(2020-10-13). Headlines for October 13, 2020. democracynow.org Dems Warn of Threat to ACA, Roe v. Wade, as Hearing Begins for Trump SCOTUS Nominee Amy Coney Barrett, Trump Returns to Campaigning as COVID Status Remains Unclear, COVID-19 Cases Soaring in Europe, Russia, as India Becomes Second Country to Hit 7 Million Cases, Johnson & Johnson Halts Vaccine Trials; More Evidence of Reinfection Revealed, GA Early Voters Face Long Lines; CA Officials Warn GOP over Illegal Drop Sites, Pascua Yaqui Tribe Sues in Arizona over Voter Suppression Efforts, WH Moves Forward with Taiwan Weapons Sales as U.S. Officials Tell Taiwan to Ramp Up Defense, Bangladeshi Government Approves Death…
(2020-10-13). US & 7 friendly nations sign Artemis Accords to carve up moon — but satellite is hard to reach without Russia's help. rt.com 
The US has signed a treaty with seven countries governing exploration and exploitation of the Moon and its resources. While many signatories never even landed there, Russia and China were — perhaps unsurprisingly — not invited. | The Artemis Accords, proposed in May to set reasonable boundaries for the growing number of countries eager to stake a claim to Earth's only satellite, have been officially
(2020-10-13). Trump Seeking New START Deal Pre-Election? globalresearch.ca Since taking office in January 2017, Trump has been a deal-breaker, not maker. | Hardliners surrounding him obstructed efforts to extend New START. | The last remaining Russia/US arms control agreement expires on February 5, 2021. | Unacceptable US demands on extending New …
(2020-10-13). Talking Tough and Carrying a Radioactive Stick. The Nuclearization of American Diplomacy. globalresearch.ca On August 21st, six nuclear-capable B-52H Stratofortress bombers, representing approximately
(2020-10-13). Olive Branches and Nuclear Bombs in Israel. strategic-culture.org According to the Christian website
(2020-10-12). The Russia Brokered Armenia-Azerbaijan Ceasefire. globalresearch.ca It was a diplomatic coup for Russia to broker a ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan since it restored Moscow's relevance to the conflict, but for as positive of a development as this was, it's uncertain whether it'll last and will …
(2020-10-12). A New Wall for a New Cold War? globalresearch.ca The head of the prestigious Munich Security Conference warned late last month against efforts to "build a new 'wall' between Russia and the West" in light of the Navalny incident and the many other disagreements between both sides, and while …
(2020-10-12). Nagorno-Karabakh: the bigger picture. thealtworld.com A tangled web of alliances and realignments is forming over the latest conflict in the Caucasus | The wars that have afflicted our 'Middle East' region incessantly since the start of the last century have taught us two things: that 'dormant' ethnic and religious conflicts can be reawakened at any moment; and when truces are agreed they prove unreliable and short-lived so long as the underlying causes are not tackled. | The breakdown of the Russian-brokered humanitarian cease-fire between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh — where hundreds have been killed and thousands displaced on both sides in the…
(2020-10-12). With Crushing Sanctions on 18 Iranian Banks, Is Trump Trying to Leave a War Behind for Biden? globalresearch.ca As the dying Trump administration, literally on a sickbed, contemplates losing power, its hawks are lashing out at Iran in an attempt to ensure that the 2015 international nuclear deal is dead and buried, and that the US and Iran …
(2020-10-12). The Nuclearization of American Diplomacy. counterpunch.org 
On August 21st, six nuclear-capable B-52H Stratofortress bombers, representing approximately one-seventh of the war-ready U.S. B-52H bomber fleet, flew from their home base in North Dakota to Fairford Air Base in England for several weeks of intensive operations over Europe. Although the actual weapons load of those giant bombers was kept secret, each of them is capable of carrying eight AGM-86B nuclear-armed, air-launched cruise missiles (ALCMs) in its bomb bay.
(2020-10-12). Siberian grandfather discovered alive just a week after reportedly 'dying' of Covid-19: family suing Russian authorities for compo. rt.com 
With over a million deaths, there are now countless people who know someone to have passed away from Covid-19. For one Russian family, mourning was followed by a shock, after their 'dead' relative turned out to be very much alive. | In the tiny Siberian village of Shabanovo, around 3,000km east of Moscow, an elderly pensioner was laid to rest in a closed coffin, after being hospitalized with coronavirus. Just a week later, the family received a call from the man's nursing home with news that their dead relative was, in fact, still living — and they had buried a different man. | According to the nursing ho…
(2020-10-12). 'We should not forget who started this stage of war': Armenian president points finger at Azerbaijan in exclusive RT interview. rt.com 
Armenian President Armen Sarkissian has insisted, in an exclusive interview with RT, that Azerbaijan initiated the latest round of clashes over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh, control of which is contested by Baku and Yerevan. | Sarkisian expressed hope that a Moscow-mediated ceasefire will hold despite ongoing problems on the ground. "We should not forget… who started this stage of war. It was the Azeri side, not the people of Nagorno-Karabakh," he old RT's Ilya Petrenko. | Inhabited mostly by ethnic Armenians, Nagorno-Karabakh seceded from Azerbaijan in 1991 and declared itself an independent republic af…
(2020-10-12). Manhunt underway after teenager SHOOTS HIS GRANDMOTHER then kills 3 innocent people at bus stop in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod. rt.com 
Police in central Russia are searching for an 18-year-old male after a shooting spree in a suburban town near Nizhny Novgorod on Monday. Three people were killed and three injured; one of the victims was the gunman's grandmother. | A police source told Moscow news agency TASS that the teenager, named as Daniil Monakhov, first had an argument with his grandmother, whom he wounded with a gunshot from a hunting weapon. He then killed a neighbor before opening fire on people at a nearby bus stop. | Cops believe Monakhov, who fled from the scene of the murders in a Kia car, is carrying two smoothbore shotguns, one…
(2020-10-12). 'We should not forget who started this stage of war': Armenian president on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in exclusive RT interview. rt.com Armenian President Armen Sarkissian told RT that Azerbaijan has initiated the latest round of clashes over Nagorno-Karabakh and expressed hope that the Moscow-mediated ceasefire will hold despite problems on the ground. | "We should not forget… who started this stage of war. It was the Azeri side, not the people of Nagorno-Karabakh," Sarkissian told RT's Ilya Petrenko in an interview. | Inhabited mostly by ethnic Armenians, Nagorno-Karabakh seceded from Azerbaijan in 1991 and declared itself an independent republic after the 1994 armistice. The government in Baku maintains that the region is an "occupied…
(2020-10-12). European Oil Companies Will Not Tolerate Poland's Attempt to Cancel Nord Stream 2. globalresearch.ca By handing out a ‚Ǩ6.5 billion fine against Gazprom, Warsaw has obviously and massively miscalculated because it did not only antagonize the Russian energy company as was intended, but also European partners of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project, which …
(2020-10-12). Militants Conduct 15 Attacks in Syria's Idlib De-Escalation Zone, Russian Military Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Terrorists has carried out 15 attacks in Syria's northern province of Idlib, the deputy head of the Russian Defense Ministry's Centre for Syrian Reconciliation said at a daily briefing on Monday.
(2020-10-12). Em Ghedi, Prepara-se a Nova Base para os F-35 Nucleares. globalresearch.ca No aeroporto militar de Ghedi (Brescia), està£o a inciar-se os trabalhos de construàßà£o da base operacional mais importante para os caàßas F-35A da Foràßa Aérea Italiana, armados com bombas nucleares. A empresa Matarrese spa, de Bari, que se adjudicou ao …
(2020-10-11). Several Observations About The Russian-Brokered Armenian-Azerbaijani Ceasefire. thealtworld.com It was a diplomatic coup for Russia to broker a ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan since it restored Moscow's relevance to the conflict, but for as positive of a development as this was, it's uncertain whether it'll last and will thus serve as a litmus test of exactly how much influence the Eurasian Great Power still holds over its "sphere of influence" in the South Caucasus. | Russia's Diplomatic Coup In The South Caucasus | The world is celebrating the Russian-brokered Armenian-Azerbaijani ceasefire which went into effect at noon on Saturday following over 10 hours of negotiations between Foreign Minister…
(2020-10-11). Heavy shelling and civilian casualties dash hopes for Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire. middleeasteye.net 
Heavy shelling and civilian casualties dash hopes for Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire | Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each other on Sunday of violating a Russian-brokered ceasefire | Sun, 10/11/2020 – 23: 06 | Nagorno-Karaback, an ethnic Armenian enclave inside Azerbaijan is home to 15,000 people (AFP) | A Russian-brokered ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan failed to hold on Sunday, with…
(2020-10-11). It's Time Nationalize Social Media And Big Tech. counterpunch.org 
On September 1, 2020, I received a direct message (DM) on Twitter from a reporter working with a mainstream outlet requesting comment. After a brief chat on the phone, I was informed that I was unwittingly caught up in a Russian-backed media operation, for a "publication" that had recently offered a writing opportunity. The "outlet"
(2020-10-11). As War Danger Mounts in the Arctic, Peace Hinges on a Revival of the Wallace Doctrine. strategic-culture.org 
According to the Department of Defense's dismally short sighted vision for the Arctic, U.S. strategic interests were best maintained not by cooperation with Arctic partners, by rather by belligerent sabre rattling under the guise of "competition" with nations who have continuously professed a desire to work with the west as allies. | In recent weeks, this belligerence has taken the form of a new forward posture of 150 advanced U.S. fighter jets to be housed at the Eielson Airforce Base in Alaska including a mix of F22 Raptors and F35 Lighting II jets only 600 miles away from the Russia border. Each fighter plane…
(2020-10-11). First reactor of Belarus' controversial Astravets nuclear power plant achieves criticality, Baltic states are outraged by project. rt.com 
The first of two Russian-built reactors at the new Belarusian nuclear power plant, at Astravets, is almost ready to go. Located near the border with Lithuania and Latvia, the Baltic states have fiercely opposed the project. | Along with Estonia, the pair have pledged to stop electricity trade with Minsk when the plant is finally operational. The Astravets nuclear power plant (known in Belarus as BelAes) is a joint project with Russia's state atomic energy corporation, Rosatom. On Sunday, the first chain reaction was launched at one of the VVER-1200 type reactors and sustained at the minimum controlled power le…
(2020-10-11). Iran's envoy reacts to IAEA chief's comments. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 11 (MNA) — Iran's Permanent Envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that considerable centrifugal and quality of nuclear materials have no place in the documents of IAEA.
(2020-10-11). S-300s, S-400s to Be Modified to Use Various Types of Missiles Simultaneously, Report Says. sputniknews.com Russia's air defence troops are equipped with at least 125 battalions of S-300s (about 1,500 launchers total) and 69 battalions of S-400s (552 launchers), with the latter expected to remain the most advanced road-mobile air defence system in Russia's arsenal until the arrival of the S-500 beginning next year.
(2020-10-10). Pelosi & husband invest up to $1 million in CrowdStrike, tech firm that launched Russiagate — report. rt.com 
Newly-filed financial disclosures show House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her husband have invested up to $1 million in CrowdStrike, American cybersecurity technology company and the originator of 'Russian hacking' claims. | Financial disclosures New from me: Financial disclosure forms show that Nancy and P…
(2020-10-10). Eyebrows raised as Lukashenko claims he 'saved' opposition candidate Tikhanovskaya, giving her $15,000 before she left Belarus. rt.com 
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has dropped a bombshell by claiming that former Presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya was provided with $15,000, by the state, right before she left for exile in Lithuania. | Speaking at a government meeting on Friday, Lukashenko explained that shortly after the election the leading opposition figure requested a meeting with the country's Interior Minister Yuri Karayev, asking him to allow her to leave Belarus. | The President's version of events is different from that put forward by Tikhanovskaya, and her supporters. After the disputed August 9 election, she q…
(2020-10-10). 'Western brand': more than 20 nations possess over 140 'Novichok'-type substances, Russian Foreign Ministry says. rt.com 
The notorious 'Novichok' nerve agent described as Russia's lethal weapon has been first presented to the world by Americans and has since been replicated by 20 of their allies, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. | The structure of a substance that has since been known to the world as 'Novichok' has been first unveiled by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology back in 1998 on the basis of the data provided by the Pentagon, the Russian Ministry said on Saturday, replying to yet another damning statement by the German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. | Over the years, the formula was used by Americans…
(2020-10-10). Belarus govt SAVED runaway candidate Tikhanovskaya by giving her $15,000 before she fled the country, Lukashenko claims. rt.com Presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya was provided with $15,000 by the Belarusian authorities right before she left the country for Lithuania after the August 9 election, President Alexander Lukashenko said. | Speaking at a government meeting on Friday, Lukashenko revealed that shortly after the election the opposition candidate requested a meeting with the country's Interior Minister Yuri Karayev, asking him to allow her to leave Belarus. | The president had said before that he tasked the country's special services with safeguarding Tikhanovskaya, as she perfectly fit the role of a potential "sacrific…
(2020-10-10). Belarus' Lukashenko meets JAILED opposition activists, talks constitutional reform. rt.com 
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has paid an unexpected visit to a detention center in Minsk, meeting incarcerated members of the so-called 'Coordination council of the opposition'. | The unusual move was reported by local media on Saturday, with a short video from the meeting emerging on social media later in the day. | Members of the opposition 'council' were detained over calls to overthrow the government amid the unrest that followed the contested August 9 presidential election. The activists are currently being held at the pre-trial detention center of the Belarus State Security Committee (KGB) i…
(2020-10-10). No end in sight? Armenia & Azerbaijan accuse each other of violations, minutes after Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire supposed to begin. rt.com 
A Russia-brokered ceasefire was supposed to end the fighting in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region at noon local time on Saturday, but Armenia and Azerbaijan both quickly reported continued attacks on each other's positions. | Yerevan's Defense Ministry spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan said that Baku launched an offensive into Nagorno-Karabakh five minutes after the ceasefire had supposedly commenced. She later added that Azerbaijani forces were shelling the town of Hadrut. | Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry, in the meantime, reported that "despite the ceasefire agreement" Armenia had launched attacks against sev…
(2020-10-10). Explosions reported in Nagorno-Karabakh, Baku accuses Armenia of shelling Azerbaijani town just hours into ceasefire. rt.com 
Azerbaijan and Armenia have accused each other of violating the ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh region late on Saturday. The capital of the self-proclaimed republic, Stepankert, has reportedly come under heavy shelling. | Azerbaijan, for its part, accused Armenia of striking the town of Terter with artillery fire. | RT correspondent Igor Zhdanov said alert sirens were heard in Stepankert, the capital of the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, late on Saturday. Several explosions — both in the air and on the ground — were observed in the city, he added. | ‚ö°Ô∏è&sbquo…
(2020-10-10). Russia Will Take Its COVID-19 Vaccine to Another LATAM Country. telesurenglish.net As a measure to counteract Bolivia's sanitary crisis, Sigma laboratory Friday sealed an alliance with Russia to produce and export to other Latin American countries a medicine for patients with COVID-19 and to distribute the new Russian vaccine 'Sputnik V'. | RELATED: | The Bolivian company Sigma Corp. will import the new Russian COVID-19 vaccine, which was announced to the world in August by President Vladimir Putin. | Sigma will also begin to produce in Bolivia the anti…
(2020-10-10). UN chief welcomes Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire. news.un.org UN Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed agreement on a ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone following talks held in Russia on Friday.
(2020-10-10). Rouhani, Putin discuss Nagorno-Karabakh over phone. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 10 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation on Saturday discussing the latest developments in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
(2020-10-10). Germany, France to sanction Russia over Navalny's alleged poisoning. wsws.org Nothing published by the OPCW and the imperialist powers on the poisoning of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny can be taken at face value.
(2020-10-09). Armenia and Russia Are Sending Each Other Strong Signals Through the CSTO. globalresearch.ca OneWorld is publishing the original English-language version of Andrew Korybko's analysis on the titular topic that was first released in Russian at the Moscow-Baku information portal. | *** | Armenia's decision to skip next week's CSTO drills in Belarus and the bloc's …
(2020-10-09). Nukes and North Korea: a New Direction. counterpunch.org 
North Korea's acquisition of nuclear weapons has changed the nuclear balance in Northeast Asia. But it hasn't altered the way politicians and diplomats approach the question of arms control and disarmament in the region. The debate among influencers continues to revolve around two versions of "more of the same." Containment advocates argue that North Korea
(2020-10-09). Danish politicians spoke for FORTY MINUTES with fake 'Svetlana Tikhanovskaya' via video link – 'animal brothels' were discussed. rt.com 
The Danish Parliament has revealed that a supposed online meeting featuring leading Belarusian opposition figure Svetlana Tikhanovskaya actually involved an unknown prankster, who spoke to them about "animal brothels." | In an embarrassing turn of events for Copenhagen, on Tuesday, a group of the country's MPs were taken for a ride for an entire 40 minutes before they realized something was wrong. And that was despite the obvious giveaway that the fake Tikhanovskaya could not appear on camera, citing technical difficulties. | According to local media, reality dawned after over half an hour of questioning, when…
(2020-10-09). 'Imagine': Ex-CIA director Brennan dreams of Navalny becoming president of Russia AND befriending Joe Biden. rt.com 
Apparently ditching all tradecraft, former CIA chief and godfather of Russiagate John Brennan "imagined" Joe Biden in the White House and Alexey Navalny in the Kremlin as part of a (partisan) birthday tribute to John Lennon. | "Imagine prospects for world peace, prosperity, and security if Joe Biden were president of the United States and Alexei Navalny the president of Russia," Brennan "We'll soon be half…
(2020-10-09). Do the Russians love their kitties too? Tourist buys entire train compartment to take pets cats on holiday to the Black Sea coast. rt.com 
Going on holiday, but have no one to take with you? For one indulgent Russian animal lover, that wasn't a problem, as they brought a bunch of furry friends along for the ride, at a cost of at least 12,000 rubles ($155) one-way.
(2020-10-09). "Reimagine and Reset Our World": "COVID-19, The Great Reset" by Klaus Schwab and Thierry Malleret. globalresearch.ca "In Russia we only had two TV channels. Channel One was propaganda. Channel Two consisted of a KGB officer telling you: Turn back at once to Channel One." ~ Yakov Smirnoff | Professor Klaus Schwab founded and runs the World Economic …
(2020-10-09). Nagorno-Karabakh: Armenia and Azerbaijan Agree To a Ceasefire. telesurenglish.net On Friday, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to a temporary ceasefire in the conflict of the bordering Nagorno-Karabakh region. | RELATED: | The ceasefire "will allow the exchange of prisoners of war, other people, and the bodies of the dead according to the criteria of the Committee of the International Red Cross (ICRC)," the official explained. | From Saturday, the hostilities…
(2020-10-09). Russia's Strategic Intervention in Syria Five Years On — An 'Unpardonable Blow' to U.S. Empire. strategic-culture.org Five years ago this month, Russia began conducting fateful military operations in Syria at the request of the government in Damascus. It was a momentous "turning point," as More than salvaging Syria from a nearly decade-long war — vitally important though that was — Russia's pivotal intervention also marked the strategic setback for a Western-b…
(2020-10-09). Russian, Armenian, Azerbaijani FMs hold talks in Moscow. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 09 (MNA) — A meeting of the Russian, Azerbaijani, and Armenian Foreign Ministers – Sergey Lavrov, Jeyhun Bayramov, and Zohrab Mnatsakanyan – has started in Moscow on Friday.
(2020-10-09). Baku, Yerevan Agree to Ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh After Negotiations in Moscow. sputniknews.com Amid the ongoing conflict in the unrecognized republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan were invited to Moscow to hold negotiations regarding a ceasefire and exchange of prisoners and the bodies of those killed.