Daily Archives: October 18, 2020

2020-10-18: News Headlines

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-10-18). 'The Emails Are Russian' Will Be The Narrative, Regardless Of Facts Or Evidence. thealtworld.com Like the Russian hacking narrative, the Trump-Russia collusion narrative, the Russian bounties in Afghanistan narrative, and any other evidence-free framing of events that simultaneously advances pre-planned cold war agendas, is politically convenient for the Democratic party and generates clicks and ratings, the narrative that the New York Post publication of Hunter Biden's emails is a Russian operation is going to be hammered and hammered and hammered until it becomes the mainstream consensus. This will happen regardless of facts and evidence, up to and including rock solid evidence that Hunter Biden's emails w…

Richard Gale (2020-10-18). Playing Russian Roulette with a COVID-19 Vaccine. globalresearch.ca America, we need to have a conversation. It is a very serious and dire conversation that has been intentionally ignored and swept under the rug for far too long. It concerns a dialogue that our entire mainstream media, in its …

Andrew Korybko (2020-10-17). Why Wasn't There Any Post-Election Turmoil in Tajikistan? globalresearch.ca Unlike fellow former Soviet Republics Belarus and even neighboring Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan's latest elections didn't result in any turmoil even though one might have expected it to have due to some similarly discernible risk factors, but that wasn't the case (at …

MEE and agencies (2020-10-17). US condemns Turkey over reported test of Russian S-400 missile system. middleeasteye.net US condemns Turkey over reported test of Russian S-400 missile system | Ankara refuses to confirm or deny reports that it has tested the controversial air defence system near the Black Sea | Sat, 10/17/2020 – 10: 32 | Washington fears the S-400 could be used to gain intelligence on US weaponry (Reuters) | The United States condemned Turkey on Friday after reports emerged that Ankara had te…

RT (2020-10-17). India gives go-ahead to domestic trial of Russia's pioneering 'Sputnik V' Covid-19 vaccine. rt.com India's vaccines regulator has given the green light for a clinical study of the Russia-developed Covid-19 vaccine. Similar trials of the formulation are underway in Russia itself and in some other nations. | The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), a department in India's drug regulator that is responsible for licensing vaccines, has given its approval for a domestic clinical study of the Russian candidate vaccine dubbed "Sputnik V," Indian and Russian partners have announced in a joint statement. The "multi-center and randomized controlled study" will be conducted by Dr Reddy's Laboratories, a Hyderabad…

Noam Chomsky (2020-10-17). The President, the Pandemic & the Election. zcomm.org The urgent problem of overcoming the existential crises—global warming, nuclear war, pandemics—has to be done within the general framework of existing institutions. We can improve them. But you won't be able to overcome them in the relevant time frame…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-17). Fishermen oppose release of contaminated water from Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan. peoplesdispatch.org The company which operates the plant, Tokyo Electric Power, has collected over 1.23 million tons of contaminated water since the collapse of the nuclear plant in 2011…

_____ (2020-10-17). The "Non-Aligned" Nations Realign. popularresistance.org In 1955 the US and the Soviet Union were in the midst of the Cold War. Both countries were pressuring Asian and African countries to align with them. In April of 1955, twenty-nine of these countries met in Bandung, Indonesia for the first Bandung (Asian-African) Conference. Most of the countries that attended were in the process of emerging from the shackles of colonial rule. | They met to address their common problems; sovereignty, political self-determination, non-aggression and equality.

_____ (2020-10-17). Why Conflict in Caucasus Is Erdogan's Revenge for Syria. strategic-culture.org Turkey's outsize role in fueling the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan is becoming more apparent. That's why a peace deal will be hard to cut and indeed the conflict may blow up further into a protracted regional war. A war that could drag Russia into battling in the Caucasus on its southern periphery against NATO proxies. | In a phone call this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan

sputniknews (2020-10-17). Tehran Declares Arms Embargo Lifted, Iran Free to Procure, Export Arms as Sees Fit. sputniknews.com In 2015, Iran signed the JCPOA with China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany and the European Union, requiring Iran to scale back its nuclear program and severely downgrade its uranium reserves in exchange for sanctions relief, including lifting the arms embargo five years after the deal's adoption.

sputniknews (2020-10-17). Russia to Respond to US Deployment of Missiles in Asia-Pacific Region, Ambassador Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Moscow will adequately respond to Washington's deployment of intermediate and short-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific region (APAC), Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said.

Manlio Dinucci (2020-10-17). Il virus nucleare di cui nessuno parla — intervista a Manlio Dinucci, giornalista. globalresearch.ca Trasmissione radiofonica. | Conducono in studio Mauro Caruso e Ludovica Di Chiara …

Scott Ritter (2020-10-16). Washington's 'no' to Putin's proposal of a New START extension is a political victory for Moscow. thealtworld.com Putin intervened to state clearly and directly that a one-year extension of the New START treaty was the only option. The White House declined, setting the stage for a new arms race should Trump win in November. | Less than a week after US-Russian talks on the future of the New START treaty collapsed — amid recriminations from both sides stemming from a misunderstanding, whether deliberate or otherwise, regarding Moscow's position — President Vladimir Putin intervened in a high-profile bid to inject both clarity and a sense of urgency about the future viability of the last remaining arms control agree…

RT (2020-10-16). Russian population to fall by 1.2 million by 2024, wiping around 1% off the country's total, says latest government estimates. rt.com The population of Russia is predicted to drop by 352,500 people this year, and could be reduced by a total of 1.2 million come 2024. The latest figures are a major revision of the 2020 dip of only 158,000 projected in August.

RT (2020-10-16). US threatens 'serious consequences' if Turkey puts into operation its Russian S-400 missile systems. rt.com The US State Department has warned the Turkish government of "potential serious consequences" to the two nations' security relationship should reports of Ankara testing the Russian S-400 air defense systems prove true. | "If confirmed, we would condemn in the strongest terms the S-400 test missile launch as incompatible with Turkey's responsibilities as a NATO ally and strategic partner of the United States," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said on Friday. | Ortagus insisted that the air defense system "should not be operationalized," adding, "We have also been clear on the potential serious conseq…

RT (2020-10-16). 'Putin's proposal a non-starter': White House rejects Russian call to extend nuclear arms control treaty. rt.com Washington has refused President Vladimir Putin's offer to extend New START, the last remaining arms control treaty between the US and Russia, for one year without any preconditions. | "President Putin's response today to extend New START… is a non-starter," the US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien said in response to Moscow's offer, adding that Washington hopes Russia "will reevaluate its position before a costly arms race ensues." | (2/3) This would have been a win for both sides, and we believed the Russians were willing to accept this proposal when I met with my counterpart in Geneva. President Pu…

_____ (2020-10-16). Priest Sentenced To 33 Months For Protesting Nuclear Weapons. popularresistance.org Fifteen supporters in a carefully Covid masked and distanced courtroom witnessed Father Steve Kelly receive a sentence of 33 months today. After a 20 minute delay to get the telephone conference line working and properly muted 160 people listened in to the proceedings on the audio link. | Fr. Steve's sentence falls in the middle of the proposed guidelines and will likely allow his release from the Glynn County Detention Center where he is presently being detained 30 months after the action.

_____ (2020-10-16). Why You Won't Find Us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. strategic-culture.org Dear readers of the Strategic Culture Foundation website, | In September 2020, the Strategic Culture Foundation was banned from Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube following unsubstantiated claims that it was connected with Russian intelligence services and interfered in the US presidential elections on their orders. It means that you can't find us on these platforms and, moreover, if you try to post any links leading to SCF on your personal page, you will most likely not be allowed to do that. This case provides a glimpse into the dystopian future of suppressing dissident voices by governments previously known as dem…

sputniknews (2020-10-16). UK Supports Efforts to Extend New START Between US, Russia, Foreign Office Says. sputniknews.com LONDON (Sputnik) – The United Kingdom supports the efforts to extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between Russia and the United States, a spokesman for the Foreign Office said on Saturday.

sputniknews (2020-10-16). 2016 Plot to Install Biden Plus a Tale of Two Town Halls. sputniknews.com On today's episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan discussed current events, including the Democrats' plot to install Biden, the beheading of a teacher in Paris, Savannah Guthrie's town hall performance, the desecration of an altar in Louisiana, a drone strike in Idlib, and the latest on the START nuclear treaty.

sputniknews (2020-10-16). Roman Catholic Priest to Be Released Following 2018 Activist Break-in at Nuclear-Capable US Base. sputniknews.com A 71-year-old Roman Catholic priest will spend virtually no additional time become bars after he was granted time served during sentencing for his April 2018 break-in at a nuclear-capable US Navy submarine base in Georgia.

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-10-16). Kings Bay Plowshares 7 Activists Sentenced for 2018 Anti-Nuclear Protest at Georgia Naval Base. commondreams.org Father Stephen Kelly and Patrick O'Neill were sentenced to nearly three years and 14 months in prison, respectively. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/kings-bay-plowshares-955px.jpg

Andrew Korybko (2020-10-15). Scenario Forecasting: What Could a Russian Intervention in Nagorno-Karabakh Look Like? globalresearch.ca Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov's suggestion to deploy Russian peacekeepers and military observers into the universally recognized Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and its seven surrounding districts under Armenian occupation pending both sides' agreement raises the prospect of Moscow's military intervention in …

teleSUR (2020-10-15). Venezuela Starts Clinical Trials of Russia's COVID-19 Vaccine. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro informed his nation that 2,000 volunteers are already participating in the clinical trials of Sputnik, the Russian COVID-19 vaccine. | RELATED: | "The Russian vaccine is here and the tests have already begun… In addition, thousands of Chinese vaccines will come to the country," Maduro said during a program broadcast by Venezolana de Television on Wednesday. | In the first half of 2…

MEE and agencies (2020-10-15). EU sanctions senior Putin aides over Libya, Navalny poisoning. middleeasteye.net EU sanctions senior Putin aides over Libya, Navalny poisoning | Yevgeny Prigozhin, nicknamed 'Putin's chef', sanctioned for supporting Wagner Group in Libya | Thu, 10/15/2020 – 18: 37 | Members of Khalifa Haftar's self-proclaimed Libyan National Army gather in Benghazi on way to Sirte (AFP/File photo) | Members of Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle were hit with sanctions by t…

MEE and agencies (2020-10-15). Syrian and Russian officials should face sanctions over Idlib strikes, states HRW. middleeasteye.net Syrian and Russian officials should face sanctions over Idlib strikes, states HRW | Rights group says analysis of attacks between April 2019 and March 2020 revealed a 'callous disregard for civilian life' | Thu, 10/15/2020 – 12: 21 | HRW based its report on interviews with more than 100 victims and witnesses, analysis of hundreds of photographs and videos taken on the site of attacks and o…

_____ (2020-10-15). As Fires Burn Across Nagorno-Karabakh and Beyond, Wiser Heads Must Prevail. strategic-culture.org A wise American once said "We either hang together or we will certainly hang separately." | When Ben Franklin spoke those words in 1776, the elder statesman was stating a simple truth that unless the early colonies overcame their differences, fears and prejudices to unite under a higher unifying self interest that transcended their "local" concerns, they would all be mutually destroyed. | Today, these same words apply just as well to those modern states who, though not American, have everything to lose by clinging onto historic resentments, prejudices, and Cold War traditions. These same states have all to gain b…

RT (2020-10-15). 'International solidarity': German technicians refuse to work on Belarusian President Lukashenko's plane at Hamburg airport. rt.com Technical workers, attached to Lufthansa, at Germany's Hamburg Airport have declined to service the state plane of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, accusing him of "giving the order to shoot at demonstrators in Belarus." | In a Facebook post on the page of the Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft workers union, a statement explained that technicians for Lufthansa Technik would not service the presidential Boeing 737 as an act of "international solidarity" and "standing side-by-side with Belarusian workers." In addition, the union demanded Lukashenko's resignation, and called for democratic elections…

RT (2020-10-15). 'This war must end': Foreign doctors express 'shock' over severity of war wounds in Nagorno-Karabakh in interviews with RT. rt.com Medics from as far away as France who came to help as fighting between Armenians and Azerbaijanis erupted in Nagorno-Karabakh, have told RT they weren't fully prepared for the atrocities and have called for the fighting to stop. | Intense clashes between ethnic Armenian and Azeri forces over Nagorno-Karabakh have been raging since late September. The mainly Armenian-populated region, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, declared independence from Baku in 1991 and has since been backed by Armenia, which has stopped short of officially recognizing it. Azeri authorities consider Nagorno-Kara…

RT (2020-10-15). Scientists in Crimea present potential Covid-19 vaccine inhaled through the nose, hoping to offer alternative to injected formulas. rt.com Virologists from Russia's Crimean Federal University claim to have developed an alternative Covid-19 vaccine, using DNA, which can be inhaled through the nose. They are now want to launch trials, if they can secure funding. | Vladimir Oberemok, the head of the university's DNA drugs lab, explained to Moscow news agency Interfax that the vaccine consists of a single fragment of genetic code, which carries an activator of immunity to Covid-19, as well as a small portion of the virus' genome. When inside the patient, the vaccine is identified by the human body, and it begins to produce antibodies. | The vaccine h…

RT (2020-10-15). All night party, interrupted: Moscow announces new Covid-19 regulations for nightclubs, forcing patrons to register via QR code. rt.com Clubbing in party hotspot Moscow will be slightly disrupted for the coming weeks after the capital's mayor decreed that visitors to nightclubs will have to register upon entry using a QR code or by SMS starting from Monday. | Sergey Sobyanin said that the new restrictions are designed to counter the spread of Covid-19 and are being trialled in the hope of avoiding the sort of severe lockdowns currently being imposed in similar large European cities. | By scanning the code or sending an SMS to a designated number, guests will be making themselves available for a track-and-trace contact, should one of them devel…

RT (2020-10-15). UK supports new EU sanctions against Moscow that will 'significantly punish' Russian officials over alleged poisoning of Navalny. rt.com Britain will support a fresh round of EU sanctions against Russia. The targets are six high-level officials and a state research institute London believes is responsible for managing stocks of the nerve agent Novichok. | The UK Foreign Office declared on Thursday that the new sanctions, effective from October 15, will "send a strong message" and "significantly punish Russia's reckless and malign behaviour". The London government has announced that it will impose travel bans and asset freezes on the six individuals listed by the EU. | "The UK and its partners have agreed that there is no plausible explanation f…

RT (2020-10-15). Three stranded Beluga whales saved in remote Russian Far East after dramatic solo rescue operation by hero local inspector. rt.com An inspector from Russia's Emergencies Ministry has been hailed as a hero, after he saved a family of three Beluga whales — two adults and a young calf — left stranded on a Far Eastern beach on Thursday when the tide went out.

RT (2020-10-15). 'This war must end': Doctors express 'shock' over severity of war wounds in Nagorno-Karabakh in interviews with RT. rt.com Medics from as far away as France who travelled to help as fighting between Armenians and Azerbaijanis erupted in Nagorno-Karabakh, have told RT they weren't fully prepared for the atrocities and called for the fighting to stop. | Intense clashes between ethnic Armenian and Azeri forces over Nagorno-Karabakh have been raging since late September. The mainly Armenian-populated region, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, declared independence from Baku in 1991 and has since been backed by Armenia, which has stopped short of officially recognizing it. Azeri authorities consider Nagorno-Kara…

Gerry Mohan (2020-10-15). Most Germans Want US Military to Leave the Country. zcomm.org Unlike their elected riulers, most Germans don't want to be part of the nuclear 'theater' Trump, once again doing the right thing for the wrong reasons, wants to pull US troops out of Germany because Germany doesn't spend enough on "defence". The German population tend to like it but don't like his reasons. And, as

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-15). 'Weapons embargo against Iran not linked with nuclear deal'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 15 (MNA) — Restrictions on weapons supplies to Iran were not linked with the settlement of the situation around Iran's nuclear program, of which all the parties to the talks were aware from the very beginning, Maria Zakharova said.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-15). Iran nuclear scientists ready to face US coercion: AEOI. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 15 (MNA) — In reaction to to Pompeo's new claim about Iran's use of nuclear energy, Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) said that Iran nuclear scientists are ready to face the coercion and unilateralism of the US government.

teleSUR (2020-10-15). Russia to Respond to New EU Sanctions. telesurenglish.net Moscow will respond to new sanctions from the European Union over the alleged poisoning of Kremlin opposition leader Alexei Navalny, TASS news agency reported on Thursday, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. | RELATED: | "Much to our regret, this is a deliberate unfriendly step against Russia. The Council of the EU harmed relations with our country by making this decision," Peskov said. | This statement came afte…

Howard Lisnoff (2020-10-14). So Long, Sister Ardeth Platte, Anti-Nuclear Activist. counterpunch.org Sister Ardeth Platte, a Dominican nun and antinuclear protester, died ("Ardeth Platte, Dominican Nun and Antinuclear Activist, Dies at 84," New York Times, October 8, 2020) during the night or early morning of the first presidential debate. When Sister Ardeth broke into a nuclear missile facility in Colorado, she recited "Oh God, help us to be

RT (2020-10-14). Armenia knew war over Nagorno-Karabakh was coming, 'the question was when,' PM Pashinyan tells nation as fighting continues. rt.com In an emotional address to the nation on Wednesday, Armenia's Prime Minister said his country was aware of Baku's plans to provoke a war over Nagorno-Karabakh, adding that Azeri attempts to smash Armenian defenses have failed. | Nikol Pashinyan, however, conceded that the disputed region controlled by Armenians, and backed by Yerevan, but considered illegally occupied in Azerbaijan, has suffered massive losses. | Fighting erupted in Nagorno-Karabakh on September 27, with both Armenia and Azerbaijan accusing each other of firing the first shots. As far as Pashinyan is concerned, the outbreak of hostilities was…

RT (2020-10-14). Russia sees no prospect of prolonging New START treaty with US, but is not closing door on negotiations — Foreign Minister Lavrov. rt.com Moscow doesn't believe the New START treaty with the US can be continued, as achieving common ground is impossible against the backdrop of ultimatums employed by Washington, the Russian Foreign Minister said on Wednesday. | In his interview with three Russian radio stations, Sergey Lavrov was asked if he saw any prospect of the two countries agreeing to prolong the landmark deal until 2026. The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or New START, obliges Russia and the US to reduce the number of their strategic nuclear missile launchers by half, and it expires in February. | "There is no such prospect. I persona…

RT (2020-10-14). Reproduce or pay up! Controversial Russian Communist politician backs CHILDLESSNESS TAX on citizens who don't want to have kids. rt.com A prominent Russian politician has supported the introduction of a tax on citizens who refuse to have children. The idea was first floated by the country's 'Council of Mothers' as a means to solve the country's demographic crisis. | Speaking to the news agency 'Moscow,' Tamara Pletnyova, a Communist Party MP and the chair of the parliamentary Committee on Family, Women, and Children, argued that "those who don't want to have children should be taxed." She added that those medically unable to do so and those no longer of reproductive age should be exempted. | "This was the case in Soviet times," she explained.

oneworld.press (2020-10-14). Scenario Forecasting: What Could A Russian Intervention In Nagorno-Karabakh Look Like?>. oneworld.press Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov's suggestion to deploy Russian peacekeepers and military observers into the universally recognized Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and its seven surrounding districts under Armenian occupation pending both sides' agreement raises the prospect of Moscow's military intervention in this conflict, which is worthwhile examining since this scenario isn't as far-fetched as some might think.

Scott Ritter (2020-10-14). Dangerous delusions: US claims arms control 'agreement' with Russia for Trump election points. thealtworld.com Extending the New START treaty until a new arms control agreement can be negotiated is in the best interest of world peace. President Trump, however, seems ready to sacrifice that security for a few points in pre-election ratings. | There is one thing virtually every arms control expert can agree on: extending the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, known as New START, past its February 2021 expiration date is essential for preventing a new nuclear arms race between the US and Russia. As such, it should be done even in the face of widespread disagreement over what a new arms control treaty would look like, and who w…

Carla Stea (2020-10-14). Human Rights Debate at UN Security Council. Horrifying Social Consequences of US Sanctions Inflicted on North Korea. globalresearch.ca During the press briefing outlining Russia's program of work for their October Presidency of the UN Security Council, I mentioned the offer by Dr. Kee B. Park, Director of the Korea Policy Project at Harvard Medical School, and renowned …

_____ (2020-10-14). NATO, Energy Geopolitics and Conflict in Caucasus. strategic-culture.org Rarely are geopolitical events innocently coincidental, as an old saying goes. Let's look at a few recent upheavals. First we have the renewed pressure on Germany and Europe to abandon the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline from Russia, which the strange Navalny affair and his alleged poison-assassination conveniently gives cover to what would otherwise be an unprecedented backsliding on strategic energy trade. | Then we have the resurgence in armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed enclave territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. | A key factor in all this too is NATO's long-term plans to expand membership…

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-14). Security situation in world has worsened: Iran UN envoy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 14 (MNA) — Iran's ambassador to the United Nations warned against return of Cold War-era mentality, stating that threat of weapons of mass destruction and outer space and cybernetic threats have worsened security situation in the world.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-14). Iran, Russia discuss bilateral trade cooperation. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 14 (MNA) — Iranian Minister of Energy Reza Ardakanian and his Russian counterpart reviewed the latest status of Iran-Russia trade cooperation on Wednesday.

sputniknews (2020-10-14). Russian Oxygen Generation System Fails on Space Station, Crew Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The oxygen generation system (OGS) has failed in the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS), according to the crew's talks with the Earth, broadcast by NASA.