2020-09-03: News Headlines

Staff (2020-09-03). Putin "Can't Afford to See Belarus Fall" as Protests Calling for Lukashenko's Ouster Enter 4th Week. democracynow.org Mass protests entered their fourth week in Belarus to demand the ouster of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, who claimed victory in the country's August 9 election that critics say was rigged. But Lukashenko shows no sign of backing down, and authorities have responded to protests with violence and arrests. Sadakat Kadri, a human rights lawyer and writer, says Russian President Vladimir Putin is invested in keeping Lukashenko in power. "He can't afford to see Belarus fall," Kadri notes.

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-09-03). Russiagate Or Impeachment, Because Those Were Fake Things. indybay.org Caitlin Johnstone writes about the end of illusions. | "Peace is not everything, but without it, everything becomes nothing" (Willy Brandt). You can have peace or the US empire. You can't have both.

Andrew Korybko (2020-09-03). Putin Didn't Fall for Lukashenko's Claim that Poland Intends to Annex Belarus' Grodno Region. globalresearch.ca Lukashenko's entirely speculative claim last week about Poland's supposed intention to annex Belarus' Grodno region was nothing more than an attempt to trick Putin into "pulling a Crimea" by compelling him to comply with Russia's CSTO mutual defense obligations to …

Kristian Carter (2020-09-03). Belarus overthrow campaign aims to destroy last traces of Soviet socialism. peoplesworld.org Our television screens are currently awash with images of protesters on the streets of Belarusian towns and cities. Images of masses of civilians holding red and white flags are flooding the European media. Rolling news footage of presidential candidates meeting high-ranking EU officials is part of a sustained campaign to give defeated candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya …

CP Editor (2020-09-03). Putin "Can't Afford to See Belarus Fall" counterpunch.org

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-09-03). Lifting Embargo on American Non-lethal Arms to Cyprus Is Aimed Against Russia. US Militarization of the Eastern Mediterranean. globalresearch.ca Washington announced the lifting of the embargo to sell American-made non-lethal equipment to the Republic of Cyprus. US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, told Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiadis over the phone on Tuesday that Washington decided to lift the …

yenisafak (2020-09-03). Montenegro: Pro-Russia, pro-West parties win nearly same number of seats. yenisafak.com Montenegro's Sunday general election results blink an eye to the country's future policy in terms of its either Euro-Atlantic integration or tendency to lean more towards Russia and Serbia.Elections resulted in the long governing Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) winning the majority of the votes but losing in the majority in the National Assembly to the opposition wing.President Milo Djukanovic's pro-Western DPS, which ruled the country for 30 years, won 30 seats at the parliament, while the opposition For the Future of Montenegro alliance led by the Democratic Front (DF), leaning more towards Russia and Serb…

yenisafak (2020-09-03). Montenegro: Muslims threatened with genocide. yenisafak.com Muslims living in Montenegro were threatened with genocide after the Sunday general election results showed the country's future policy leaning more towards Russia and Serbia. | Elections resulted in the long-governing Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) winning majority of the votes. But it lost majority in the National Assembly to the opposition For the Future of Montenegro alliance, led by the Democratic Front (DF), leaning more towards Russia and Serbia. | The DF is known for its anti-NATO stance and closeness to the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC). | Those who gathered around the churches sang Serbian nationa…

Stephen Lendman (2020-09-03). JCPOA Signatories in Vienna Reject Snapback Sanctions on Iran. globalresearch.ca Hegemon USA increasingly finds itself isolated on the world stage. | The harder it pressures, bullies, otherwise threatens and/or bludgeons other countries to bend to its will, the further its isolation longer-term. | On Tuesday, Joint Commission of the JCPOA signatories Russia, …

_____ (2020-09-03). Britain's Coming Winter of Discontent — What It Looks Like. truepublica.org.uk By TruePublica Editor: The summer recess is over — and now we are staring at reality — like a loaded gun at Russian roulette. Our future is now made up of trigger pulls, of 'ifs.' What if Covid comes back just as bad, what if we have a really cold winter and the NHS is …

Jonas Dringelis (2020-09-03). Lithuania Blocks the Development of Its Own Economy. globalresearch.ca Admittedly, a lot of good happened over the last years in Lithuania, but unfortunately we have also see political leadership that is not interested in developing their own country. | Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

Staff (2020-09-03). Putin Wants Belarus Dictator to Retain Power — But the Masses Are Still Rising. truthout.org Mass protests entered their fourth week in Belarus to demand the ouster of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, who claimed victory in the country's August 9 election that critics say was rigged. But Lukashenko shows no sign of backing down, and authorities have responded to protests with violence and arrests. Sadakat Kadri, a human rights lawyer and writer, says Russian President Vladimir Putin is invested in keeping Lukashenko in power. "He can't afford to see Belarus fall," Kadri not…

yenisafak (2020-09-03). Merkel says response to Navalny poisoning depends on Russia. yenisafak.com Speaking at a news conference with the Swedish Prime Minister, she said she had nothing further to add to her statement on Wednesday when she condemned the attempted murder of a Russian opposition figure and demanded Moscow's help.

yenisafak (2020-09-03). Russian FM praises 3rd round of Syrian peace talks. yenisafak.com Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov praised on Thursday the results of the third round of the Syrian peace talks in Geneva."Not everything was resolved, not everything was agreed upon, but in general, we consider the meeting fruitful and meaningful," Lavrov said at a meeting with UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen in Moscow.He urged Pedersen to step up efforts in repatriation of Syrians who want to return, saying it will help ease "the unbearable burden borne by the refugees host countries, primarily Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey".In turn, Pedersen joined Lavrov's assessments, saying he did not expect "mira…

news.un (2020-09-03). Alleged poisoning of Russian opposition leader a 'grave concern', says chemical weapons watchdog. news.un.org The allegation that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned by a Cold War-era nerve agent is "a matter of grave concern", the head of the UN-backed Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said on Thursday.

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-09-02). Russiagate Or Impeachment, Bec ause Those Were False Things. indybay.org Caitlin Johnstone writes about the end of illusions. | "Peace is not everything, but without it, everything becomes nothing" (Willy Brandt). You can have peace or the US empire. You can't have both.

Staff (2020-09-02). Headlines for September 2, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Refuses to Join Global Effort to Develop COVID-19 Vaccine, NIH Panel: No Evidence Convalescent Plasma Works Despite FDA Approval, Florida Cuts Ties to Quest Diagnostics over Delay in COVID-19 Tests, Faced with Possible Teacher Strike, NYC Delays Reopening Schools Until Sept. 21, Russia Surpasses 1 Million COVID Cases; India Becomes New Epicenter, Trump Travels to Kenosha But Never Says Name of Jacob Blake, Trump Spreads Conspiracy Theories About Biden, "Dark Shadows" & Thugs on Airplanes, Sheriff Deputies in L.A. Shoot Dead Black Bicyclist Stopped over Alleged Bike Violation, Over 50 Black Former Franchise O…

Lucas Leiroz de Almeida (2020-09-02). NATO Begins Provocative Military Exercises on Russian Border. globalresearch.ca Once again, NATO is operating dangerous and bold military maneuvers in regions close to the European Russian border. This time, the country hosting the tests is Estonia, a Baltic State that in recent decades has been characterized by a strong …

Farooque Chowdhury (2020-09-02). Forging Unity within the Working Class. dissidentvoice.org In its desperate race to survive its series of crises, capitalism keeps clinging onto its old tool of dividing the working class. But, since commencing its political fight, the working class has uplifted a different call: Workers of the world unite! More than one hundred years ago, the proletariat in Russia trampled over all the …

Sean Callebs (2020-09-02). The Heat: Iran nuclear deal and U.S. sanctions. america.cgtn.com The United States seeks to re-impose sanctions on Iran. It was back in 2015 when Iran agreed to a long-term deal on its nuclear program with a group of world powers known as the P5+1 — the U.S., UK, France, China, Russia and Germany. The …

RT (2020-09-02). Germany's allegations about Navalny could be justification for pre-planned anti-Russian 'response' — Russian Foreign Ministry. rt.com Moscow says it's witnessing yet another instance of Western politicians preferring "loud public statements" instead of evidence and facts when it comes to the alleged poisoning of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny. | The Russian Ministry of Foreign affairs has published a statement in which it lashed out at Berlin after the German government claimed that Navalny was "poisoned" by a "Novichok class nerve agent." Since the end of August, when the anti-corruption campaigner was sent to Germany from Russia for treatment, Berlin has been neglecting bilateral cooperation mechanisms that would allow Russia to…

RT (2020-09-02). Despite being famed port city's primary language, Ukrainian authorities in Odessa strip Russian of its status as official tongue. rt.com A district court in the Ukrainian city of Odessa has opted to remove Russian as an official regional language. The move comes despite the fact Russian is the main spoken tongue in the famous city, founded by Catherine the Great | Of course, that was in the 18th century, but Odessa historically wasn't a Ukrainian city. Until the Nazis invaded in the 1940s, Russian Jews comprised the main ethnic group. Even in 2001, amazingly the last time Ukraine conducted a census, almost 30% of locals still identified as Russian. | According to a 2015 study by the US State Department-funded International Republican Institute,…

RT (2020-09-02). Despite stereotypes about dependence on hydrocarbons, Kremlin says Russia is gradually reducing economic reliance on oil & gas. rt.com Nobody in Russia is happy about the dependence on oil and gas, but it is gradually decreasing, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. In the past decade, Russia has moved away from hydrocarbons and into other sectors. | On Tuesday, when speaking on a broadcast marking students' return to school, President Vladimir Putin noted that Russia is a nation with advanced technology, rejecting the idea that it is a resource appendage. In 2014, US Senator John McCain famously mocked Russia as a "gas station masquerading as a country." According to Putin and Peskov, this assessment is becoming less and less true.

RT (2020-09-02). Media offers new weapon to protect Biden: Suggesting his mental health is failing means you're part of a Russian conspiracy. rt.com The US Department of Homeland Security reportedly blocked the distribution of a July intelligence bulletin warning of a Russian plot to promote "misinformation" that the Democratic presidential candidate is in poor mental health. | The

RT (2020-09-02). American & Russian musicians come together to honor their heroes who joined forces to crush Hitler's Nazis in World War II. rt.com Relations between the US and Russia may be at a low point right now, but a virtual concert organized by the American Center in Moscow hearkens back to a different time, when US and Soviet troops defeated Nazi Germany together. | The show aired on Wednesday, and featured an ensemble of celebrated Russian and American musicians. Among them were Russian pianist Polina Osetinskaya and American soprano Janinah Burnett. The singers of the Bolshoi Theater Young Artists Opera Program also lent their talents to the production, while the program was directed and conducted by Moscow-based classical cellist Alexander Rudi…

RT (2020-09-02). Germany's Merkel claims someone wanted to 'silence' Navalny, but spokesman says 'poisoning' revelation won't affect Nord Stream 2. rt.com German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday that hospitalised Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny was "the victim of a crime." She called on Moscow to "answer questions that only the Russian government can answer." | Merkel was referring to tests carried out the by the Bundeswehr [German military] which found that the anti-corruption campaigner was "beyond doubt" poisoned with a 'Novichok' class chemical agent. Describing Navalny as "the leading opposition politician in Russia," an assertion not borne out by Russian polling, she said somebody wanted to "silence" him. | The Chancellor added that Mosc…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-02). Barring US, all parties reiterate commitment to Iran nuclear deal. peoplesdispatch.org Delegates from Iran, Russia, China, the UK, France and Germany said the deal was a key component in the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture. They also rejected US bids to trigger snapback sanctions…

_____ (2020-09-02). The CIA's Addiction To The Afghanistan War. popularresistance.org US involvement in Afghanistan is the archetypal quagmire. Hundreds of thousands killed or maimed, trillions of dollars wasted, a failed state — despite American pretensions of nation-building, and a militant insurgency stronger than ever. Washington's declared strategic objectives in Afghanistan have never been coherent or convincing even among Pentagon top brass. The initial justification of "avenging terrorism of 9/11" sounds threadbare. | The irony is that Washington first got involved in Afghanistan back in the late 1970s to inflict a "Vietnam scenario" on Soviet troops who were defending an allied gove…

_____ (2020-09-02). Is The US Deliberately Trying To Provoke A Military Crisis With Russia? popularresistance.org There has been a long string of U.S. provocations toward Russia. The first one came in the late 1990s and the initial years of the twenty-first century when Washington violated tacit promises given to Mikhail Gorbachev and other Soviet leaders that if Moscow accepted a united Germany within NATO, the Alliance would not seek to move farther east. Instead of abiding by that bargain, the Clinton and Bush administrations successfully pushed NATO to admit multiple new members from Central and Eastern Europe, bringing that powerful military association directly to Russia's western border. In addition, the United States…

Vadim Nikitin (2020-09-02). As Alexei Navalny's Life Hangs in the Balance, So Does the Fate of the Russian Opposition. thenation.com As Alexei Navalny's Life Hangs in the Balance, So Does the Fate of the Russian Opposition…

Thierry Meyssan (2020-09-01). Who wants to overthrow President Lukashenko? thealtworld.com

| The Western press highlights Svetlana Tikhanovskaya as the winner of the Belarusian presidential election and accuses outgoing President Alexander Lukashenko of violence, nepotism and election rigging. However, an analysis of this country shows that the policies of its president correspond to the wishes of its citizens. Behind this fabricated quarrel lies the spectre of Ukrainian Euromaidan and a provoked rupture with Russia. | One of the objectives of the Euromaidan coup (Ukraine, 2013-14) was to cut the Silk Road in Europe. China reacted by changing its route and passing it through Belarus. From the…

RT (2020-09-01). Self-flying fighter jets? Russian aerospace giants MiG & Sukhoi discuss UNMANNED 6th generation fighter jet project. rt.com Russia's most famous aircraft manufacturers, MiG and Sukhoi, are discussing the possibility of cooperating to develop the country's sixth-generation jet fighter. The fifth-generation Sukhoi is due to be delivered this year. | Anatoly Serdyukov, the industrial director of the Rostec aviation complex, told Moscow business daily RBK that everything is under discussion, refusing to rule out a collaboration of the industry heavyweights. | "Perhaps it will be so, a fighter produced by MiG – Sukhoi," he said. "But while everything is at the discussion stage, it is too early to talk about the details." | Also on rt.co…

RT (2020-09-01). Religious tension enters Belarus mix? Catholic Archbishop refused entry into country after criticising government on Polish TV. rt.com The head of the Catholic Church in Belarus has been refused entry into the country, despite being a Belarusian citizen. The right of citizens to enter the country without hindrance is protected by the country's constitution. | According to Yuri Sanko, the church's press secretary, Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz was refused the right to return to his homeland on Monday, after visiting Poland on a business trip. Kondrusiewicz, who was born in the village of Odelsk, located on the Western border, was forced to go back to Poland. | According to Article 30 of the Belarusian Constitution, "Citizens of the Republic…

RT (2020-09-01). As Covid-19 pandemic rolls on, Russia becomes fourth country to pass one million confirmed cases, joining Brazil, India & the US. rt.com As children head back to school, Russia's coronavirus case numbers continue to break records. On Tuesday, confirmed infections in nationwide reached seven figures, becoming the first European country to break the million mark. | Behind just the US, Brazil, and India, Russia is the fourth country in the world to break the milestone nobody wanted to get near. However, when compared to these other three countries, it at least seems to be on the right track. On August 31, the US reported 38,560 new cases, India 68,770, and Brazil 48,590. Russia has had less than 5,000 per day since August 15. | Despite being fourt…

RT (2020-09-01). Zuckerberg to donate $300 million to ensure Covid-safe US elections as Facebook hunts for Russian disinformation. rt.com Mark Zuckerberg has said he will donate $300 million to help ensure a "secure" election process amid the Covid-19 pandemic, while Facebook remains on the prowl for alleged "foreign interference" from Russia. | Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan announced on Tuesday that they will donate the hefty pile of cash to "two non-partisan organizations" — the Center for Tech and Civic Life and the Center for Election Innovation & Research. The donation will help with the highly controversial mail-in voting system and go towards ensuring safety measures at polling stations. | "There will be historic levels of v…

Stephen Lendman (2020-09-01). Russia-Sanctions-Gate: Trump Sanctions Three Russian Research Institutes. globalresearch.ca Russia won the race to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. On August 11, its Sputnik V was registered for use by the Russian Ministry of Health. | Development of the vaccine followed 20 years of research, what its scientists called another …

Ted Galen Carpenter (2020-09-01). Are We Deliberately Trying To Provoke A Military Crisis With Russia? globalresearch.ca A dangerous vehicle collision between U.S and Russian soldiers in Northeastern Syria on Aug. 24 highlights the fragility of the relationship and the broader test of wills between the two major powers. | According to

WSWS (2020-09-01). Amid mounting domestic crisis, US imperialism lashes out at Russia and China. wsws.org In a dizzying array of threats and open clashes, Washington has inflamed, on an almost daily basis, conflicts that could rapidly spiral out of control.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-01). 'Russia remains ready to facilitate US-Iran direct dialogue'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 01 (MNA) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that Russia is ready to help the United States and Iran to have a direct dialogue.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-01). Joint Commission determined to preserve JCPOA. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 01 (MNA) — Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov said that the Joint Commission on JCPOA is determined to preserve the Nuclear Deal.

sputniknews (2020-09-01). Russia's Su-57 Fighter Will Reportedly Get 'Invisibility Cloak'. sputniknews.com Since mass production of the Sukhoi Su-57 began last year, developers have announced a number of add-ons for the fifth-generation fighter, ranging from new hypersonic missiles to plans to allow it to control swarms of drones.

sputniknews (2020-09-01). US Army Holds Live-Fire Rocket Artillery Drills Less Than 70 Miles From Russian Border. sputniknews.com The US Army announced on Monday the beginning of live-fire drills involving rocket artillery in Estonia, less than 70 miles from Russian territory. The move comes just days after large Russian naval exercises in the Bering Sea, near Alaska.

sputniknews (2020-09-01). US Homeland Security, FBI Say No Cyber Attacks on Voter Registration Databases Took Place. sputniknews.com A Russian newspaper earlier in the day alleged that hackers had stolen and posted data from millions of American voters.

WSWS (2020-09-01). Mass protests in Belarus continue as conflict between Russia and NATO intensifies. wsws.org The Kremlin has responded to the growing intervention by the imperialist powers in Belarus by stepping up its support for the Lukashenko regime.

Paul Craig Roberts (2020-09-01). Does Western Civilization Have a Future, or Is It Already in Its Grave? thealtworld.com Sandia National Laboritories, a US government-funded nuclear weapons developer, requires its white employees to be subjected to indoctrination in trainings sessions in which critical race theory propagandists tell the white employees they are racists, because they have white privilege due to their skin color. | One of the abused white employees, Casey P…

Andrew Korybko (2020-08-31). Is Russia Backtracking on China's "Belt and Road" (BRI)? Moscow's Balancing Act Between China and India. globalresearch.ca The critical assessment of China's Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) last month by the influential Director of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of Far Eastern Studies coupled with India's eagerness all summer to court the Eurasian Great Power into …

Ben Norton (2020-08-31). US Sanctions Russian Research Institute that Developed COVID-19 Vaccine. globalresearch.ca Russia won the race to develop the first vaccine against the novel coronavirus. The United States has responded by slapping sanctions on a Russian research facility involved in creating it. | The US government has blacklisted several Russian scientific institutes, including …

RT (2020-08-31). Pets for debts? Russia's MPs to vote on banning bailiffs from seizing domestic animals — MP labels practice 'outrageous cruelty'. rt.com Russian parliamentarians will soon vote on new legislation that would ban debt collectors and bailiffs from seizing pets to pay off arrears, according to the bill's author, MP Vladimir Burmatov of the governing 'United Russia.' | Soon after politicians return from their summer vacation on September 9, they will be presented with a list of animals that should be deemed off-limits for debt collectors. According to Burmatov, the legislation would protect all pets not used for entrepreneurial activity. | As things stand, farm animals such as cattle and deer are protected from seizure, but cats and dogs are not.

RT (2020-08-31). Russia on course to replace Germany as Europe's leading economy & enter global top five this year — Putin's economic advisor. rt.com For a long time now, officials in Moscow have spoken of a desire to see Russia become the world's fifth largest economy, measured by purchasing power parity. The Kremlin believes 2020 will be the year it finally happens. | Putin's chief economic advisor Maxim Oreshkin said on Monday that estimates from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and post-pandemic GDP projections suggest Russia is poised to meet the target. His comments came as the Ministry of Economic Development revised its estimate of the decline in Russia's economy in 2020 from 5% to 3.9%. | While that's a significant fall, it's not as drastic as…

RT (2020-08-31). A spanner in the works? Former Khabarovsk governor Furgal can't be charged with murder-for-hire as he was already cleared in 2004. rt.com The former governor of Russia's Far Eastern Khabarovsk Region, Sergey Furgal, cannot be charged for one of the murders he is accused of ordering, as he was already found to be innocent during the original investigation. | That was back in 2004, long before Furgal took the helm in Khabarovsk, fourteen years later. He's accused of ordering three murders in the mid-2000s, one of which was unsuccessful. One of the men killed was Evgeny Zori, a businessman who was shot in the center of Khabarovsk following a protracted conflict with Furgal, who at the time was involved in buying and selling scrap metal. | According…