COVID-19 in Mozambique: a UN Resident Coordinator blog. news.un.org The COVID-19 disease has added to longstanding challenges in Mozambique which have threatened the southern African country's most vulnerable people. In this blog, the UN Resident Coordinator Myrta Kaulard, with IOM Chief of Mission, Laura Tomm-Bonde, and Samuel Chakwera, UNHCR Resident Representative, explain how the United Nations is supporting national efforts to protect the people of Mozambique from multiple threats…

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-23). Anger of Islamic Ummah to engulf UAE rulers: Iranian Parl. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 23 (MNA) — Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission in a statement on Sun. reiterated that anger of Islamic Ummah will engulf rulers of the United Arab Emirates for normalizing ties with the Israeli regime.

yenisafak (2020-08-23). Saudi-led coalition intercepts rebel drone from Yemen. yenisafak.com The Saudi-led coalition said on Sunday it had intercepted an explosives-laden drone fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels towards Saudi Arabia.Coalition spokesman Col. Turki al-Maliki said the drone was shot down over Yemen, without giving any further details, according to the Saudi SPA news agency.On Saturday, the coalition said it had destroyed a bomb-laden drone ballistic missile fired by Houthi rebels towards the kingdom.Meanwhile, the Houthi group accused the Saudi-led coalition of dropping cluster bombs over the Bajil district in the western al-Hudaydah province.The news was carried by the Houthi-run Al-Masira tel…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-08-22). Ceasefire in Libya will be key for region. peoplesdispatch.org The declaration of a ceasefire in war-torn Libya has raised hopes that a political solution can be reached and years of hostility ended. The war in Libya and the possible peace has great regional significance too.

sputniknews (2020-08-22). UN Invites Libyan Tribes to Participate in Crisis Settlement, Country's Elders Council Official Says. sputniknews.com BENGHAZI (Sputnik) – Libyan tribes have been invited to participate in the political process on the Libyan crisis settlement by the United Nations, Senussi al-Haleeq, the deputy chairman of the Supreme Council of Libyan Sheikhs and Elders, which supports the Libyan National Army, said on Saturday.

Mohamed Khougali (2020-08-22). A Sudanese political evacuee's views on Britishness and the 'refugee crisis'. thecanary.co Somewhere in Sudan, in the latter half of the 1990s, a warrant was issued to arrest and charge one Gamal el-Din Khougali with conspiracy and crimes against the government. The successful businessman and political activist's 'crimes' were organising awareness campaigns and producing material critical of the now ousted The inf…

Peter von Dadelszen, Zulfiqar A Bhutta, Sumedha Sharma, Jeffrey Bone, Joel Singer, Hubert Wong, Mrutyunjaya B Bellad, Shivaprasad S Goudar, Tang Lee, Jing Li, Ashalata A Mallapur, Khátia Munguambe, Beth A Payne, Rahat N Qureshi, Charfudin Sacoor, Esperanàßa Sevene, Marianne Vidler, Laura A Magee, CLIP Trials Working Group (2020-08-22). [Articles] The Community-Level Interventions for Pre-eclampsia (CLIP) cluster randomised trials in Mozambique, Pakistan, and India: an individual participant-level meta-analysis. thelancet.com The CLIP intervention did not reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes. Future community-level interventions should expand the community health worker workforce, assess general (rather than condition-specific) messaging, and include health system strengthening.

Vijay Prashad (2020-08-21). Tell the people that the struggle must go on. mronline.org Young children marvel at an obvious contradiction in capitalist societies: why do we have shops filled with food, and yet see hungry people on the streets? It is a question of enormous significance; but in time the question dissipates into the fog of moral ambivalence, as various explanations are used to obfuscate the clarity of …

news.un (2020-08-21). As Burkina Faso grapples with COVID-19, new UN data reveals 'alarming deterioration' in food security. news.un.org An estimated 3.3 million people in Burkina Faso are facing acute food insecurity, two United Nations agencies warned on Friday.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-08-21). Libyan warring factions announce immediate ceasefire, to be followed by national elections. peoplesdispatch.org Both the Government of National Accord and the House of Representatives which supports the Libyan National Army made announcements indicating an end to all hostilities, as well as the demilitarization of the cities of Sirte and Al-Jufrah…

WSWS (2020-08-21). Pro-imperialist coup topples Malian President KeàØta. wsws.org The coup leaders exploited growing anger among workers and youth at KeàØta, but then declared they would support France's neo-colonial occupation of their country.

WSWS (2020-08-21). Amid French occupation pro-imperialist coup topples Malian president KeàØta. wsws.org The coup leaders exploited growing anger among workers and youth at KeàØta, but then declared they would support France's neo-colonial occupation of their country.

WSWS (2020-08-21). Sudanese refugee drowns attempting to cross English Channel. wsws.org Family members say the victim had his claim for asylum in France refused, and risked the dangerous sea crossing seeking a better life.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-21). 3 Iranian hostages held by Somali pirates released. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 21 (MNA) — Three Iranian fishermen who were taken hostage by Somali pirates five years ago and released this week, arrived in Tehran on Friday.

yenisafak (2020-08-21). Libyan government calls for cease-fire. yenisafak.com The Libyan government on Friday announced a cease-fire and ordered the military to stop all combat operations.The Tripoli-seated Government of National Accord said that the "cease-fire requires the areas of Sirte and al-Jufra to be demilitarized within security arrangements."It called for presidential and parliamentary elections in March.For his part, Aguila Saleh, speaker of pro-Khalifa Haftar Libyan parliament, called on all parties for immediate cease-fire.He said the truce will make Sirte a temporary seat for a new presidential council to be guarded by police forces from various regions in the country.UN welc…

Kunal Sen (2020-08-21). Five Ways Coronavirus Is Deepening Global Inequality. commondreams.org A stranded mother carries her child by a road with little traffic as she awaits transport to get into the central business district of Harare, Zimbabwe on June 2, 2020. (Photo: Jekesai Njikizana/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/5-ways-inequality.jpg

_____ (2020-08-20). Global South Calls For Sanctions On Apartheid Israel. popularresistance.org Israel's decades-old regime of apartheid and theft of Palestinian land is continuing unabated. Reports that Israel is "suspending" formal annexation are a smokescreen for continued colonisation and piecemeal ethnic cleansing of Indigenous Palestinians. | Around the world, advocates for justice are pushing back.The Global South response, initiated by South African civil society, brings together notable figures, intellectuals, policy makers, civil society leaders and experts from Africa, Latin America and Asia, in a joint effort to promote lawful sanctions on Israel to end its decades-old oppression of the Palestin…

RT (2020-08-20). Arms in the air? UAE-Israel peace deal kickstarts long-stalled F-35 purchase from Washington. rt.com The UAE-Israeli peace deal could sprout into a lucrative arms contract, as the UAE's foreign minister said it had removed the obstacles for purchasing F-35 fighters from the US. Washington said such a deal is already under review. | Formal normalization of ties with Tel Aviv should remove "any hurdle" in the path of the potential new arms deal with the US, the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said Thursday. | "We have legitimate requests … We ought to get them … the whole idea of a state of belligerency or war with Israel no longer exists," Gargash told the NATO-sponsored pro-war Atl…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-08-20). Algerian journalist Abdelkrim Zeghileche faces prison term for "undermining national unity" peoplesdispatch.org Abdelkrim Zeghileche, an active supporter of the Hirak protests, has been in pre-trial detention since June 23 and his trial is expected to begin in a few days. He faces a three-year prison term if convicted…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-08-20). Algerian journalist Abdulkrim Zeghileche faces prison term for "undermining national unity" peoplesdispatch.org Abdulkrim Zeghileche, an active supporter of the Hirak protests, has been in pre-trial detention since June 23 and his trial is expected to begin in a few days. He faces a three-year prison term if convicted…

news.un (2020-08-20). Somalia at a critical juncture, as federal, state leaders, meet to break election impasse. news.un.org With elections slated for November delayed due to COVID-19, Somalia is at a critical juncture, the top United Nations official in the country told the Security Council on Thursday, pressing federal and state leaders to agree on voting modalities, and bolster the capacity of forces which are meant to assume full control of national security, next year.

news.un (2020-08-20). Mauritius oil spill highlights importance of global maritime laws: UN trade body. news.un.org The devastating oil spill off the east coast of Mauritius has highlighted the need for global adoption of international legislation that govern the seas and protect small island states and their vulnerable marine ecosystems against ship pollution, UN trade body UNCTAD has stated.

WSWS (2020-08-20). Tensions rise as Zimbabwe's economy implodes. wsws.org There is widespread speculation about a possible coup to depose President Mnangagwa.

yenisafak (2020-08-20). 'Efforts to block Turkish energy ships will pay price'. yenisafak.com Anybody who tries to block Turkish energy exploration in its coastal waters will regret it, said the head of a Turkish political party on Thursday."Anyone who dares to confront our navy and research ships in the [Eastern] Mediterranean or the Aegean will pay the heaviest price," Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), said in a written statement.Bahceli reiterated that Turkey's rightful actions are in line with international law, adding that they "upended global plans."Greece, France, Egypt, and other countries have moved to deprive Turkey of Mediterranean energy resources and box it in,…

yenisafak (2020-08-20). Turkey's Central Bank keeps interest rates steady. yenisafak.com The decision was announced in a statement following the bank's eighth Monetary Policy Committee (MCP) meeting of 2020."The gradual normalization of pandemic-specific financial measures and recent tightening steps taken in liquidity management are judged to support macrofinancial stability," said the bank statement.Saying that uncertainties over domestic and external demand conditions remain significant, the bank stressed that it will continue with liquidity measures.In recent weeks the bank has taken several steps to tighten liquidity conditions to support the Turkish lira such as halving the overnight borrowing…

yenisafak (2020-08-20). Turkey helps South Sudan produce face masks. yenisafak.com Turkey's state-run aid agency TIKA has provided South Sudan sewing machines and cloth rolls for making masks to help it respond better to the coronavirus pandemic.The 30 sewing machines, and 1,000-meter cloth roll will help in the production of about 15,000 face masks, the Turkish ambassador to South Sudan said while handing them over to the Ministry of Labor in the capital Juba on Thursday."We are ready to support South Sudan whenever needed," Tugrul Biltekin said."We are working closely with the South Sudanese government, and have divided our aid into five phases. This is the last phase, to provide masks," he s…

Chad Marlow, Gillian Ganesan (2020-08-20). Stop the Police Surveillance State Too. commondreams.org "In response to a loss of funding, police departments are likely to consider shifting from more expensive, racist, human policing to more cost-efficient, racist, technology-driven policing," writes the authors. (Photo: Jim Gehrz/The Star Tribune/AP) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/police_1_0.jpeg

Timothy A. Wise (2020-08-20). Replacing Hunger with Malnutrition. commondreams.org Farmers in Zimbabwe prepare fields to grow maize. (Photo: David White, Oxfam) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/southernafrica.jpg