Monthly Archives: September 2020

2020-09-28: News Headlines

Medea Benjamin (2020-09-28). Will Michele Flournoy Be the Angel of Death for the American Empire? zcomm.org Picking Michelle Flournoy to lead the Pentagon would be a tragic indication that Biden is truly hell-bent on squandering America's future on a debilitating arms race with China and Russia…

Raul Diego (2020-09-28). The Court of God: How a Catholic Secret Society Took Over SCOTUS. mintpressnews.com With his latest SCOTUS nomination, Trump advances the designs of a clique of ultra-conservatives with ties to a Catholic secret society and Cold War stalwarts leading the US to the brink of overt fascism.

RT (2020-09-28). Turkey hiring Syrian rebels to fight Armenians for Azerbaijan, Guardian claims as Baku calls mercenary reports 'nonsense'. rt.com Rebels from Syria's Idlib province are being recruited by Turkey to fight in Azerbaijan's conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, just as it has done in Libya, the Guardian reported citing several of the militants. | Idlib is Syria's northwestern province, and the last bastion of the Turkish-backed militants once hoping to effect regime change in Damascus. It is there the recruitment drive for Azerbaijan began a month ago, three rebels told the Guardian's Bethan McKernan. Two brothers from Azaz said they had been summoned to a camp in Afrin on September 13 and told by a commander in the Sultan Murad Divis…

RT (2020-09-28). Armenia warns it will deploy Russian-made Iskander missiles if Turkey uses American-built F-16 jets in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. rt.com Armenia is prepared to use Russian-made Iskander ballistic missiles in the Nagorno-Karabakh region if Turkey deploys its American-built F-16 fighter jets in support of the Azeri offensive, officials insisted on Monday. | However, Yerevan, while calling the F-16s a "Sword of Damocles" hanging over the people of the disputed enclave, said it hopes the situation won't escalate to that extent. | The Armenian ambassador to Russia Vardan Toganyan said on Monday that "all measures, including the Islanders," were on the table if Ankara deployed the jets. | However, he added, the time for that has not come yet. Accordi…

Ian Cobain (2020-09-28). EXCLUSIVE: UK government probing cyber-attack over Syria propaganda leaks. middleeasteye.net EXCLUSIVE: UK government probing cyber-attack over Syria propaganda leaks | Ministers alerted after hackers dump details of covert Foreign Office programmes online, with suspicion focusing on Russia | Mon, 09/28/2020 – 16: 22 | A Syrian rebel fighter pictured in 2016. British government contractors helped to run media offices for opposition groups, according to leaked documents (AFP) | Hackers have penetrat…

WSWS (2020-09-28). Armenian-Azeri conflict erupts in Caucasus, threatening wider war. wsws.org A war could spiral out of control and escalate into a broader conflict between Russia, Turkey and other NATO states, potentially involving nuclear weapons.

_____ (2020-09-28). Discredited Russian Bounty Story Exposes Media's Role In Status Quo. popularresistance.org It is an old journalistic trope: no one reads the correction … or the retraction. No matter how serious the error or profound the implications of the misreporting. Like, let's say the entire range of mainstream media took the word of unnamed intelligence sources as gospel and reported that the only other nuclear superpower — which supposedly rigged our last election, and runs our current president as an "asset" — had been offering Afghan militants bounties for the scalps of dead American soldiers.

sputniknews (2020-09-28). Armenian Ambassador Calls for OSCE Involvement in Nagorno-Karabakh Crisis. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Armenian Ambassador to Russia Vardan Toganyan expressed the belief that co-chairs of the Organization for Security and Co‚Äëoperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk group should quickly react to the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

sputniknews (2020-09-28). Kim Kardashian Urges Baku to Stop 'Offensive Uses of Force' Against Armenia, Asks For Int'l Measures. sputniknews.com On Sunday, an escalation unfolded along the contact line of Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian-majority autonomy that proclaimed independence from what then was the Soviet Azerbaijan Republic in 1991. Baku said that it launched a "counteroffensive", while the de facto state accused it of attacking civilians in Stepanakert.

sputniknews (2020-09-28). Despite Calls to Support Armenia, India Should Take Its Cues from Russia, Analysts Say. sputniknews.com Both Azerbaijan and Armenia have blamed each other for triggering the latest round of hostilities over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which has been disputed between the two countries since the 1980s. Major powers, including Russia, Iran, and the US, have called for defusing the tensions. Turkey, on the other hand, has backed Azerbaijan.

yenisafak (2020-09-28). Russian opp. leader says Merkel visited him in hospital. yenisafak.com Russia's opposition leader Alexey Navalny confirmed on Monday that German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited him in hospital in Berlin."The meeting did take place, but it shouldn't be referred as 'secret,' rather a private meeting and conversation with the family. I am very grateful to Chancellor Merkel for visiting me in the hospital," Navalny said on Twitter.Navalny, 44, a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, felt sick on Aug. 20 on a flight to Moscow. After an emergency landing in the Siberian city of Omsk, he spent two days in a Russian hospital before being sent to Berlin for treatment.After runn…

Nick Turse (2020-09-28). How a News Report on Hiroshima Helped Prevent Nuclear War. thenation.com How a News Report on Hiroshima Helped Prevent Nuclear War…

Lawrence Wittner (2020-09-27). Where Does the Democratic Party Stand on War, Peace, and International Relations? zcomm.org After nearly four years of the Trump administration, U.S. voters have a pretty good idea of the policies that the President and his Republican allies champion when it comes to America's dealings with other nations. These policies include massive increases in military spending, lengthy wars abroad, threats of nuclear war, withdrawal from climate and nuclear

RT (2020-09-27). Ethnic Armenian mega-star Kim Kardashian West weighs in on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, slams Azerbaijan for 'unprovoked attacks'. rt.com Celebrity businesswoman, and reality TV star, Kim Kardashian West, a fourth-generation Armenian-American, has tweeted her support for Armenia amid deadly border clashes with Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. | "Armenians in Artsakh have been attacked," Kardashian wrote on social media, using a historic name for Nagorno-Karabakh — a large Armenian-populated enclave inside Azerbaijan, which has been a bone of contention between Yerevan and Baku for three decades. | Armenia has been the victim of unprovoked attacks by Azerbaijan & the predictable disinformation campaign that accompanies t…

RT (2020-09-27). US condemns Nagorno-Karabakh violence 'in strongest terms', calls on Armenia & Azerbaijan to 'cease hostilities immediately'. rt.com The US Department of State has urged Azerbaijan and Armenia to "cease hostilities immediately," after Azeri forces launched an offensive on Nagorno-Karabakh. At the same time, the Kremlin has also demanded a halt to the fighting. | "The United States condemns in the strongest terms this escalation of violence," the State Department said in a press release on Sunday. Deputy Secretary Stephen Biegun called on both sides to "cease hostilities immediately, to use the existing direct communication links between them to avoid further escalation, and to avoid unhelpful rhetoric and actions." | Hostilities between Aze…

RT (2020-09-27). Azerbaijan follows bitter rival Armenia in announcing martial law after intense border clashes bring tensions to boiling point. rt.com Azerbaijan has introduced martial law and curfews, in several regions of the country, following an escalation of border hostilities with the disputed ethnic Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. The order comes into force on Monday. | Baku's move mirrors Yerevan's reaction to the crisis. The government of Armenia declared martial law and ordered the mobilization of reserve troops earlier on Sunday. Authorities in the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic did the same. | Deep-seated tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia exploded this weekend after the Azeri side launched a military operation against the Nago…

RT (2020-09-27). 16 ethnic Armenian troops killed & 100+ injured in clashes with Azeri military — Yerevan citing Nagorno-Karabakh officials. rt.com Officials in the disputed ethnic Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh reported on Sunday that 16 troops have been killed and over 100 injured while fighting against Azeri forces, according to the Defense Ministry in Yerevan. | The casualty report was relayed by Armenia after intense clashes on the border between Azerbaijan and soldiers from Nagorno-Karabakh. Non-combatants have been also drawn into the violence on both sides. Azerbaijan said 14 civilians were injured amid the fighting while the Armenian side reported two civilians killed and dozens injured. | "According to preliminary data, the Armenian side h…

RT (2020-09-27). Russia's Putin tells Armenian PM Pashinyan that all military action in disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region should be halted. rt.com Vladimir Putin told Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, on Sunday, that all efforts should be undertaken to stop the further escalation of fighting in Yerevan's dispute with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. | The Russian president said Moscow was concerned about the sudden eruption of violence and that he believes the immediate goal is to cease hostilities, the Kremlin said in a statement. The phone call between Putin and Pashinyan was made on the latter's initiative. | Earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called both his Azeri and Armenian counterparts to express Moscow'

RT (2020-09-27). Armenia to consider formal recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh independence after border clashes with Azerbaijan over disputed region. rt.com Yerevan may finally recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh, a large ethnic Armenian enclave it supports, inside Azerbaijan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said, on Sunday as clashes erupted between the neighbors. | "We are weighing all scenarios of possible developments," Pashinyan said. The prospect of Nagorno-Karabakh's independence must be considered very seriously and should be thoroughly discussed, he pointed out while speaking in the parliament. | Yerevan and Baku have been trading blame for the fresh outbreak of violence on Sunday. Armenia, which has introduced martial law on its territory, sai…

RT (2020-09-27). Information war cranks up as Azerbaijan & Armenia show more footage of alleged military victories in violent border flare-up. rt.com As Azerbaijan and Armenia lock horns on the battlefield over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, their media machines are rolling out videos, each purportedly showing the losses the opposing side suffered in Sunday's clashes. | Azerbaijan has launched a military operation against the forces of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, an ethnic Armenian enclave that broke away from Azerbaijan three decades ago. The so-called "counter offensive" was allegedly launched in response to shelling of Azeri troops by Armenian forces. However, Yerevan has denied this and said it was Azerbaijan who broke the ceasefire.

RT (2020-09-27). Watch DRONE FOOTAGE claiming to show Azeri strikes against air defense systems of ethnic Armenia forces in Nagorno-Karabakh. rt.com Footage of the "destruction of enemy's military equipment" has been released by Azerbaijan amid an offensive operation against the Armenia-backed disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. | The short video was apparently taken from surveillance drone footage and shows strikes against three entrenched military vehicles, each carrying small rotating radars. The targets appear to be a variation of the Soviet 9K33 Osa short-range anti-aircraft systems, but the quality of the video makes it difficult to identify them with certainty. | Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said the video exemplified its action against the dis…

_____ (2020-09-27). New Documents Further Unveil Democrat's 'Russiagate'. popularresistance.org A number of recent document releases shine new lights on 'Russiagate'. That conspiracy theory, peddled by the Obama administration, the Democratic Party aligned media and 'deep state' actors opposed to President Trump, alleged that Trump was in cahoots with Russia. The disinformation campaign had the purpose of sabotaging his presidency. | To some extent it has worked as intended. But due to the legal investigation of the whole affair much more is now known about those who conspired against Trump. Some of them are likely to end up in legal jeopardy.

Roger D. Harris (2020-09-27). New York Times Releases Sequel of Putin-the-Poisoner. dissidentvoice.org The New York Times released sequel six in the best-selling Putin-the-Poisoner series on September 22. The incredibly gifted junior G-men and women in the Times Tower have sleuthed yet another episode of boundless evildoing by the arch-villain Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. "The editorial board," we are informed, "is a group of opinion journalists whose views are …

Scott Ritter (2020-09-27). In refusing to extend New START, the US puts the world on the path of collective suicide. zcomm.org The US has embraced the notion that American security is predicated on a new generation of nuclear weaponry unconstrained by the limitations imposed by arms control agreements…

Frida Berrigan (2020-09-27). After 4 Decades of Plowshares Actions, It's Nuclear Warfare that Should Be on Trial — Not Activists. commondreams.org Phil Berrigan in front of a "wreckage of war" die-in at the River Entrance. Frida is half-visible behind to the left. Photo taken by Rick Reinhard on December 30, 1996. The banner reads, "The Pentagon Product Is War: Shut It Down." (Photo via Frida Berrigan) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/wreckageofwar.jpg

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-09-26). Renewed Scrutiny of US Nuclear Weapons Stockpile as Campaigners Mark Day to Rid World of 'Tools of Mass Human Death and Suffering'. commondreams.org "There is no cure for a nuclear war. Prevention is our only option." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/2020-day-elimination-nuclear-weapons.jpg

Andrew Korybko (2020-09-26). Eurasian Geopolitics: US' Hybrid War on Russian Energy Targets Germany, Belarus, and Bulgaria. globalresearch.ca The US is ruthlessly waging an intense Hybrid War on Russian energy interests in Europe by targeting the Eurasian Great Power's relevant projects in Germany, Belarus, and Bulgaria, banking on the fact that even the partial success of this strategy …

Juan Cole (2020-09-26). Russia tells Trump to Jump in Lake. zcomm.org Commits 80,000 Personnel to War drill alongside Iran, China…

Eds. (2020-09-26). The Sino-Russian alliance comes of age—Part 2. mronline.org The Russian diplomacy, which has a glorious tradition in modern history, does not make its moves accidentally or impulsively. The historical consciousness is intense.

RT (2020-09-26). Worrying times in Kiev as Ukraine hits daily record of Covid-19 cases, while infections in Russia also continue to rise. rt.com As Western European countries, such as the UK and France, face a likely second wave of Covid-19, Eastern Europe — less severely hit in spring — may be following in tow. Russia and Ukraine are now seeing an uptick in infections.

RT (2020-09-26). BBC apologizes after map showing Crimea as part of Russia prompts Ukrainian embassy backlash. rt.com The BBC has apologized after a map it used in a report on a deadly plane crash in Ukraine depicted Crimea as part of Russia, provoking anger from Ukrainian diplomats and social media commenters. | The The rest of the map was grey, including Crimea, which Kiev still considers part of Ukraine despite the peninsula rejoining Russia following a referendum in 2014. The Ukrainian authorities didn't re…

teleSUR, ce (2020-09-26). International Peace Forum Opposes US-Led New Cold War on China. telesurenglish.net Peace activists from China, the US, Britain, South Africa, India, Morocco, Bolivia and Belgium have come together for an international forum to discuss the US-led New Cold War and how to oppose it. | RELATED: | The event, organized by the No Cold War campaign, was chaired by Vijay Prashad, Director of the Tricontinental Institute and Kate Hudson, General Secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. | Deputy General Se…

_____ (2020-09-26). China and the Washington Oscars. strategic-culture.org Fred REED | As the presidential debates approach, and our grotesque candidates prepare to compete for Best Actor, with their supporting casts of pollsters, advance men, media shills, gestures coaches, focus groups, and allied technicians of mendacity, Americans of broad historical illiteracy, which is most of them, hear endlessly of the evils of China. Whether the evils exist doesn't matter. The electorate won't know the difference. Still, it might be amusing to think about the matter. How bad (as Ivanka would put it) is the Middle Kingston? | Permit me a more sanguine view than those of our leftover Cold Warrior…

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-26). AEOI promoting use of nuclear tech. in determined manner. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 26 (MNA) — Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) said that it is pursuing and promoting the use of nuclear technology in a precise and determined manner.

Max Parry (2020-09-26). The False Flag Poisoning of Alexei Navalny, aka 'Russia's Trump'. globalresearch.ca On August 20th, Russian opposition figure and self-styled "anti-corruption" activist Alexei Navalny fell seriously ill while in mid-flight from Tomsk, Siberia to the Russian capital. The Moscow-bound plane was abruptly re-routed to make an emergency landing in the Siberian city …

Olivia Alperstein (2020-09-26). Time to Put an End to the Nuclear Age. commondreams.org Mushroom cloud seconds after detonation of "the Gadget" by the U.S. military in 1945 at testing range in New Mexico. (Photo: Department of Defense) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/2020-ban-nukes.jpg

RT (2020-09-25). Russia has no xenophobia problem, Kremlin says, as poll shows 73% of Russians want restrictions on labor migrants. rt.com Russia has no issues with xenophobia, the Kremlin insisted on Friday. The statement came in response to a new study which discovered that 19 percent of citizens support the concept of "Russia for Russians." | Speaking to the press, President Vladimir Putin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said the government doesn't "encounter any problems" regarding the hatred of foreigners. | According to the Levada Center survey, the percentage of Russians believing the country should just be for ethnic Russians has fluctuated over the last 18 years. At its lowest point in July 2017, 10 percent of people held that opinion.

Ragip Soylu (2020-09-25). Tensions between Turkey and Russia rise in Idlib following failed talks. middleeasteye.net Tensions between Turkey and Russia rise in Idlib following failed talks | Turkish officials are preparing for the worst case scenario as talks in Ankara made clear that Moscow doesn't want a new deal | Fri, 09/25/2020 – 13: 06 | Smoke billows from the villages of Jabal al-Zawiya region in the northwest province of Idlib following shelling by pro-Syrian government forces on 15 September 2020 (AFP) | After…

Eve Ottenberg (2020-09-25). Provocation on the High Seas: U.S. Naval Adventures Near the Shores of Russia, China and Iran. counterpunch.org The war on terror is slowly ending. The U.S. military will try to keep bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, but with most troops gone in the next few years, the lives of the few who remain will be at constant risk. Pressure will mount to get those soldiers out. But Pentagon bureaucrats and brass are masters of institutional infighting, and, apparently, ignoring presidential orders they don't like, so who knows how that will turn out? One thing is sure: the military's focus has shifted, from the Middle East to Russia and China. That means U.S. soldiers and materiel will continue to be in places they shouldn't, in ever g…

RT (2020-09-25). 43-year-old Antonov military transport plane crashes in north-eastern Ukraine; killing 26, mostly young cadets (VIDEO). rt.com Ukrainian authorities have confirmed that the crash of an Antonov-26 plane, on Friday night, killed 26. Dramatic footage from the scene has surfaced online, showing the aircraft in flames as it lies by the side of the road. | The turboprop crashed as it was about to land at an airfield outside the town of Chuguev, close to Kharkov. According to information from the State Emergencies Service (SMS), in Kiev, 26 of the 27 people on board were killed, with one injured. The dead were mostly young cadets. | Two initial survivors managed to jump out of the doomed Antonov, before impact. However, one of them succumbed…

RT (2020-09-25). After an almost 30-year run, legendary-but-seedy Moscow nocturnal institution Night Flight is no longer 'doing it tonight'. rt.com Does the unexpected closure of a nightlife staple known as a place for "gentlemen" to pick up "professional" ladies, suggest that women in the Russian capital have been liberated enough to stop sleazy foreigners from running amok? | On the last day of March, one of Moscow's oldest — and most questionable — expat haunts, Night Flight, locked shut its heavily mirrored doors for the first time since they opened in 1991. The club was founded around the time of the Soviet collapse by Swedish businessmen Sonny Lundkvist and Hokan Polhammar, alongside their Russian partner Yury Giverts. It occupied a prime…

RT (2020-09-25). Good & bad news for bloggers: 40% of Russians watch or read them, but don't want their kids to join their ranks, new survey says. rt.com Seventy-five percent of Russians do not want their children or grandchildren to become bloggers, believing they are "parasitic" and "not serious," and spend too much time operating "in the virtual world," divorced from reality. | That's according to a new survey by state-owned pollster WCIOM, which revealed that almost half (46 percent) of the Russians who use the internet (86 percent) watch or read content by bloggers. Awareness of bloggers has blown up in the last three years, with just 14 percent now saying they have heard the word but don't know what it means. In 2017, this was the response of over a quart…

Stephen Lendman (2020-09-25). Trump Regime War on Cuba by Other Means. globalresearch.ca Unlawful US sanctions on nations, entities and individuals are weapons of war by other means. | Since taking office in January 2017, Trump imposed sanctions on numerous countries extrajudicially, including Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba….

Project Censored (2020-09-25). Episode 109 — RBG, The People's Party & RussiaGate with Jeremy Kuzmarov. projectcensored.org On today's episode, Nicholas Baham II (Dr. Dreadlocks), Janice Domingo, and Nolan Higdon discuss the life of RBG, The People's Party and RussiaGate with Jeremy Kuzmarov Along The Line is…

Kester Kenn Klomegah (2020-09-25). Mali Opens Its Doors to Russia. globalresearch.ca With strict pressure from the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the August coup leaders have installed an interim government that will run state affairs until next elections. Plucked from obscurity, the former Defense …

news.un (2020-09-25). 'Reverse course' towards full nuclear disarmament — UN chief. news.un.org On the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons marked on Saturday, the UN chief has underscored the need to "reverse course and return to a common path to nuclear disarmament".

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-25). Tehran-Moscow cooperating in producing COVID-19 vaccine. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 26 (MNA) — Iranian envoy to the Russian Federation said that Tehran and Moscow are cooperating in the field of producing the COVID-19 vaccine.

sputniknews (2020-09-25). Norway Negotiating to Resuscitate Cold War-Era Military Deal With US. sputniknews.com During the Cold War era, Norway received 300 US fighter jets and 8,000 military vehicles, free of charge. The total amount of US military aid to Norway reached $8.7 billion.

sputniknews (2020-09-25). 'I'm Coming': Biden Threatens 'Consequences' For Putin Amid Allegations of Election 'Interference'. sputniknews.com As the US presidential election approaches, the Democratic party is ramping up speculation about "Russian interference", with Moscow allegedly attempting to undermine the campaign of Democratic candidate Joe Biden.

yenisafak (2020-09-25). Iran, Russia discussing joint production of COVID-19 vaccine. yenisafak.com Iran and Russia's sovereign wealth fund RDIF are discussing the joint production of a vaccine against COVID-19, Russian news agencies cited the Iranian ambassador to Moscow as saying on Friday."We are holding talks, I spoke with the head of RDIF Kirill Dmitriev, our officials have held several rounds of consultations and we announced that we will co-operate," Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali was cited as saying.Thus far, Russia has struck a manufacturing partnership deal with India, which is due to produce 300 million doses of the 'Sputnik-V' vaccine domestically. It is also discussing such partnerships with sev…

2020-09-27: News Headlines

Scott Ritter (2020-09-27). In refusing to extend New START, the US puts the world on the path of collective suicide. zcomm.org The US has embraced the notion that American security is predicated on a new generation of nuclear weaponry unconstrained by the limitations imposed by arms control agreements…

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-09-26). Renewed Scrutiny of US Nuclear Weapons Stockpile as Campaigners Mark Day to Rid World of 'Tools of Mass Human Death and Suffering'. commondreams.org "There is no cure for a nuclear war. Prevention is our only option." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/2020-day-elimination-nuclear-weapons.jpg

Andrew Korybko (2020-09-26). Eurasian Geopolitics: US' Hybrid War on Russian Energy Targets Germany, Belarus, and Bulgaria. globalresearch.ca The US is ruthlessly waging an intense Hybrid War on Russian energy interests in Europe by targeting the Eurasian Great Power's relevant projects in Germany, Belarus, and Bulgaria, banking on the fact that even the partial success of this strategy …

M.K. Bhadrakumar (2020-09-26). The Sino-Russian Alliance Comes of Age — Part 3. mronline.org Soon after becoming the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping is known to have spoken about the former Soviet Union. The first time was in December 2012, when, in comments to party functionaries, he reportedly remarked that China still had to "profoundly remember the lesson of the Soviet collapse."

Juan Cole (2020-09-26). Russia tells Trump to Jump in Lake. zcomm.org Commits 80,000 Personnel to War drill alongside Iran, China…

Eds. (2020-09-26). The Sino-Russian alliance comes of age—Part 2. mronline.org The Russian diplomacy, which has a glorious tradition in modern history, does not make its moves accidentally or impulsively. The historical consciousness is intense.

RT (2020-09-26). Worrying times in Kiev as Ukraine hits daily record of Covid-19 cases, while infections in Russia also continue to rise. rt.com As Western European countries, such as the UK and France, face a likely second wave of Covid-19, Eastern Europe — less severely hit in spring — may be following in tow. Russia and Ukraine are now seeing an uptick in infections.

RT (2020-09-26). BBC apologizes after map showing Crimea as part of Russia prompts Ukrainian embassy backlash. rt.com The BBC has apologized after a map it used in a report on a deadly plane crash in Ukraine depicted Crimea as part of Russia, provoking anger from Ukrainian diplomats and social media commenters. | The The rest of the map was grey, including Crimea, which Kiev still considers part of Ukraine despite the peninsula rejoining Russia following a referendum in 2014. The Ukrainian authorities didn't re…

teleSUR, ce (2020-09-26). International Peace Forum Opposes US-Led New Cold War on China. telesurenglish.net Peace activists from China, the US, Britain, South Africa, India, Morocco, Bolivia and Belgium have come together for an international forum to discuss the US-led New Cold War and how to oppose it. | RELATED: | The event, organized by the No Cold War campaign, was chaired by Vijay Prashad, Director of the Tricontinental Institute and Kate Hudson, General Secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. | Deputy General Se…

_____ (2020-09-26). China and the Washington Oscars. strategic-culture.org Fred REED | As the presidential debates approach, and our grotesque candidates prepare to compete for Best Actor, with their supporting casts of pollsters, advance men, media shills, gestures coaches, focus groups, and allied technicians of mendacity, Americans of broad historical illiteracy, which is most of them, hear endlessly of the evils of China. Whether the evils exist doesn't matter. The electorate won't know the difference. Still, it might be amusing to think about the matter. How bad (as Ivanka would put it) is the Middle Kingston? | Permit me a more sanguine view than those of our leftover Cold Warrior…

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-26). AEOI promoting use of nuclear tech. in determined manner. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 26 (MNA) — Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) said that it is pursuing and promoting the use of nuclear technology in a precise and determined manner.

Max Parry (2020-09-26). The False Flag Poisoning of Alexei Navalny, aka 'Russia's Trump'. globalresearch.ca On August 20th, Russian opposition figure and self-styled "anti-corruption" activist Alexei Navalny fell seriously ill while in mid-flight from Tomsk, Siberia to the Russian capital. The Moscow-bound plane was abruptly re-routed to make an emergency landing in the Siberian city …

Olivia Alperstein (2020-09-26). Time to Put an End to the Nuclear Age. commondreams.org Mushroom cloud seconds after detonation of "the Gadget" by the U.S. military in 1945 at testing range in New Mexico. (Photo: Department of Defense) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/2020-ban-nukes.jpg

RT (2020-09-25). Russia has no xenophobia problem, Kremlin says, as poll shows 73% of Russians want restrictions on labor migrants. rt.com Russia has no issues with xenophobia, the Kremlin insisted on Friday. The statement came in response to a new study which discovered that 19 percent of citizens support the concept of "Russia for Russians." | Speaking to the press, President Vladimir Putin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said the government doesn't "encounter any problems" regarding the hatred of foreigners. | According to the Levada Center survey, the percentage of Russians believing the country should just be for ethnic Russians has fluctuated over the last 18 years. At its lowest point in July 2017, 10 percent of people held that opinion.

Eve Ottenberg (2020-09-25). Provocation on the High Seas: U.S. Naval Adventures Near the Shores of Russia, China and Iran. counterpunch.org The war on terror is slowly ending. The U.S. military will try to keep bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, but with most troops gone in the next few years, the lives of the few who remain will be at constant risk. Pressure will mount to get those soldiers out. But Pentagon bureaucrats and brass are masters of institutional infighting, and, apparently, ignoring presidential orders they don't like, so who knows how that will turn out? One thing is sure: the military's focus has shifted, from the Middle East to Russia and China. That means U.S. soldiers and materiel will continue to be in places they shouldn't, in ever g…

Ragip Soylu (2020-09-25). Tensions between Turkey and Russia rise in Idlib following failed talks. middleeasteye.net Tensions between Turkey and Russia rise in Idlib following failed talks | Turkish officials are preparing for the worst case scenario as talks in Ankara made clear that Moscow doesn't want a new deal | Fri, 09/25/2020 – 13: 06 | Smoke billows from the villages of Jabal al-Zawiya region in the northwest province of Idlib following shelling by pro-Syrian government forces on 15 September 2020 (AFP) | After…

RT (2020-09-25). 43-year-old Antonov military transport plane crashes in north-eastern Ukraine; killing 26, mostly young cadets (VIDEO). rt.com Ukrainian authorities have confirmed that the crash of an Antonov-26 plane, on Friday night, killed 26. Dramatic footage from the scene has surfaced online, showing the aircraft in flames as it lies by the side of the road. | The turboprop crashed as it was about to land at an airfield outside the town of Chuguev, close to Kharkov. According to information from the State Emergencies Service (SMS), in Kiev, 26 of the 27 people on board were killed, with one injured. The dead were mostly young cadets. | Two initial survivors managed to jump out of the doomed Antonov, before impact. However, one of them succumbed…

RT (2020-09-25). After an almost 30-year run, legendary-but-seedy Moscow nocturnal institution Night Flight is no longer 'doing it tonight'. rt.com Does the unexpected closure of a nightlife staple known as a place for "gentlemen" to pick up "professional" ladies, suggest that women in the Russian capital have been liberated enough to stop sleazy foreigners from running amok? | On the last day of March, one of Moscow's oldest — and most questionable — expat haunts, Night Flight, locked shut its heavily mirrored doors for the first time since they opened in 1991. The club was founded around the time of the Soviet collapse by Swedish businessmen Sonny Lundkvist and Hokan Polhammar, alongside their Russian partner Yury Giverts. It occupied a prime…

RT (2020-09-25). Good & bad news for bloggers: 40% of Russians watch or read them, but don't want their kids to join their ranks, new survey says. rt.com Seventy-five percent of Russians do not want their children or grandchildren to become bloggers, believing they are "parasitic" and "not serious," and spend too much time operating "in the virtual world," divorced from reality. | That's according to a new survey by state-owned pollster WCIOM, which revealed that almost half (46 percent) of the Russians who use the internet (86 percent) watch or read content by bloggers. Awareness of bloggers has blown up in the last three years, with just 14 percent now saying they have heard the word but don't know what it means. In 2017, this was the response of over a quart…

Stephen Lendman (2020-09-25). Trump Regime War on Cuba by Other Means. globalresearch.ca Unlawful US sanctions on nations, entities and individuals are weapons of war by other means. | Since taking office in January 2017, Trump imposed sanctions on numerous countries extrajudicially, including Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba….

news.un (2020-09-25). 'Reverse course' towards full nuclear disarmament — UN chief. news.un.org On the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons marked on Saturday, the UN chief has underscored the need to "reverse course and return to a common path to nuclear disarmament".

Kester Kenn Klomegah (2020-09-25). Mali Opens Its Doors to Russia. globalresearch.ca With strict pressure from the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the August coup leaders have installed an interim government that will run state affairs until next elections. Plucked from obscurity, the former Defense …

Project Censored (2020-09-25). Episode 109 — RBG, The People's Party & RussiaGate with Jeremy Kuzmarov. projectcensored.org On today's episode, Nicholas Baham II (Dr. Dreadlocks), Janice Domingo, and Nolan Higdon discuss the life of RBG, The People's Party and RussiaGate with Jeremy Kuzmarov Along The Line is…

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-25). Tehran-Moscow cooperating in producing COVID-19 vaccine. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 26 (MNA) — Iranian envoy to the Russian Federation said that Tehran and Moscow are cooperating in the field of producing the COVID-19 vaccine.

sputniknews (2020-09-25). Norway Negotiating to Resuscitate Cold War-Era Military Deal With US. sputniknews.com During the Cold War era, Norway received 300 US fighter jets and 8,000 military vehicles, free of charge. The total amount of US military aid to Norway reached $8.7 billion.

sputniknews (2020-09-25). 'I'm Coming': Biden Threatens 'Consequences' For Putin Amid Allegations of Election 'Interference'. sputniknews.com As the US presidential election approaches, the Democratic party is ramping up speculation about "Russian interference", with Moscow allegedly attempting to undermine the campaign of Democratic candidate Joe Biden.

yenisafak (2020-09-25). Iran, Russia discussing joint production of COVID-19 vaccine. yenisafak.com Iran and Russia's sovereign wealth fund RDIF are discussing the joint production of a vaccine against COVID-19, Russian news agencies cited the Iranian ambassador to Moscow as saying on Friday."We are holding talks, I spoke with the head of RDIF Kirill Dmitriev, our officials have held several rounds of consultations and we announced that we will co-operate," Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali was cited as saying.Thus far, Russia has struck a manufacturing partnership deal with India, which is due to produce 300 million doses of the 'Sputnik-V' vaccine domestically. It is also discussing such partnerships with sev…

Binoy Kampmark (2020-09-24). Assange on Trial: Suicide, Hallucinations and Psychological Torture. counterpunch.org Day 11. Central Criminal Court, London. The prosecutors in the Julian Assange case did their show trial predecessors from other legal traditions proud. The ghosts of such figures as Soviet state prosecutor Andrey Vyshinsky, would have approved of the line of questioning taken by James Lewis QC: suggest that Assange, accused of 17 counts of

A. Majumdar (2020-09-24). PDF of September 24 issue. workers.org Download the 12-page PDF. Whistleblower: ICE abuses detainees ALSO: Migrant caravan for residency; Defend BLM activist lawyers; Trump, Biden, and U.S. decline; 'Free Palestine' webinar; U.S. Cold War vs TikTok; Is Marxism still relevant? WORKERS ORGANIZE: Illinois; North Carolina. WORLD: Editorial: Ginsburg & SCOTUS. WORLD: Belarus; Bolivia. TEAR DOWN THE . . . |

Anthony Cartalucci (2020-09-24). Nations Should Begin Removing Facebook, Twitter, and Google from Their Information Space. thealtworld.com Legal options are a start. The ultimate goal should be replacing Facebook, Twitter, and Google with local alternatives like Russia, China, and many other nations are already doing. | The Thai government has begun legal proceedings against US-based social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and Google. This comes at a time when nations around the globe have begun pushing back against the abusive American tech firms and their role in advancing US foreign policy and in particular, illegal US interventions including war. | Not only are these US-based tech companies refusing to follow Thai laws regarding sedi…

RT (2020-09-24). Russia now testing Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine on elderly & other high-risk groups as part of third phase trials. rt.com Russia has started clinical trials of its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine on volunteers from high risk groups, including the elderly. The formula is currently in its final phase of tests, before planned mass distribution. | Developed by Moscow's Gamaleya Institute of Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, Sputnik V is the first registered Covid-19 vaccine in the world. It has already been through the first two phases of clinical trials and is due to be eventually tested on 40,000 Muscovites. Previous trial stages in the summer only accepted volunteers between the ages of 18 to 60, but the third phase…

RT (2020-09-24). Russian Embassy in US tells Washington to focus on fighting Covid-19, rather than bashing Russia's pioneering Sputnik V vaccine. rt.com The Russian Embassy in Washington issued a sharp rebuke of the US government on Thursday, telling them to "save American lives (and) fight Covid19 , not Russian Vaccines (being prepared to fight the killer pandemic)." | The comments were made in response to a US Department of State press briefing which had seemed to cast doubt over the effectiveness of coronavirus formulas developed in Russia. | The official Twitter account for the Russian Embassy in the USA warned the government not to "try to downplay President Putin's constructive proposal to hold an online top-level conference shortly for countries interes…

Global Research News (2020-09-24). Selected Articles: "Second Wave" Faked on False-Positive COVID Tests. globalresearch.ca By The confrontation with Russia and the decision to boost America's military presence in Syria is but a microcosm of America's wider struggle to maintain its invasive primacy over the …

Stephen Lendman (2020-09-24). Russia Intends Military Cooperation with Iran When UN Arms Embargo Expires. globalresearch.ca On issues related to the JCPOA nuclear deal and expiring UN arms embargo on Iran next month, the Trump regime is isolated on the world stage. | Commenting on its unlawful imposition of what it called "snapback" sanctions on Iran, its …

Finian Cunningham (2020-09-24). Xi, Putin Vow Peaceful Progress as Trump Bristles With Backward Belligerence. thealtworld.com How fitting on the 75th anniversary of establishing the United Nations after the defeat of fascism and the birth of multilateralism, we should revisit that fateful watershed through the contemporary words of current world leaders. Either we go forward cooperatively and peacefully, or we descend into barbarism — again. | Donald Trump, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin were among world leaders who addressed the United Nations' general assembly this week marking the 75th anniversary of the organization's founding. On display were two visions: one regressive and reactionary delivered by Trump; the other promoting a…

_____ (2020-09-24). One Hundred Seconds Till The Apocalypse. popularresistance.org Since 1947, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has adjusted its Doomsday Clock to provide humanity with an expert estimate of just how close all of us are to an apocalyptic "midnight" — that is, nuclear annihilation. A century ago, there was, of course, no need for such a measure. Back then, the largest explosion ever caused by humans had likely occurred in Halifax, Canada, in 1917, when a munitions ship collided with another vessel, in that city's harbor. That tragic blast killed nearly 2,000, wounded another 9,000, and left 6,000 homeless, but it didn't imperil the planet.

Tony Cartalucci (2020-09-24). America's Broken Syria Project. globalresearch.ca A recent altercation between Russian forces and US occupiers in northeastern Syria helped highlight the increasingly tenuous position Washington holds not only in Syria but across the entire Middle East. | After attempting to block Russian military vehicles, US forces found …

teleSUR (2020-09-24). Cuba and Russia Strengthen Commercial and Financial Ties. telesurenglish.net The Deputy Prime Minister of Cuba, Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz, held a diplomatic meeting with various authorities of the Russian government and business people of that country to strengthen bilateral relations. | During their tour of the Eurasian nation, the Cuban authorities spoke with the directors of the GAZ Group and the real estate investment company, Sinara Group. | RELATED: | The First Vice-minister of Foreign T…

_____ (2020-09-24). VIDEO: The Propaganda Campaign Against Russia Is Gathering Momentum. strategic-culture.org Russia does everything that any normal sovereign power should do. The problem is that Washington doesn't want any competition for their global monopoly on power. Watch the video and read more in the

sputniknews (2020-09-24). Sweden Accuses Russian, Danish Ships of Violating Its Waters. sputniknews.com According to Swedish Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist, who called the violations "unacceptable", the alleged Russian intrusion happened on 14 September near Gothenburg and lasted 11 minutes. By contrast, no details of the Danish one were provided.

Staff (2020-09-24). We Are Closer to Nuclear Annihilation Than We Have Ever Been. truthout.org Whether you're reading this with your morning coffee, just after lunch, or on the late shift in the wee small hours of the morning, it's 100 seconds to midnight. That's just over a minute and a half. And that should be completely unnerving. It's the closest to that witching hour we've ever been. | Since 1947, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has adjusted its Doomsday Clock to provide humanity with an expert estimate of just how close all of us are to an apocalyptic "midnight" — that is, nuclear an…

yenisafak (2020-09-24). Iran 'coordinates steps in Syria with Russia, Turkey'. yenisafak.com The Syrian issue requires an exceptional strategy, and Iran coordinates its steps in Syria with Russia and Turkey, the Iranian foreign minister said Thursday."There are serious problems in our region," Javad Zarif told Iranian media during his visit to the Russian capital Moscow."Syrian issue requires special coordination. We coordinate our steps with Turkey and Russia in Syria under Astana process."The Astana peace process to end the Syrian conflict was launched in January 2017 by Turkey, Russia, and Iran.Since the eruption of the bloody civil war in Syria in 2011, thousands of people died, millions fled the cou…

yenisafak (2020-09-24). Russia's Lavrov, WHO Europe chief discuss virus fight. yenisafak.com Russia's foreign minister and the World Health Organization's (WHO) Europe director discussed the fight against COVID-19 in a meeting, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.Sergey Lavrov and Hans Kluge met on Sept. 23 to discuss Russia and the WHO's cooperation, paying special attention to the coronavirus situation, the ministry said in a statement on its website."Mutual interest in developing cooperation was confirmed, and plans were considered to assist countries in the region in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and other health challenges," the statement said.Lavrov conveyed Russia's support for…

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2020-09-24). Developing Countries Ask If People Will 'Be Left to Die' as US, Russia, and China Snub Global Covid-19 Vaccine Effort. commondreams.org "Nationalism and isolationism in the face of a pandemic are, as far as we are concerned, a prescription for failure." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/dr_adhanom.jpg

RT (2020-09-23). 'Jesus of Siberia,' cult leader 'Vissarion' found in possession of weapons, cash, jewellery, & adult toys during police raid. rt.com When cops busted Siberia's answer to Christ this week, they discovered plenty of items unbecoming of a self-proclaimed 'Son of God.' Officers found weapons, money and even adult toys in the sect leader's stash of worldly goods. | The haul was uncovered at the cult's compound in Siberia's Krasnoyarsk Region, as contemporary 'Messiah' Sergey Torop was being arrested and charged with "creating a religious association whose activities involve violence against citizens." | Two other members of the sect were arrested alongside its founder on Tuesday, on suspicion of causing "serious harm" to their followers. On top…

RT (2020-09-23). Moderna, Pfizer & AstraZeneca seek urgent approval for their shots, just what Sputnik V was attacked for — don't expect a backlash. rt.com Competitors in the Covid-19 vaccine race are publishing clinical protocols in hopes of securing lucrative emergency approval, which Russia's Sputnik V was previously attacked for seeking. This time, however, the media are quiet. | The frontrunners in the US and western Europe's quest to develop a coronavirus vaccine — Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Moderna — have published their trial protocols in response to growing public unease over the rapid rollout of the promised coronavirus magic bullet. They reveal an overwhelming emphasis on being first to secure emergency approval from the relevant regulators, su…

Peter Koenig (2020-09-23). Iran — US Sanctions — Unilateralism — Turning the Clock Back to Before the Nuclear Deal. globalresearch.ca Background | Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has slammed US sanctions against his country, saying they are a flagrant violation of the UN charter. | In an address to the UN General Assembly, Rouhani said the Iranian nation successfully withstood the US maximum …

Stephen Lendman (2020-09-23). Navalny Incident a US Plot to Block Nord Stream 2's Completion? globalresearch.ca When completed and operational, Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline to Germany will double the amount of natural gas Gazprom will be able to supply the country and other European ones — at around a 30% lower cost than US LNG….

_____ (2020-09-23). US Bully In Last Chance Saloon. popularresistance.org US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced this week the reimposition of international sanctions against Iran. Trouble is nobody is listening to Washington's remonstrations any longer. Not only has the emperor no clothes, he's lost bullying power too. | The Trump administration asserts it has the legal right to invoke "snapback" UN sanctions on Iran over Washington's baseless allegations that Tehran is in breach of the 2015 international nuclear accord. This is in spite of the fact that the American side forfeited its legal rights when it unilaterally quit the nuclear deal in May 2018.