Puppet Masters

Hamas: Gaza will not 'remain silent' as Israel escalates siege

Ali Adam
Aljazeera
Wed, 26 Aug 2020 00:00 UTC

The threat of a new Gaza war continues to rise as Palestinians demand an end to the devastating 13-year-long blockade and Israel tightens the screws on Gaza's economy while targeting Hamas positions.

Israeli warplanes and tanks bombed Hamas military sites early on Tuesday in response to the incendiary balloons launched from Gaza towards Israel's south, according to an Israeli army statement.

It was the 16th day in a row that Israel launched attacks against Hamas's infrastructure and agricultural land in the Gaza Strip. Gaza's military factions did not respond on Wednesday, although they previously launched rockets towards Israel after attacks last week. No serious injuries were reported on either side.

The current escalation between Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip and Israel was caused by the launching of incendiary balloons by Palestinians into southern Israel in the past two weeks as a way to pressure Israel to lift its crippling blockade imposed in 2007. The rigged balloons and kites often start blazes on farms in Israel.

Comment: See also:

Israel has been busy elsewhere, it seems:

Poisoning protest leader Navalny 'would not benefit' Moscow, says Russian FM, labels Western allegations 'offensive'

RT
Tue, 25 Aug 2020 17:32 UTC

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 instantly compared to the "poisonings" of Alexander Litvinenko and the Skripals - which were blamed on Moscow before any investigations happened. "The question inevitably arises - who benefits from it? The Russian leadership clearly does not."

The ministry added that accusations of a 'cover-up' made against the Russian doctors who first treated Navalny were untrue.

"We consider deeply offensive the accusations of 'covering up the truth', directed from some Western capitals to the doctors in Omsk, who immediately rendered highly professional aid.

"They gave the patient's complete medical history to the team of German doctors.

"We hope that the German doctors will show the same professional approach and will not allow the results of their laboratory tests to be used for politicized purposes."

Comment: See also:

Tehran hails new chapter of cooperation with IAEA as UN agency stresses neutral approach towards Iran

RT
Tue, 25 Aug 2020 20:47 UTC

Iran has praised the outcome of a summit with the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, who traveled to Tehran amid growing geopolitical tensions over the country's nuclear program.

Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said during a press conference on Tuesday that the talks were "constructive" and that both sides had agreed that the IAEA "will carry out its independent and professional responsibilities." For its part, Iran pledged to fulfill its commitments to the UN nuclear watchdog, he said. "A new chapter of cooperation between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency will start."

A statement outlining the results of the talks will be released later in the day.

The meeting marks Grossi's first visit to Iran since assuming office in December. The IAEA chief said after the summit that there were no behind-the-scenes politics involved in his trip. "There are issues that need to be addressed ... this does not mean a political approach towards Iran," Grossi said, according to Iranian state media.

Businesses abandoning Portland due to 'lawlessness endorsed by mayor'

Tyler Durden
ZeroHedge
Tue, 25 Aug 2020 18:22 UTC

business burned portland riots blm antifa

All it took was nearly three months of often-riotous protests in Portland for business owners to pull out of the city or relocate outside its central district, according to local station KOIN (via Fox Business).

In a letter to Mayor Ted Wheeler and the Portland City Council, the Downtown Development Group said that the exodus of companies wasn't related to the Black Lives Matter movement - "but does have most everything to do with the lawlessness you are endorsing downtown."

"The number is like nothing I have seen in 42 years of doing business in downtown," wrote DDG co-founder Greg Goodman.

Comment: 'They didn't protect our people': Businesses abandoning riot-torn cities

Is there a Democrat plot to appoint Pelosi president? Not as far-fetched as it sounds

Joaquin Flores
Fort Russ
Wed, 26 Aug 2020 17:39 UTC

A plan is underway to install Nancy Pelosi as president. It is not the only plan, but this plan will be worked towards its logical conclusion, whether or not its utility concludes prior to the election itself, now less than 90 days away.

A series of explosions rocked a number of countries, the most significant being Lebanon. In Trump's televised address in New Jersey in the first week of August, he explained that he would be laying low. Prior to that, in describing storm Isaiah, Trump gave a signal to his base, that the 'storm' was now at his back.

On July 21st Nancy Pelosi appears to have explained a large part of the game plan, to MSNBC.

"Well, that's a loaded question there about coronavirus, what we do about it. But the fact is, whether he knows it yet or not, he will be leaving. Just because he might not want to move out of the White House doesn't mean we won't have an inauguration ceremony to inaugurate a duly-elected President of the United States and the - I just - you know, I'm second in line to the Presidency. Just last week I had my regular continuation of government briefing. This might interest you because I say to them, 'This is never going to happen. God-willing it never will.' But there is a process. It has nothing to do with the certain occupant of the White House doesn't feel like moving and has to be fumigated out of there because the presidency is the presidency. It's not geography or location."

Comment: An interesting analysis. Given the way the year 2020 has proceeded, nothing can be taken off the table.

Trends are running in Trump's favor as presidential race tightens

Charlie Gerow
The Hill
Mon, 24 Aug 2020 17:16 UTC

The most unusual year and the presidential campaign that accompanies it are now at the top of home stretch. The unconventional conventions soon will be behind us, as the GOP takes its turn this week. The virtual campaign of a basement "Rose Garden strategy" will be forced out into the open. Then the real fun will begin.

Although the return to fall and the start of the final leg of the campaign won't be like anything we've seen before, one thing is still certain: Campaigns are won on the ground.

The blocking and tackling of presidential politics is what it takes to emerge victorious. Nowhere will that be more in evidence than in the key battleground states whose large chunk of electoral votes once again will decide the presidency.

Comment: A lacklustre candidate, with a lackluster campaign, an unlikeable VP pick. It almost seems the Democrats WANT to lose this election. What's up with that? Perhaps the radical progressive wing of the party is playing a longer game? The Squad has certainly been muted in their support with AOC negotiating for platform policies and Tlaib flat out refusing.

Facebook blocks group critical of Thai monarchy amid government pressure

Patpicha Tanakasempipat
Reuters
Tue, 25 Aug 2020 17:06 UTC

Facebook blocked access within Thailand to a group with 1 million members that has criticised the country's king, but said it was planning a legal challenge to the government's demand that it block the group.

The move comes amid near daily youth-led protests against the government led by the former military junta chief and unprecedented calls for reforms of the monarchy.

The "Royalist Marketplace" group was created in April by Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a self-exiled academic and critic of the monarchy.

On Monday night, the group's page brought up a message: "Access to this group has been restricted within Thailand pursuant to a legal request from the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society."

France's coronavirus advisor 'fears second wave' in November, Marseille tightens lockdown restrictions

Reuters
Wed, 26 Aug 2020 08:57 UTC

© REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
FILE PHOTO: A health worker, wearing a protective suit and a face mask, administers a nasal swab to a patient at a testing site for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) installed at the Bassin de la Villette in Paris, France, August 25, 2020.

A second wave of the coronavirus pandemic could hit France in November, a government advisor told local media on Wednesday, as the city of Marseille tightened restrictions to fight the outbreak.

Authorities in Marseille said late on Tuesday that bars and restaurants would have shorter opening times, and they also broadened mandatory mask-wearing in the southern port city between Aug. 26 and Sept. 30.

"There are fears of a second wave in November," Professor Jean-François Delfraissy, who heads the scientific council that advises the government on the pandemic, told France 2 television on Wednesday.

Comment: Meanwhile China is getting back to normal life and an expert in Russia thinks that those in large towns have already achieved herd immunity, rather at odds with the West's relentless fear-mongering and its march towards tyranny.

Iran, IAEA strike deal on nuclear inspectors' access to sites, JCPOA group reject US calls for sanctions 'snap back'

Reuters
Wed, 26 Aug 2020 12:00 UTC

© Reuters / Majid Asgaripour
FILE PHOTO: Iranian workers stand in front of Bushehr nuclear power plant, 1,200 km south of Tehran, 2012

The U.N. nuclear watchdog and Iran said on Wednesday they have reached an agreement on granting the International Atomic Energy Agency's inspectors access to two suspected former secret nuclear sites after a months-long standoff.

"Iran is voluntarily providing the IAEA with access to the two locations specified by the IAEA," IAEA chief Rafael Grossi and Iran's nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi said in a joint statement. "Dates for the IAEA access and the verification activities have been agreed."

Comment: RT has more details:

"Iran, like before, is ready to cooperate with the IAEA," Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on state television after the announcement.

While the IAEA hailed the agreement as a "good faith" gesture from the Islamic Republic, the US remains cynical. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week accused Iran of violating the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, or Iran Deal) - a 2015 accord between Iran and world powers that guaranteed the country some sanctions relief in exchange for a halt to its nuclear program.

Accusing Iran of "significant non-compliance" with the deal, Pompeo requested that the UN Security Council "snap back" sanctions on Tehran. Iran and the US' allies alike have questioned the legality of Pompeo's request, given that the US abandoned the nuclear deal in 2018.

China, France, Germany, the UK and Russia - who are all signatories to the deal - have said that they do not recognize the US move. On Tuesday, the current UNSC president dismissed the US call on reintroducing sanctions given the lack of consensus for it.

Norway plans to drill for oil in untouched Arctic areas

Tone Sutterud
The Guardian
Wed, 26 Aug 2020 13:42 UTC

Norway is planning to expand oil drilling in previously untouched areas of the Arctic, a move campaigners say threatens the fragile ecosystem and could spark a military standoff with Russia.

A public consultation on the opening up of nine new Norwegian oilfields closed on Wednesday. The areas in question are much further north in the Arctic than the concessions the US president, Donald Trump, announced for Alaska this month.

Experts say the area is regarded as risky both environmentally and in terms of profitability. They also say the decision risks antagonising other nations which are party to the 100-year-old Svalbard treaty, which regulates activity in the area concerned.

Comment: See also:

New Lt. Governor of Virginia Winsome Sears: "We're going to have safer neighborhoods, safer communities, and our children are going to get a good...

parzival

Bill Gates is going to be the one with the uncertain future,,, * New Lt. Governor of Virginia Winsome Sears: "We're going to have safer...

parzival

The more we hear about adverse affects the more we will merely shrug. It's a catch 22. Is that an asteroid trail in the photo?

sass

Welcome to the new normal. The more sensory exposure we have about such things, the less it is an issue.

sass

more misbehaving phuqqin' jewzskies starring on the sott; speaks for itself

Jibrish

Puppet Masters

Hamas: Gaza will not 'remain silent' as Israel escalates siege

Poisoning protest leader Navalny 'would not benefit' Moscow, says Russian FM, labels Western allegations 'offensive'

Tehran hails new chapter of cooperation with IAEA as UN agency stresses neutral approach towards Iran

Businesses abandoning Portland due to 'lawlessness endorsed by mayor'

Is there a Democrat plot to appoint Pelosi president? Not as far-fetched as it sounds

Trends are running in Trump's favor as presidential race tightens

Facebook blocks group critical of Thai monarchy amid government pressure

France's coronavirus advisor 'fears second wave' in November, Marseille tightens lockdown restrictions

Iran, IAEA strike deal on nuclear inspectors' access to sites, JCPOA group reject US calls for sanctions 'snap back'

Norway plans to drill for oil in untouched Arctic areas

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