(2020-11-08). EXCLUSIVE: Azerbaijan, Armenia 'near ceasefire deal' on Nagorno-Karabakh. middleeasteye.net 
EXCLUSIVE: Azerbaijan, Armenia 'near ceasefire deal' on Nagorno-Karabakh | Draft deal forces Armenia to withdraw from some areas amid the deployment of a Turkish and Russian peacekeeping force, Turkish sources tell MEE | Sun, 11/08/2020 – 10: 12 | An Armenian soldier fires artillery during the ongoing fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces (AFP) | Azerbaijan and Armenia are close to striking a…
(2020-11-07). Almost half of Russians in US have experienced discrimination alongside 'unfair' portrayal of country in media — survey. rt.com 
A study of Russian-Americans has made clear the shocking extent of Russophobia in the US, today. The news comes after the Kremlin warned that attacks on the country were defining this week's American presidential election. | The report, published by the political lobby group Ru-PAC, found that more than 44 per cent of US-based Russians surveyed had faced discrimination on the basis of their nationality. | Around one in four reported having felt they had to hide their background. The way Russia is portrayed in the media appeared to be a cause of this, with almost 64 per cent of those responding saying coverage…
(2020-11-06). Russia & Germany call for immediate ceasefire amid fears Nagorno-Karabakh war could become Yugoslavia-like humanitarian crisis. rt.com 
The capital of the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh is preparing for an assault by Azerbaijani troops, this weekend, while Russia and the European Union work to try to secure at least a temporary pause in hostilities. | Stepanakert, the administrative centre of the de facto Armenian-controlled breakaway region, which Azerbaijan considers part of its territory, is expected to be the next frontier in the war between the two nations. The city is home to around 55,000 people and is the largest conurbation in the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh. There are fears that fighting there could precipitate a humani…
(2020-11-06). A Troubling Discovery in the Arctic. counterpunch.org 
A notable satellite-telephonic call to colleagues in late October from Swedish scientist àñrjan Gustafsson of Stockholm University briefly described a haunting discovery. On board the research ship R/V Akademik Keldysh, a 6,240-ton Russian scientific research vessel equipped with 17 on-board laboratories and a library, far off the coast of Russia, Dr. Gustafsson reported: "This East
(2020-11-06). Facebook's Censorship Spree Is VK's Time To Finally Shine As A Free Speech Alternative. thealtworld.com 
The censorship spree that Facebook's been on since the US' contentious elections is the golden opportunity that its Russian competitor VK has been waiting for in order to finally present itself as a credible and easy-to-use free speech alternative, but it can only do so if the awareness and will exist at its leadership level to seize the moment through a clever marketing strategy aimed at Facebook's politically minded audience. | Facebook isn't even hiding the fact that it's censoring its users in the aftermath of the US' contentious elections. It used to just shadow block them, but now it adds a so-called "fact-…
(2020-11-06). Budapest & Brussels on potential collision course as Hungary says it will import Russian Covid-19 vaccine despite EU objections. rt.com 
Hungary announced it will purchase Russia's Sputnik-V coronavirus vaccine for research and licensing purposes, in a move that risks creating tensions with EU authorities who insist only formulas made in the bloc should be used. | Foreign Minister Peter Sijarto said on Thursday that Budapest will place an order for the vaccine. "Russia will start supplying small batches in December to complete clinical trials and research here," he told journalists. | Russia became the first country in the world to approve a jab for Covid-19 in September. It drew criticism from some international commentators for the speed of t…
(2020-11-06). U.S. Foreign Policy is a Failure, Whoever's President. counterpunch.org 
The world recognizes what U.S. elites don't: the utter, total American failure to contain Covid-19 has damaged U.S. standing and will do so until the virus is controlled. Meanwhile, regional powers, China and Russia, cooperate and share resources, particularly vaccines. Cuba provides treatments, but the U.S. turns up its nose at Cuban medicine, even if it means more American covid patients die — this, though Cuba's pharmacopeia for this plague appears superior. China sends doctors and medicines across the globe. Russia opts for sane herd immunity — through vaccination. These countries act like adults.
(2020-11-06). New Documents Show Mueller Investigation Unable to Concoct Charges Against Assange and WikiLeaks. globalresearch.ca Previously redacted portions of the Mueller report into supposed Russian interference in the US, released this week, have shown that despite every effort, the Justice Department was unable to concoct evidence of any criminal wrongdoing on the part of WikiLeaks …
(2020-11-06). Iran's Resistance Economy and Regional Integration. thealtworld.com Journal of World Sociopolitical Studies: | Abstract | Iran's 'resistance economy' is sometimes presented as defensive strategy. Despite Washington's 'New Middle East' wars and the rapid evaporation of expected benefits from the long JCPOA (nuclear deal) process, a certain illusion remains that a general 'normalisation' with the outside powers might still bring economic benefits to the country. Nevertheless, it remains true that, while Iran is a large country, pure self-sufficiency would impose physical limits. Therefore, the question that one may ask is what are the better economic opportunities for the n…
(2020-11-06). Researchers Thought It Would Be At Least 30 Years Before Arctic Ice Time Capsule Was Found. It Took Just Two. commondreams.org People aboard the Russian icebreaker ship 50 Years of Victory in 2018 believed the time capsule they placed in ice in the Arctic Circle would stay there for at least three decades—and were shocked to learn this week that the container has already been uncovered. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/nasa_1.jpg …
(2020-11-05). Hefty fines for Twitter, Facebook & Google? Russian social media users ask state to punish US websites that censor Russian news. rt.com 
A group of Russian social media professionals have asked the Ministry of Communications to fine foreign companies who censor Russian media, after it was revealed that US tech giants have restricted around 20 Russian outlets. | In an open letter, the Association of Professional Users of Social Networks and Messengers (APPSIM) proposed a fine of 10 million rubles ($130,000) for the offending parties, with their sights set on American firms, such as Facebook, Google, and Twitter. | The notice cites data from Russia's federal censor, Roskomnadzor, which claims that the trio have blocked access to material from abo…
(2020-11-05). Brussels vs. Lukashenko: EU to impose additional sanctions on Minsk, targeting both President and his son, sources tell TASS. rt.com 
The EU has agreed to impose new sanctions against Belarusian officials, including President Alexander Lukashenko, three months after the country's controversial election, which the opposition claims was obviously rigged. | That's according to the sources of Moscow-based news agency TASS, which reported on Wednesday that permanent representatives of the 27 EU member states had agreed on a new set of measures against Minsk. In October, EU leaders announced sanctions on 40 Belarusian officials, but the list did not include Lukashenko. Thus far, they appear to have had little consequence, with the country's leader…
(2020-11-05). Kremlin says coronavirus situation 'tense but under control' as Omsk region health chief fired over shortage of beds. rt.com 
President Vladimir Putin's spokesman sought to reassure Russians on Thursday that the coronavirus pandemic in the country is under control. Meanwhile, a number of cities across the country are bracing for a rise in cases. | Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the president is aware of a number of failings of local healthcare systems, saying that "the epidemic is developing, and it is continuing. The situation is indeed very tense, but it is under control. Unfortunately, in some regions we see disruptions, the president knows about them and there is a system in place to respond to them." | The news comes as Russi…
(2020-11-05). Climate Crisis and Imperialism: The Unfair Demonization of the East. mronline.org 
Last week in the presidential debate, Donald Trump said "Look at China, how filthy it is. Look at Russia. Look at India. It's filthy. The air is filthy," when asked about his decision to pull out of the Paris Climate Accord.
(2020-11-05). How Trump, Hannity and Limbaugh Violated Election Law. counterpunch.org Conservative media celebrities Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh have flagrantly violated the federal election law prohibition of donating anything of value exceeding $2,800 to a presidential candidate. The ongoing strategic collaboration between Trump, Hannity and Limbaugh is obvious and has been widely documented in newspapers and books. Both Hannity and Limbaugh have collaborated with President
(2020-11-05). Belarusian Protests Are Spilling over into Poland but Warsaw Is Beginning to Blame Russia. globalresearch.ca Polish leaders at all levels continue to speak with enthusiasm about the need to fully support "peaceful protests" in Belarus and to help them morally and financially. However, with widespread protests across Poland now, the same national leaders are angrily …
(2020-11-05). Fukushima, the Nuclear Pandemic Spreads. globalresearch.ca It was not Covid, therefore the news went almost unnoticed: Japan will release over a million tons of radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea. The catastrophic incident in Fukushima was triggered by the Tsunami that …
(2020-11-05). US Elections 2020: A Who's Who of Joe Biden's Foreign Policy Team. globalresearch.ca Democratic nominee's advisers consist of many former Obama-era officials, some who helped craft the Iran nuclear deal, drone strikes programmes and sanctions on Syria and Libya | *** | As a two-term vice-president under President Barack Obama, Joe Biden played a leading …
(2020-11-05). Moldova set to hold second round of presidential polls on November 15. peoplesdispatch.org Among the eight candidates contesting the presidential polls in Moldova, pro-EU candidate Maia Sandu (36.1% votes) and incumbent pro-Russian president Igor Dodon (32.66% votes) qualified for the second round, scheduled for November 15…