News Headlines - 29 August 2020

▽Iran agrees to grant access by IAEA inspectors to 2 sites

Iran has agreed to grant access to inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to probe allegations of past nuclear weapons development at two locations that have been the subject of controversy, the two sides said Wednesday.
In a joint statement, they said that under the agreement on resolution of nuclear safeguards implementation issues, "Iran is voluntarily providing the IAEA with access to the two locations specified by the IAEA and facilitating the IAEA verification activities to resolve these issues."
The statement did not set out dates for the IAEA access and the verification activities, but it said they have been agreed.

▽U.S. Penalizes 24 Chinese Companies Over Role in South China Sea - The New York Times

The Trump administration on Wednesday added 24 Chinese companies to a government list that bans them from buying American products, citing their role in helping the Chinese military construct artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea.
The Trump administration has penalized dozens of Chinese companies in previous months by adding them to the so-called entity list over national security concerns related to advanced technology and alleged human rights violations against Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region. But this is the first time that the administration has used the entity list in relation to China’s encroachment in the South China Sea, which stretches south of Hong Kong and borders the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and other countries.

▽Amazon unveils first Amazon Fresh grocery store in Woodland Hills

Amazon today officially took the wraps off its long-awaited new grocery store concept in Woodland Hills, Calif., under the Amazon Fresh banner.
Located at 6245 Topanga Canyon Blvd., the 35,000-square-foot store isn’t slated to open widely to the general public for several weeks, according to Jeff Helbling, vice president of Amazon Fresh stores. But starting today, Amazon is emailing invitations to thousands of local consumers to be the first to shop Amazon Fresh this week, he said. Hours of operation will be 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

▽Jeff Bezos is now worth a whopping $200 billion - CNN

On Wednesday, the Amazon CEO's wealth reached an estimated $202 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires index, as the company's shares soared. That's up about $87 billion since January.
The explosive growth in Bezos' fortune is being driven by his holdings in Amazon (AMZN). The company's stock is up about 25% over the last three months and 86% so far this year, according to data from Refinitiv.
Bezos, who founded Amazon in 1994, keeps breaking records with his wealth. In 2017, he became the richest person on the planet. And last month, his estimated net worth jumped to almost $172 billion, marking a new global high.

▽Chadwick Boseman, 'Black Panther' star, has died - CNN

Actor Chadwick Boseman, who brought the movie "Black Panther" to life with his charismatic intensity and regal performance, has died.
Boseman has battled colon cancer since 2016 and died at home with his family and wife by his side, according to a statement posted on his Twitter account. He was 43.